#something where I'll have to learn wig styling :)

[a1exkra1ie]

cosplay for me is a way to challenge myself. with every project I take on I choose things that will get me to try something new. it's very fun and I want to do everything!!!

[sowritten]

TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! JULIE NEWMAR

feel free to edit pronouns, etc. as needed

If we're going to be friends, there really is something I should tell you.

I can tell you one thing about them founding fathers of America; they sure had fabulous wigs.

Your approval is not needed.

I've waited my whole life to hear those words. And I'm very, very, very happy that you're the one to say them.

Nothin' this pretty could be real.

What in gay hell?

Looks like it's the age-old dilemma: style, or substance?

I think of you as an angel.

I think that's healthy!

Do you ever, like, not cry in this room?

Baby, you can have him.

I got a million dream lovers, alright?

I've got a broken heart for every light on Broadway. And when one of them goes out, I just screw in another one, okay, hello good-bye.

I'm the Latina Marilyn Monroe. I've got more legs than a bucket of chicken!

I didn't ask to come on this trip, did I? No, I don't think so!

As soon as we get to the next town I am jumping on the first man and riding him all the way to New York City and away from you 'cause this trip sucks! It sucks!

How do I look?

I don't know who he is, but if there's a snowstorm tonight, he's going on my tires.

Since you have obviously learned nothing, I am hereby stripping you of all your princess points.

I don't need a dream. I have a plan.

That might be all fine and dandy but you still have a lot more to learn.

Does everything have to be a joke with you?

This is not a masquerade! This is real life!

Oh, my God, I'm like a compass near north.

You have the potential of a lifetime and you are squandering it.

I want you to turn your swayback little self around on those Robert Clergerie Knockoffs and get back in this car.

Larger than life is just the right size.

No one is so rich as to throw away a friend.

I'll bet you were the brightest in your class, weren't you?

I feel like Miss Jayne Mansfield in this car.

You gotta take chances, because you never know, you know what I mean?

I'm not gonna worry about if people accept me or not.

I'm gonna make Hollywood wherever I am at.

I want you to believe in yourself, imagine good things and moisturize, I cannot stress this enough.

There are times when you help people, and then there are times when if you help people, you end up being killed.

Go on and talk to him, you speak honky!

This America does not respond kindly to our sort of person.

No one say anything frivolous for the next few moments.

I am having a significant experience.

Try to describe her and not use the word "statuesque".

I've had enough of this conversation, I'm hungry.

Let's just relax. It's gonna be alright.

A car? Mary Alice Louise, no. This is a land yacht.

How you gonna hitchhike if there are no cars, stupid?

I'm not rich, my parents are.

It's like living in a Tex Avery cartoon.

Live life before it lives you.

If you want them to know there is steak for dinner, you got to let them hear it sizzle! Understand?

You ruin my language and I still love you.

I think I'm gonna black out.

Why is he on the ground?

I am not going upstairs with you.

If you were my girl, you'd never cry for anything, except maybe for happiness.

I think tomorrow is a "Say Something" hat day.

Lets throw you a pity party.

You're gonna be second class and you're gonna be second rate your whole life.

Don't quote me but I think this one is decease-ed.

Actin' real proud of yourself just like a New York City girl.

I tell you where I'm going, I ain't going nowhere.

If I was your bread, would you be my butter?

[j0kers-light]

Hiiii!!! I’ve never requested anything before but I was thinking somthing along the lines of reader getting a bad cut on her hand (like a huge cut) from somthing and joker helping her clean it and bandage it up and comfort her

Hey hi my beloved! 🖤✨

I am beyond happy you decided to request something! Never hesitate to ask, because I will always answer in some fashion. Chaos might be late with a response, but I'll never ignore an ask. Now, let’s discuss your request shall we? 👩🏽‍💻

I turned it into an hc please don't hate me for it 😭

Joker is curious as to HOW you received such a nasty cut but fret not, he’s right there to dry your tears! Nurse!Joker activated. (Wig included)

Disclaimer! If someone harmed you as the origin of this injury…. 🙂 Joker will go on a rampage to avenge you... anyhoo! Back to you beloved.

