#speaking of art styles though can i mention how much i LOVE your art style?? its so nice!!!

[8housevenus]

beauty in astrology

hii, i wanted to go through some aspects and some general placements that i notice are huge indicators of beauty. this is speaking energy-wise, appearance, and other ways. of course, there is way more placements and dynamics to beauty indicators of astrology, however these ones i feel are most common and striking!

venus in the 1st house/ libra&taurus risings - usually have a very magnetic factor about them, their beauty is oddly comforting, and you are naturally drawn to them. they tend to have a softer look and they might seem like they "have it all," usually with taurus risings. libra risings can often have very elongated features giving them the "model-esque," because libra's are harmonious and balancing, libra risings tend to have a very symmetrical face and charms to reel anyone in. in general, venus being in the 1st house creates a lot of appeal surrounding one's aesthetic.

neptune in the 1st house/ pisces risings - they have a beauty that many people say is far different than the rest, because of your neptune/pisces influence, people tend to fantasize about your looks- or want to look just like you. you have a dreamy profile and parts of you can even seem hypnotic, hard to resist. you tend to have soft skin and soft features and carry yourself sensitively to your environment. you make sure to always style yourself accordingly to the places you are going, and sometimes go over the top. you are visionaries in terms of fashion, arts, and the makeup world. many love this about you because you are experimental and usually pull it off very well. facially, you could also have very narrow cheeks and a pulled look, similar to the pisces fish embodiment.

honorable rising mentions; scorpio & capricorn.

scorpio risings - have this intensity to their looks and bold features making them stand out amongst other people. they do typically have darker hair and almost a "vampire" look to them. these people appear very daring and carry the "intimidating" beauty with them. their dark and offputting vibe attracts most people to them due to curiosity. usually, they don't always receive many compliments regarding their beauty because it is admired from afar. they tend to have very good eyebrows & hair and exude with an unmatchable confidence. people usually fall for them very fastly though and might even feel turned on by them more quickly than others.

capricorn risings - alike with scorpio risings, have an intimidating presence of beauty. people with this placement have prominent cheek bones, jawlines, teeth, and their body movements are super peculiar and unforgettable. just like the leo's, capricorns carry themselves on a pedestal than the rest of people in terms of how they approach others. not in an egotistical way, but more of a "i think therefore i am," type of sense. these people usually take most comments with a grain of salt as their sense of self is through the roof with their beauty. but nonetheless, they age like fine wine and as they get older they only look better.

sun in 2nd/7th - when sun is in either of these, the native can almost always attract people or money towards them. sun in 2nd house finds abundance from their charms and might have people spoil them often or gift them things frequently. usually, the 2nd house sun exhibits an energy that appears sensual, which people are drawn to. the 7th house sun exhibits a friendly energy, which can be flirtatious in some ways. because of this, you usually have such a range of potential partners to choose from, and love is really in your hands as long as you are giving it. in terms of appearance, 2nd house suns have good posture, nice jaw to shoulder proportions, and very clean girl/boy aesthetic. 7th house suns have diplomatic demeanors when talking, strong cores & abdominal area, and also harmonious features.

venus in midheaven - alike with much of what i have said with venus in ascendant, venus in midheaven might be flustered with compliments a lot, and can commit to careers with modeling, influencing, etc, anything which displays your energy/beauty. in your career your most likely will have people telling you to go for something else because of your looks, or people being overly friendly to you, or even copy you depending on the public setting. you have a mimicable flow and create trends without thinking about it.

lilith in the 6th/1st/3rd - lilith in the 1st house exudes a femme fatale-like energy, most people really like them because they are so different meaning they push away from norms and dress exactly how they want wherever they want. they have a lot of free will which many people admire, they also have really captivating eyes. they embody lots of femininity and can also seem stern because of their "above all" attitudes. lilith in the 6th house usually have very notable body, typically people are infatuated by your essence, and you might be somebody who works out a lot, or is highly active, giving you a very eye-catching look. lilith in the 3rd house are also very magnetic and have a way with their words, people love hearing their voice and they have a way with their intelligence.