Joker aggressively wipes any tears away from your eyes, “Shhh doll, I’ll fix ya right up! Now, stop. Stop. Cryin’.”

Joker deems the cut shallow (uhhh 👀 sure) thankfully it doesn’t require stitches so he flushes the wound out with water and begins treating it.

He has plenty of experience treating wounds. You’re in good hands.

Joker’s touch is gentle yet firm, ever careful not to hurt you further and he hums (off key) to help calm you down.

Hearing your pained sniffles tears him up inside. J will do anything to put a smile on your face!

He jokes around, telling you all the times he hurt himself, “Nothing like this doll, hehe my injuries are wayyy worse.”

His stories have the desired effect, you fuss over him and ask that he be more careful at work. He can’t guarantee anything but since you asked 🤷🏽‍♀️

Whatever his Bunny wants, she gets.

Joker wraps your hand in gauze and leaves a red lipstick mark on the white surface when he kisses it. He laughs at your annoyed pout.

“There now it’s allllll better.” Joker then attacks your face with kisses. And just like that, the pain is gone✨

Now that’s handled, you got some explaining to do. Like how did you managed to cut yourself this bad and why you didn’t come to him for help in the first place?

You don't have to be so independent now that Joker is around. You can come to him for anything!

He's the best nurse, ensuring that your wound doesn't get infected (hm, I wish he would take his own advice) and helping you around the apartment since you can't use your hand. Speaking of...

Over the span of a week Joker's innocent doting becomes overbearing.

He bandaged your hand nice and tight so you literally couldn't hold a pen. Now you know he did it on purpose. Its all so he can do things for you without any protests.

Need help brushing or styling your hair? Joker is already behind you grinning like a madman.

Can't reach something? Well you better duck because Joker is tossing it your way. Cue his sarcastic, 'oops' when you fail to catch it.

He enjoys 'lending you a hand' (his words not mine) while the cut on your palm heals. It can't heal fast enough because Joker sucks at brushing your teeth—something you learned the hard way.

You come to dread your nighttime routine. "J, you do know I can still use my other hand right?" you sigh in the en-suite.

At a glance it seems that he didn't hear you since he's busy squeezing way too much toothpaste onto your toothbrush. You cringe at the huge dollop that you know he's gonna shove into your mouth like its a totally acceptable amount.

Joker is laser focused on his task, tongue stuck out and everything to make sure the paste stays on the bristles. He mourns the toothpaste stains in the sink where he missed. Multiple times.

He'll uhh, clean those out later.. He finishes and turns to face you like a kid in a candy store.

"Aww but I li-ke helping my adorable, helpless wittle Bunny! Its nothing. Really. NOW! Say ahhhhhhhh!"

Joker steals your chance to reply, he attempts to murder you starts to brush your teeth.

He does know how to use a toothbrush right? Right?! Good thing you don't have a gag reflex..

You push his arm and gasp for air, "I'm not helpless Joker. You're acting like I cut my entire hand off. See?"

You wave your mummified appendage with ease. "Sarai said its all but healed. You just seem to think otherwise."

Joker clicks his tongue and lets you take over brushing you teeth. Its a little awkward using your non dominate hand, but you are not asking for help.

It’s quiet in the bathroom with Joker staring you down, and you trying to ignore the heavy tension. Not even your dentist is this attentive.

You spit and gargle, getting lost in the motions of your routine until your hand reaches out for your skin care products. Joker moves faster and grabs it for you.

He even unscrewed the top for you. This has got to stop. "Stop babying me, J."

Your colored eyes clash with his emerald green. You hate that you look away first.

"M'not bab-y-ing ya Bun. Its just.." Joker stalls long enough for you to unwrap the gauze on your palm.

The skin is pale from being covered up for almost a week but the cut itself is scabbed over with shiny new skin.

You cup Joker's cheek with your hand and smile when he closes his eyes.

Actions are louder than anything Joker could ever say and you know exactly what his thoughts are. You rest your head on his chest and let him wrap his arms around you.

I'm here. I'm okay. You aren't going to lose me.

Who's comforting who?

[sicksadgames]

TEETH: A Roleplaying Game

TEETH DAY TEETH DAY TEETH DAY. I've only had time to flip through for like half an hour, but my first impressions are that Jim Rossingol and Marsh Davies have made something 1: Extremely creepy and weird 2: Surprisingly funny 3: Extremely cohesive in both look and writing style.

It's a Forged in the Dark game about hunting for monsters in 1780, in the fictional The Vale of Deluth, an area in the wild windswept north of England where magic lingers and bubbles and growls through bared teeth in the darkness. I've not played or read it through in detail yet, but the vibes are incredibly strong here, so that's what I'm gonna dive in on below the cut.

I love a map and this game has several, including these two incredibly cool looking maps of The Vale and the main town of Gatlock:

First of all, the writing in this game is just *really good*. This is the description of the main town of Gatlock, I can smell the crusty wigs and the stinking, stagnant canal from here.

It's really creatively, uniquely gruesome and foreboding. Every paragraph contains some squirm-inducing twist that the magical nature of the vale has inflicted on the place and the people who live around it.

It's not grimdark though, for everything that makes you cringe and shiver there's something to make you laugh. This mutations table is full of horrors, but also some of the horrors are just really funny:

And the artwork! Look at these nasty English bastards! The intricate woodcut style looks so good and really compliments the writing so well. It feels super singular in its intent - dark, nasty, funny.

There's a D12 table of cursed pies that's singularly grimy and gross but also just really fucking funny and I want to incorporate it into every game. You roll for appearance, filling, curse and antidote

Like, I return from the moors, bloodied and bruised after a harrowing hunt where I narrowly defeat a gang of monstrosities, and my reward is getting bullied by children because I ate the wrong pie? That's fucking great.

Eventually I'll learn how the actual game works, but at the moment I'm so into the vibes that all I wanna do is flip through and marvel at them. It's a sticky, black bog that will slowly drown you, but occasionally it makes a farting noise and you can't help but laugh.

I'll post more once I've had a proper readthrough, but I'm just super enamored with this game on its face, and you should absolutely check it out. There's TEETH the full game, but there's also a bunch of introductory adventures written to get a taste of it, and seem like a perfect way to onboard people who've not played TTRPGs before, all of which are on itch

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Hey ! Lol eh I laughed reading your tags, not creepy don't worry 🤣

I really am more confident in my art than I sound there, I was just so angry because what the fuck why would you do that, and I feel like these kinds of things really would have destroyed my will to draw if I was younger (and have for a while when I was a teenager, not gonna lie). I shouldn't whine though because my pieces lately have received a LOT of love and I wish that to all Tumblr artists. If you're interested, my art blog is there @dr-fancy-pants (you don't have to go have a look either lol)

NOW learning new art style ? Sharing steps ? DIRECT ME TO WHERE I CAN SEE PLEASE 👀

Oooh, let me go back and make a directory here. First I saw this image and wigged out at how much depth it had with so little detail. I am VERY into telling a story without too much detail work, because my eyes are broken and don't want to focus. (It's called "binocular vision dysfunction." I'm doing exercises to fix it, but they make my eyes tired and make me feel sick.)

So I decided to see if I could get art deco-style images out of Paint.net - because I am a goblin who likes an art program you don't pay for on the installment plan, and because it fits the story I'm trying to tell.

Proof of concept

Experiment in complexity (patterns, crazy colours, various transparencies, I don't quite like it, but I learned a lot!)

Experiment in simplicity (limited palette, this one I like!)

Seeing if I can get figure to resemble a given person (Abigail Thorn, for silly reasons) in a limited palette, and in the reblog, seeing if I can get cleaner lines with a screen protector that isn't shot to hell.

And I'll hafta do something with a different pen tip and the new screen protector. I'll also have a look through the Paint.net directory and see if there are any cool extensions that might help me. If there are I'll try them out too! Not sure if I have another fairy tale panel in me, but time will tell.

[littlewalken]

Ap 15

So far plans are to go to a doll show today. I will be carrying Xavier, who fortunately has something other than his David S Pumpkins outfit in his box, and I'll have my Blythe in her carrier bag to see if I can find a new wig for her. Might have Britches and my Barbie box of Littles in the car for the sake of having them.