aspects;

venus sextile/trine ascendant, venus sextile/trine sun, neptune trine/sextile sun/ascendant. lilith conjunct/trine venus/sun/ascendant/midheaven, moon conjunct venus, mars trine/sextile ascendant, chiron square sun/moon/mars/ascendant, moon square mars, uranus trine sun/ascendant, saturn square pluto, neptune oppose lilith/moon, saturn trine ascendant. + many more.

if u have your ascendant at the 2nd, 7th, 14th, 26th, or 19th, you also exude either that libra or taurus energy. you will have that glimpse of the attraction they are noted for. not only the ascendant, but if you have the sun or moon in any of those degrees.

thank u for reading, of course there is more if you would like me to elaborate on any of these let me know below and i will get back to you, otherwise some of these are more opinion based and touch on the standard venusian influence and what that standardly means to natives! <3

[parisoonic]

How the hell do you manage to superimpose the hilariously exagerated proportions of the tf2 mercs into a cohesive 2d style? I always struggle SO much with like, the way the mercs' models have huge hands, the way they have relatively low-poly definition on things like arms, shoulders, and legs... and Especially the way like, the models are kinda janky when you pose them for art purposes- when using movement tools, things like armpits and seams between body parts get all deformed... Which makes the study of form and silhouette rather difficult.

I assume that a lot of your ability to translate the concept of the mercs from their original mediums into your own works of art comes to you quite naturally- through experience you have with drawing and art style stuff, as well as through intuition. I was simply wondering if I could poke at your mind and get some insight into your process, any thoughts you have about the proportions and silhouettes of the mercs, any quirks you've found while drawing the mercs, or simply what you enjoy drawing about them. Like, don't be afraid to infodump about something just because you think people wouldn't find it interesting- I am here, I am sitting, and I am listening- if you so choose to speak.

I am utterly fascinated and enraptured by the more behind-the-scenes aspect of art. The mundane things that come second nature to great artists yet seem so revolutionary to less experienced artists.

I love your work, I look forward to seeing more of it, and I hope you have a nice day :]

Sorry for the late reply! I've been a little…stuck on how to answer this but that's mainly because to me, drawing is composed of SO many different little skills - you have form, anatomy, shape language, silhouette, appeal, rhythm, acting and posing…not to mention everything AFTER your raw draughtmanship like line style, rendering and colour theory. Trying to distill a multiude of small skills into some pithy advice is overwhelming to my brain. So I'll take the invitation to ramble instead :))

I don't think I have any new or revolutionary insight into the tf2 guys specifically - more I'm using them as work horses to excercise general silhouette/posing/shape-language and further my skills when it comes to drawing characters!

I do agree though the proportions are rather silly when you stop and think about them realistically…they can be kinda tricky if you follow their 'actual' proportions. what looks great individually was maybe never meant to be directly compared (ie: Heavy's hand size against Spy's lol). It would've been funny if the TV show exsisted and we had more content to review…would the animators have had rules like Spy and Heavy can never shake hands? Would they cheated the proportions for shots? Or would they have said WHATVER it's gonna look weird and embraced it? (Like Kingpin in Spiderverse lol)

Paul Lasaine for 'Into the Spiderverse' This is AWESOME. But it's also one of the silliest designs I've ever seen comitted to screen. The varied scales of the characters work because of the unifying treatment (lighting, rendering, consistant hand anatomy, consistant clothing fold treatment etc) and because they are sort of proportional within themselves. A common mantra is that hands should be about as large as a characters face....which they all are here!