If I still had the umbrella stroller I'd be more in to taking more ball joints. All I have is the pram style buggy and I'm not going to be that person with a giant ass stroller in what looks to be a moderately sized community center.

Also I'm a bit hyper vigilant to unwatched children, especially at a doll and toy show, wanting to help themselves to my children. Back in the day of taking Shi Shi out he learned the fine art of being held too high for grabbing unwatched children to reach him.

Xavier is smaller and easier to keep out of reach but the Blythe carrier is life a purse and will be about face height.

Also see the separate post about how to almost kick a child in the head.

Today we shall see what happens when the sole of a Violator boot meets the face of a preschooler.

The red and black versions of those Doc Martens are back in stores. I have my pair, I do not presently require another pair, and if I did I'd gravitate towards purple. Or the ones with the zippers now that they sell ones with zippers.

What I would really like are a pair of their oxfords with roses on them but in walking around int he boots yesterday it kind of hit me how much they weigh, compared to my other shoes, and if the arthritis in my ankles gets worse I might not want heavy non boots. In that the boots help support the ankles.

I want to put together a general 'Martin Gore' hoodie and knit hat outfit to go with these.

Next time I go to that mall I want to take one of the twins, or at least their shoes, and see if I can find a big version of their creepers. They have one of those Elvira-Dave Vanian-Wednesday Addams stores there.

Of the two places we might move one is a couple blocks from the mall and the other is on the San Andreas fault but brand new and behind a grocery store. Already put in an application for the fault line place, going to look in to applying for the other one next week.

Either place would be good so I'm kind of leaving it up to fate I suppose to decide for me.

I have ADHSquirrel, making decisions is physically painful, and for all the logical and I can't remember the other word thinking I do have, and a personal experience of enough of my decisions being forced in to tits up territory by other people, I... have no idea where I was going except to this day I don't really know what it's like to have my choices supported.

[six-costume-refs]

if they ever need an emergency cover on broadway, what would be the costume situation?

Depends on how they choose to resolve the situation and how much time they have to prepare!

If they bring someone in from one of the tours:

They'd generally have them wear their own costume, just like Keirsten Hodgens did when she was an emergency cover on the tour for a few days. This requires some advance notice; the Tour alt and production team would have to have enough time for the alt to get their costume/wig/makeup/etc packed up, sort out travel, get them to the theater, and work through some of the blocking and spacing. It's going to need advance warning of a day or so in most scenarios. As they gain practice and depending on how far away Tour is from Broadway and what flights are available, they may be able to do it in a shorter period of time. And it also depends on if an actor knows the track they need to cover for that production or if they have to learn it.

If a Broadway alt goes on for a role they don't typically cover:

The priority would be that they figure out a scenario where an alt can go on wearing someone else's principal-style costume. We've seen this with both Cassie Silva and Hana Stewart in the past few months. Broadway has a ton of costume pieces right now: 2019 NA Tour principals, discarded 2020 alt and principals (keep in mind that there were some finished costumes for alts who now don't cover those roles which is great for E/Cs!), Anna Uzele's 2021 Parr, Keri Rene Fuller's Seymour, everything current, everything made in 2021 that isn't currently in use, Showstoppers, and seemingly a few other pieces that may have been made but discarded due to cast or cover changes etc. Some of that will be damaged or less accessible now, but that's still quite a number of costume pieces with which to try and find something that works. Also takes time to figure this out by trying on different costumes and combos of pieces, but they might have already figured out who fits in what in case they ever have a situation like this.

If they can't work out a principal-style costume, the next plan would be that they go on in Mallory Maedke or Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert's 2019 alt costume. This is once again going to depend on what fits and what isn't damaged, as well as how accessible those costumes are and how much advance notice they'd have.

Beyond that, I don't know! In theory they'd never run into that point. The current Broadway system works well even when several people are out, and if they do get to the point of emergency covers they should (in theory) be able to work out a scenario using the costumes they do have. If they can't I honestly don't know what they'd do. Band costumes probably?? Cancel the show if they really have that many people out?? Who knows!