Human brains are very flexible and forgiving though. It's totally fine for you to put a character with huge hands and head next to a teeny tiny character! Vanellope and Ralph from Wreck-It Ralph look grand next to each other! And in that film you even have varying levels of stylisation sitting against each other (unified by the look dev treatment of the shaders and lighting). I think as long as the chracter is proportional within themselves it sort of works out. IE: a general rule is that a hand should be as large as the face so…you can have some large arse hands as long as their placed on a body with a big arse head. Unifying characters with the same treatment (ie: lineart brush, colouring style will also help them look cohesive next to each other :) )

I don't actually reference the 3D models/animations very much at all and instead draw their proportions based on my tastes for stylisation following their general vibes/silhouette profiles. I don't stick THAT close to their in-game looks and there are artists who do that are so so so much better than me (Creedei and Flapjack come to mind). I'm not amazing at body-type differentation and TBH they're all wearing chunky clothes all the time so I usually draw the guys as one-of-three body shapes: Heavy is the uniquely wide guy; Sniper/Scout/Spy are all tall and slim and Demo/Soldier/Medic/Engie have a little more of the generic 'hero' bodytype with varying tallness and broadness of the shoulders

Something like this! You can vary all these individual elements in terms of size, thickness, taper amount etc to create different characters. If you ARE going to reference the 3d works though you'll need to apply some anatomy knowledge to overcome the weird shoulders, armpits and knees which desperately need blendshapes to correct the 3D volumes and approach it a little more like an animation supervisor. There's a reason why you see in making-ofs and art-ofs character designers, character leads or animation supes doing drawovers of the models. These are character models that have had great effort put into their 'base' silhouette but it still needs to be reinforced in every frame for maximum appeal.

Shiyoon Kim for 'Raya' This sort of thing will occur at multiple stages during the animation process. Shiyoon Kim's notes are post final model but pre-animation. Most likely for internal rig tests, exploring what blend shapes and alt shapes are needed for the rigs etc. If your production has time, this will continue all the way to final anim. IF! But it's interesting to see how he emphasises the shapes and enhances the character acting of the 3d model.

As for 'mundane things' - I wouldn't say they're second nature! (If that makes you feel better!) I have to actively really persue certain advice and try to figure out how to best apply it. This can sometimes involve redrawing and redrawing an element of the drawing until I've grasped the nettle of whatever I'm after or…..until I get frustrated and either delete the drawing or just call it done lol

Here, I'm looking for a really specific flow of the head that sells both the acting and a subtle head tilt. I'm also trying to apply the general mantra regarding faces that converging lines (set by the eyebrows and mouth) are more appealing than parallel. It's tough! I also tend to use a drawing I've already done as a template/reference on the page too. Oh! This page is an amazing example of why I'm not an animator or storyboarder…consistancy? Who is she? 💅

Converging lines (that form tapered shapes) are always more appealing than parallel. Using this logic you can loft the facial features across converging lines to create dynamic appealing espressions. Combining this with anatomy, perspective and rotation is the tough part though. I'm still learning o7

The things I probably think about MOST are always flats vs curves, simple vs complex and general line of action/flow...and then eliminting tangents. Each of these can be a dedicated visual-essay on their own - hence my stumbling as to answer your question. Anyhow, not sure if it's ever come up on this blog but I looove dinosaurs :)) so i'm using a wee piece to demostrate these ideas! (but also to demostrate these concepts apply to everything from humans characters to animals, props and background design)

Okay, I'm getting self-aware that this is getting really long :') I have a wee tutorial tag for my blog if anyone wants to comb through my garbled art-thoughts. Learning, studying, repetition and practice will always be the greatest teachers! I'm glad you like my art- thank you so much for the lovely comments - I feel like such a noob still and not qualified to give people advice but we're in it together learning! High-five! 🙌

[a-boca-do-inferno]

NSFW ALPHABET (caesar x human!reader) [request]

warnings: swearing, interspecies smut mention(duh)

words: 2.4k

notes: howdy caesar girlies! this was so much fun. im so excited bc ive never done a nsfw alphabet before, i hope i did well lol enjoy xx.

Aftercare; what he’s like after sex.

Affectionate to a fault. It would come to no surprise that Caesar is very protective of you—always careful not to hurt you given your difference in size and strength. He’ll constantly rub you arms up and down soothingly in silence, scanning you with his green eyes to look for any unintended marks he might have left on your hairless skin. The king restrains from being too rough a lot, but sometimes he can’t control himself and he knows it, even if you actually like it when he does that. And he’s not as stealthy as he thinks himself to be while checking on you, however you allow him to do it without any teasing comments, for his own self-reassurance. It’s adorable.

Body part; his favourite body parts of you.

Caesar has a thing for your chest. Regardless of size or shape, just the softness of it... How it fits into his big hand, how wrinkled your nipples get under his touch. Loves tasting your breasts with his tongue, cupping them, kissing them, the whole deal. And your belly, too; maybe it has to do with the fact that it’d be impossible for you to bear his child, yet he just cannot help himself from imagining how your womb would look like with a baby bump. 

Cum; anything to do with cum, basically.

This ties into his love for your belly and the kink part later on, but obviously Caesar has a breeding kink deep down, even if he doesn’t think about it too much. In his more, shall I say, animalistic moments, his aching need to fill you up with his seed is almost unbearable. He becomes another person—another creature, even—whenever his eyes watch your entrance dripping with his semen, hot, pale, thick, trickling your thighs gloriously. The sight is enough for him to get instantly hard again.

Dirty secret; a dirty secret of his.

Caesar is just a sucker for the sounds you make, although he shall never tell you this; mainly because you two have to keep it low profile, otherwise it would be embarrassing—at best—for him to face the council the next day after the whole colony heard your passionate… love-making. He can get aroused by the tone of your voice only, when you speak a softer word or produce a deeper murmur. Especially if you talk into his ear. And even though he never actively makes you aware of it, you can tell whenever his fur stands on end after you whisper something to him, no matter how trivial the subject is. With one look, you know it’s on.

Experience; does he know what he’s doing?

Mostly. Caesar is undoubtedly well versed in the art of sex with a female ape, but with you—for obvious reasons—he will often ask what makes you feel good, genuinely curious and eager to learn so he can please you. It doesn’t take much for you to get him going, yet he knows human females have a different pace for things, as you’ve mentioned a few times in casual conversation. He’s thankfully not shy when it comes to learning new things, be them about sex or not, and that makes for a considerable improvement every time you two fuck.

Favourite position; this goes without saying.

Doggy. Albeit Caesar can’t help but find the term ridiculous, occasionally making a joke about it and calling it apey style—to which you only snort softly and roll your eyes. He loves seeing your shapely figure all bent for him, completely under his mercy while you take his cock with your face muffled against the nest, moaning repeatedly. His palm tightens around your hair, guiding the rhythm of his thrusts as he goes faster and faster, pounding into your very core. The king enjoys every second of it, coming inside you with warm spurts all over your butt. It’s really a sight to behold.

Goofy; is he more serious in the moment? is he humorous?

Caesar has a sense of humour, sure, but he takes your intimate moments very seriously. He’s a natural leader, after all; and with authority comes an almost unshakeable sterner and more focused way to behave. Fortunately, he knows when to loosen up in bed, and it’s usually at times where he can sense you’re a little nervous or insecure.

Hair; how well groomed is he? does the carpet match the drapes?

lol All natural here, baby. Rightfully so, and Caesar knows for a fact that you absolutely love his fur in all the imaginable places. His natural musk turns you on to no end and the king is very aware of that, frequently using it in his favour. It’s annoying sometimes, how he’ll rub himself on your side when you’re mad at him for some random thing, and you just melt instantly as his furry skin tickles you. Interspecies advantage that the king just loves.

Intimacy; how is he during the moment? the romantic aspect.