As far as the other costume pieces (applicable to principal or alt costumes): - Union rules that govern Broadway say that actors can wear a costume not initially made for them, but they need to have their own "skin layers". With Six, that's what I usually call "leotards" because of this site's censorship words :))))). To make a new leotard would require a day or two minimum in the most ideal unlikely scenarios. But the union might have exceptions in the case of emergency covers, or contingency plans like backup leotards might already be in place. - They'd be fine in their usual boots and tights etc. - I believe they can use someone else's crowns if needed but I'll try and confirm that. - Then for hair they can wear their natural hair (they all wear it for at least one role each anyway), any 2020 wigs they have but don't use (like Courtney Mack's Aragon wig), or they might be able to wear their hairpieces/wigs typically used for one of their covers (like Mal's Seymour might be able to work for Boleyn etc). Howard is the hardest and there are some union rules about sharing wigs, but as I understand it they can as long as they follow certain rules about cleaning etc, so in theory Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert could wear Sam Pauly or Courtney Mack's wig if she ever had to go on as Howard.

Majority of this is also going to apply to emergency covers on the US tours, where they could have emergency covers from the other tour or Broadway OR have one of that tour’s alts emergency cover a role they aren’t typically supposed to cover. However, that’s going to get more complicated as tours aren’t going to have access to as many costumes pieces as the Broadway production would. If that alt doesn’t already fit into a costume that that production has on hand, they’re not easily going to be able to get one from Broadway etc.

Hopefully that helps answer your questions! 

[thedeadthree]

multiples of five for viktor and an oc of your choice please! 💕

ROSIIEEE hii! i hope your doing well dear! <3 THATS MY DEAR BOY. ive had him for EONS he means the world to me AHH. hmm and for the second one in honor of tlou releasing today on hbo! i'll introduce alaia! <3

OC ASK GAME

5. WHAT WAS AN OCS FIRST SLOW DANCE SONG?

i would say MODUS by joji would be a cute first slow dance song for him! i would say first slow dance parter would go to the lucky dear ness (or nessie as he likes to call her <3 shes aj @jendoe's girlie!)! for a goood chunk of his life slow dances wigged him out u know? it's what his parents did at galas, and furthermore, its what people in committed relationships do u know? so it would take a "love of their life" sort to sway prince skittish of long term relationships <3

10. WHICH OC IS THE BIGGEST ROMANTIC?

to be honest i think until nessie he didn't think himself as much of a romantic? and after they become an item (nessie will likely have to go "LISTENN BUB I THINK UR NEAT" or something like that jksankjn bc for all of his banter and etc etc dear boy was like UHH when it came to the art of courting ahjsabjx). but he'll try his best! its like watching a baby dear learn how to walk which is precious but also PRIME opportunity for teasing (affectionate). wanted to be in love but didn't think it was for him u know?

15. WHICH OC HAS THE MOST FRIENDS?

he's a social butterfly my dear boy sure is! of course soap and willa and Garrick and ghost begrudgingly are the besties and price and isi are like parental figures to him <3. radolfo and alejandro (dad wars between him and price kajnsj their time together in that cell was all the convincing ale needed that vik was to be his son jjhsjh) became instant besties of his <3. he has a number of close friends and fringe acquaintances as well! though the one who will hold the candle as his friend of all friends for him would be his late brother aldric <3

20. WHICH OC GETS CRUSHES THE EASIEST?

vik gets crushes like his dogs track mud in his house... ALL THE TIME. the essence of the "falls in love with a new person everyday." hehe <3 he took the cake for that until he met *COUGH*!

25. WHICH OC IS THE MOST PRACTICAL?

hES TrYinG hIS BeST his upbringing he's a nepo baby and his tendency towards the dramatic (stubs his toe? shakespearean tragedy.) he makes an effort for practicality but like his mannerisms in the romantic department its like watching a deer learn how to walk <3 viktor "how much does a banana cost? $50?" mason <3

30. WHICH OC DRESSES THE BEST? THE WORST?

no greater slight he could make to his mother if he didn't put thought into his sense of style bjsbjd and thank the heavens for aldric and his IMMACULATE TASTE bc i am confident dear boy would have considered joggers and a t-shirt as a suitable formal wear jankxdk. he learned all he knows from him! <3

35. WHICH OC PRONOUNCES IT MEH-MEH INSTEAD OF MEME?

his grandma on his moms side in france pronounced it as meh-meh and as a like seven he used to say it that way until aldric told him its MEME not meh-meh habjsbj (after waiting EONS until vik was fifteen to tell him DARN OLDER SIBLINGS). now, its just around graves to get on his nerves <3. he's a twerp!