Tender and loving all the way, except when Caesar’s really feeling it, which usually occurs whenever he’s had a bad day and you happened to be spending a little too much time with other males. Not that he’s the jealous type—he’ll never admit it, but it adds more fuel to the fire when he can smell the scent of other apes on you. He’s determined to erase it and replace it with his.

Jack off; masturbation headcanon.

Wouldn’t go as far as to say Caesar is a big fan of it, since he’d simply rather have your inner walls around him as opposed to your hands, but he will occasionally indulge in it. It mainly goes down to how much time you two have at your disposal, and how much stamina. Caesar’s an old man, let’s face it; sometimes he just wants to nut with your presence around and it will be enough for him. His only concern is your pleasure, anyway, but we’ll get to that...

Kink; one or more of his kinks.

Breeding is just a dead giveaway at this point. The fact Caesar can’t ever impregnate you is both a lingering frustration deep within him and somewhat a relief when it comes to coming (hehe) inside you, seeing as he can do so as many times as he wants, free of charge. And believe me, he does it a lot. The best part of sex with you is when his nostrils flare and his cock pulses desperately, releasing his seed and marking you as his, just how nature intended—in his mind, anyway. 

Location; favourite places to do the do.

Caesar’s got a thing for rivers, waterfalls, bodies of water in general. His favourite place to fuck you is underwater, preferably when you two go hunting and it takes longer than expected—something he often makes sure to happen, pretending to lose sight of a deer or two just so the sun goes down and he can use his favourite excuse that you should stay the night. He lives for the way you look all wet (hehe) whilst bathing in the river, so vulnerable and naturally beautiful, how the droplets contour your naked curves… The sound of water is a turn on for him too, yet you’re the one in the centre of his thoughts. There’s also a certain thrill of being in “public”, arguably, but he’s much too careful for it to actually be a risk. 

Motivation; what turns him on, gets him going.

Caesar loves your curves because they come with a plus of smoothness that only human females have; the way they shift as you move, making your body a feast for his eyes. You were forced to sew your own clothing as time went by with you living in the colony, and the scarcity of animal fur makes for quite the flashy outfits that show a lot of skin—which he isn’t mad at, at all. This softness of your body shape, paired with your strength, makes you irresistible to him, embodying the perfect balance of sensuality and resilience. You are, to the king, the epitome of femininity in your own way, and he can't help but be drawn to it.

No; something he wouldn’t do, turn offs.

Caesar’s pretty open minded and easy-going sexually, but something he would never do is definitely share. No getting freaky with other males, even females, if he can help it, nope! He’s not jealous per se—or so he keeps telling himself, it’s just the mere thought of having your attention split between him and others, in your intimate moments, no less… It makes him mad, not just turned off. Besides that, anything goes, as long as you’re both safe; especially you. In bed, you’re the boss.

Oral; preference in giving or receiving, skill.

Oh, my, does Caesar love eating you out. There’s just something about the human anatomy of your pussy that he can’t get enough of; your scent, your taste, how much you squirm and suffocate him with your tender thighs. He loves to tease you with his fangs, grazing his teeth over your pelvis before going all in with his skilful tongue. He laps your folds as if he’d been in the desert, without water—or food, in this case—for far too long, just deeply savouring you. Again, he’d much rather have your vagina around his cock, however he can appreciate your orals too. He won’t ask for it, letting you decide when you want to do it, if you feel like it. He’s happy to oblige, but he’s definitely more on the giving side of things.

Pace; is he fast and rough? slow and sensual?

Caesar is adaptable. He’s mindful and watchful of your needs, only getting rougher on his own account in those moments where he’s unable to hold back from his most animalistic urges. His default is slow and sensual, always wanting you to let go and relax after busy days in the colony, and you’re beyond grateful for that. But when you want it rough, do brace yourself. Face against the nest and all that.

Quickie; his opinions on quickies, how often.

Loves them and there are seasons—around winter and autumn—when it happens more often, as the colony affairs take most of his time. Caesar’s a patient guy and would choose to do things at his own pace always, sure, but the reality of leadership isn’t all peaches and cream and he knows how to navigate through that with you like no other. Man got skills.

Risk; is he game to experiment? does he take risks?

Caesar can’t afford to take too many risks because he’s got a reputation to maintain, as stated before. But, he will definitely experiment within the limits—more so if it has nothing even remotely potentially dangerous involved, as he is overprotective of you.

Stamina; how many rounds can he go for? how long does he last?

Being a chimpanzee has its perks and one of them is definitely resistance. Although chimps’ intercourse is fairly practical and quick, Caesar’s simply built different. You reckon that’s also a reason why apes respect him; perhaps they can somehow sense the king’s physical advantages over any other males around. You have no complaints, that’s for damn sure.

Toys; does he own toys?

Caesar’s familiar with this concept after you tell him, but it’s no secret the options are scarce in your conditions. When you find an untouched vibrator in one of your scavenging trips to the city, though, his curiosity is instantly peaked. He’s still sceptical about the toy’s ability to satisfy you over his own cock, of course, yet the option seems more reasonable when you ask him to stimulate you further with it while he’s fucking you. He’s always happy to oblige if it adds to your pleasure.

Unfair; how much he likes to tease.

Caesar’s genuine nature doesn’t really allow him to make you suffer often, even if it’s for a reward later on, however he can tease you from time to time. Mainly whenever you get too cheeky with your jokes about giving more attention to the males in the colony, Koba from all apes. He finds himself rolling his eyes in a mix of impatience and amusement at your jabs about there being a thin line between love and hate for humans. Puffing his chest in response, he will sign to you playfully, with a cocky grin, that no other ape in the colony would ever be able to satisfy you like he can. Additionally, he makes his case for it that night, coming three times inside you without batting an eye. You have no choice but to yield.

Volume; how loud he is, what sounds he makes.

Fun fact: Caesar is regretfully much louder than he should, but he just can’t control himself with you. It’s particularly hard for him to shut the fuck up whenever you get the idea of bouncing on his cock. Not his favourite position, yet for some reason, just the sight of you riding him with so much necessity, practically coming undone with every movement is enough for the ape king to snarl and growl almost like he’s being gutted, filled with pure desire for you.

Wild card; a random headcanon.

Caesar’s favourite hobby includes casually grooming you after sex. Not that you have lice or anything like that; he knows you manage to keep up with your hygiene even whilst living with the apes, but the king enjoys bonding like this with you, similar to when you teach him new human customs he never got the chance to get in touch with before the flu.

X-ray; let’s see what’s going on under that... fur.

Caesar’s stature is impressive for an ape and his cock, while not disproportionate to his size, is certainly above average for his species. He’s thick and veiny, qualities that can both be a delight and a burden when you turn him on in public with your teasing.

Yearning; how high is his sex drive?

High as fuck. Seriously. Caesar might kill someone with his bare hands if he spends too much time without touching you. Apes already drive him crazy almost on a daily basis, but if on top of that he can’t even come home with the silent hope you’ll be there waiting for him to fuck you senseless, the ape king will fall apart. He’s that needy.

Zzz; how quickly he falls asleep afterwards.

Depends on what kind of a day Caesar had, really. If he’s been stressed and took the opportunity to blow off some steam, then he will be most likely to pull out of you and hold you to his chest, closing his eyes and drifting off the next minute. Oppositely, if he only improved his day by having sex with you at night, he makes conversation and asks about you and your day in the colony. Ultimately, it all comes down to context.

[tizeline]

I just finished binge reading everything under your separated AU tag and I have QUESTIONS!! (that mostly just stem from me being a mikey fan) Be prepared as I will ramble.