40. IF ALL YOUR OCS WERE TO GET INTO A GIANT, MCU STYLE FIGHT WHO WOULD WIN?

he survives only bc select clowns would find his "hot mess with a heart of gold" nature endearing <3 he's beelining for roman, ayrenn, vindamea and enya the moment he sees them! strong badass ladies who can break his neck like a twig? AND upon them knowing him for five minutes if anyone touched a hair on his head they'd zero everyone on the scene hehe <3 he's drinking mead with baelor afterwards and running for the HILLS shrieking and tears in his eyes seeing una on the back of the cannibal <3 its fun!

5. WHAT WAS AN OCS FIRST SLOW DANCE SONG?

i think maybe not a first slow dance song but something for a first emotional moment where the bleakness of the post apocalyptic landscape of the world (which members of her family may or may not have been responsible for the outbreak) and its really getting to her.. i think of DEAL ME by MeLoveMeAlot ft KÅIKÅI? the "you can't kill me I'm alive / you gotta deal me i'm alive ... we all know no paradise." i think would be lovely for her in that moment u know? like a hold her while she sways a bit sort of post panic attack moment?

10. WHICH OC IS THE BIGGEST ROMANTIC?

she was the child of seattle socialites and so the notion of romantics came from her admirers verses from her u know? but! she is for sure with the love language of gifting as that was the way she saw her parents expressing their affections and what people around her would do for her. so sort of a romantic but? not really?

15. WHICH OC HAS THE MOST FRIENDS?

i think between her and viktor she would have more friends but none of them she would consider close, acquaintances at best u know? a lot of her friendships in seattle were superficial. a lot of them were more so to have a connection to her name? to say they knew the family? she was little when the outbreak hit the friends she had and their parents it was like that? she needs friends i am PLEADING. these days its easier for her to have dalliances and acquaintances <3

20. WHICH OC GETS CRUSHES THE EASIEST?

crushes? in the year of our lord 2023 post outbreak? not on her life <3 she does have more than a few admirers though in higher circles and in leaving the comforts of home traversing the landscape <3.

25. WHICH OC IS THE MOST PRACTICAL?

alaia actually would have that over dear boy vik! i am still working things out (im doing lore diving as im watching the show rn <3) her step father before the outbreak was a neurosurgeon and he was looking into understanding the outbreak. on her defying her dads wishes and finding survivors outside of FEDRA the things she learned from him and the people around her she took to things rather well!

30. WHICH OC DRESSES THE BEST? THE WORST?

the outbreak broke out in 2003 i believe right? y2k in the post apocalyptic pnw/us fashion icon besties! luxury clothing from the 2000s and 90s inherited from her family! it may be the end times but that didn't mean she had to stop dressing cute!

35. WHICH OC PRONOUNCES IT MEH-MEH INSTEAD OF MEME?

sending memes? in the year of our lord 2023 in a post apocalyptic era? shes asking "huh?" habjwbdjbj in a no-outbreak au, dear girl was pronounces it as memes! <3 or nuisances <3 (rich people u know?)

40. IF ALL YOUR OCS WERE TO GET INTO A GIANT, MCU STYLE FIGHT WHO WOULD WIN?

oh shes not fighting jkanknw <3 fighting? in these chanel boots? she wouldn't dare! she and narcissa and sybille are sipping champagne as the fighting rages!! she would likely if she must use ye olde charm and request damiano to protect her (AND HE OBLIGES *cough* clown <3 but also love that for her! and he's valid for it!) and that's how she walks out of the conflict without a scratch <3

[chososhoeso2]

Just some fluffy reminiscing about why I love cosplay and the progress I've made since I started. I'm feeling sentimental today 🤷‍♀️ It's mostly proofread, but if you see a mistake no you didn't 🤙

Thinking about how I did my very first cosplay in September of 2021. It was my first time styling a wig, my first time trying to do any kind of Jojo makeup, and it was my first time sewing anything since like 7th grade. Granted the sewing was minimal, because it was just the chest and the little loopies at the bottom of the shirt that I had to sew, but still. It was my first con and it really just lit a fire in me. I have ADHD and autism, and all my life I've had a hard time sticking with hobbies. And anything that I hyper fixated on, wasn't really a hobby, unless you consider being absolutely ~*obsessed*~ with the Legend of Zelda. But I had always tried different things from childhood, like karate, archery, softball, jewelry making, etc. And even into adulthood: knitting, making stuff with perler beads, throwing knives, roller skating, painting, a bunch of other different artsy things. But nothing ever stuck. Even my parents used to get upset with me for not being consistent.

But after doing my first cosplay and con, I just fell in love with it. This is the first time where I've started a hobby and I just know with absolutely zero doubt, that this is something that I will stick with for a long time. It gives me so much pride and comfort to see my work. And as someone who has spent her entire life masking and wishing she was someone else, cosplay gives me the opportunity to do that and to do that with characters I feel a connection with. And when I'm at a con or when I post things online of me in cosplay, I'm not afraid or embarrassed. I'm actually excited to interact with other people who can recognize who I'm supposed to be and can share in the joy. I especially appreciate this, because in the summer of 2020 I moved across the country, on my own, away from all of my friends and family. And although I don't mind it (bc I live with my loving cats), it's gotten hard. I get lonely a lot and I feel less and less like other people understand me, and even though I'm planning on moving back next year, I'm scared that the people I love won't treat me the same anymore because of how much I've changed since I moved. Regardless, I know that I'll have the cosplay community to still feel a part of. None of my friends are into cosplay, let alone anime, fandoms, or gaming; so I know they won't be able to fully support or understand that part of my life, but I don't mind it because it's the one part of my identity that I don't need outside approval for.

I also love that cosplay is something where even though what I make isn't perfect, that doesn't deter me from continuing on. I've always been the kind of person where if I'm not immediately good at it, I'm not interested in it anymore. Because why bother trying if I'm not just going to be good at something, y'know? But here with cosplay, I just see every little flaw as something specific that I know I need to work on and improve on, I only really see progress instead of failure. Like how I started out with not even knowing how to properly sew at all, but now I'm able to use the right kind of stitches and threading. I also just dove into making props. I had never tried making anything, let alone making things that I want to wear and show off. But then I had the idea in my head to make the femme Zoro cosplay. I just tried to learn what I could, and ended up making three swords. A lot of things went wrong. Like there were many different things that I learned throughout making the swords that didn't work like I had anticipated or could be done a different way or should be done using a different technique. But that's okay. I'm still so incredibly proud of how they turned out even though they don't look perfect. And it just gets me excited to make more things. To use what I've learned so far and to keep learning to make improvements on what I'm doing. Like the next things on my list are to make a giant ax for my impel down buggy cosplay and to make a whole ass feather coat for my Corazon cosplay.

And it sucks that cosplay is so expensive, but I don't care, because I'm actually using the things that I've spent my money on. Unlike all of the thousands of perler beads that I have on my shelf or the multiple different paints and markers and oil pastels that have collected from all the different times that I've tried to get into those kinds of arts. Whatever money I spend on cosplay, it gets used. It might now get used right now, but because I know that I will stick with this hobby, it will get used. Like I have so many different colors of the flexible FX cosplay paint, and I have probably only used about half of them. But it's the best paint I have ever used and I know that I will end up using all of it someday.

Anyways, I'm feeling nostalgic today and I'm just thankful for Doppio from Jojo for being there as inspiration for my first cosplay; and I'm proud of where I've come, to where I'm still doing it: and even though I don't really like how I look in my Zoro cosplay, I'm still proud of myself for all of the time and effort I put into it.

Here are the pics of my first and last cosplays: Sept '21 to Sept '22