So. My #1 burning mikey question is as follows. Why does he decide to, you know, NOT eradicate all of humanity? Does he just do it because all of his family is? Ugh it’s hard to phrase this but I’m wondering if Draxum’s word means so much to him he changes his entire world view, since draxum was the person who made him believe humans are evil, if he changed his mind he must be right? If he is the very last one to change his worldview, how does he react to the person who essentially indoctrinated him into believing humans are evil just going back on his word? Would he just, idk, try to keep going by himself (proper villain arc style!) Or does he get his own little human/outside friend to convince him, like his two other brothers do? What would happen if instead of a human/outside friend to convince him humans are okay, he gets someone like say, leatherhead, who was experimented on by the earth protection force?(Since in 2012, he was experimented on by the Kraang, but I don’t see a way of that happening when they were locked away his entire life) Huzzah for conflict! or better yet, That same leatherhead convinces him humans are okay? Though that those seem out of character…. And of course maybe it would be mondo gecko, who he befriends and then finds out was human just a few months before and still views himself as such…. So many possibilities!!

speaking of other characters, do the Drax trio have any Yōkai friends? Like one Sunita, or maybe even one yoichi usagi, per chance? Though I’m pretty sure they’d be pro-human so… idk how that would work. The question still stands.

Also, seeing as you mentioned Raph starts to hang out with Leo,Donnie and April, how does mikey react to that? Would he feel abandoned or left out? (Who am I kidding of course he would but like. It does t hurt to ask!)

And seeing as he’s alone now and he’s not training all the time (I hope) this feels like a good Segway into asking: does he have as much of a love for art as in canon? What are his and Raphs interests (since we know Leo’s!)

thanks! I love ur work and ur art and ur Au and ur mother for creating you.

P.s. I had another question I wanted to ask but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was rn so you can expect more asks from me in the near future ;)

Hoo boy, long asks mean long answers, strap in folks!

So EXACTLY what causes Mikey to change his mind on everything is something I'm still working out the details of. Draxum definitely plays a part in it, considering how much faith Mikey has in his dad, Draxum of all people changing his mind would be one of the biggest reasons for Mikey to also second guess himself. It's not like he'd instantly change his entire worldview though, after Draxum gives up on the Evil Plan, Mikey, or rather Dr. Positive, tries to motivate him to come up with a new plan for a short while. He gives up after Draxum makes it clear that they're Done™ with that, and Mikey isn't very keen on trying to do the Evil Plan all on his own considering HIS ENTIRE FAMILY decided to just give up on it. That doesn't mean he'll suddenly start liking humans, he still thinks they suck ass, he just isn't actively trying to cause their downfall anymore.

For both Leo and Raph, a big reason why they changed their minds on humanity was because they interacted with humanity and learned how wrong many of their previously held assumptions about them were. It makes sense that that's the catalyst for both of their redemption-arcs, and in that sense it also makes sense for Mikey to unlearn his prejudices against humans by interacting with them. HOWEVER! You bring up an interesting point, for Mikey specifically it would probably be more effective for another yōkai/mutant to give him a new perspective considering he'd be a lot more willing to listen to them rather than a human. I haven't been planning on including Leatherhead or Mondo, but it would be fun idea so I might do so.?That being said, getting to actually know a human later on would still be a good learning-experience for Mikey, I'm kinda tempted to bring in Woody from the IDW comics into the story too, for example.

So then we get to the topic of friends! Despite The Drax Bros growing up in yōkai society, they're still a bit isolated. They can go and hang out in The Hidden City basically whenever they want (as soon as they're old enough to do so), but when it comes to actually getting close to other yōkai and forming proper friendships...? So first of all, Draxum has a Reputation™ amongst yōkai, he's a well known figure and a lot of people are honestly a bit intimidated by him. Most yōkai thinks it's best to just stay out of his way, which includes staying out of the way of his weird kids. Basically, the bros' association with Draxum has a tendency to get in the way of them actually befriending anyone :/ Not just that, but while there are certainly yōkai who don't have the most positive feelings about humans, the Draxum family's stance on humanity is very extreme, which even most "human-critical" yōkai will find off-putting.

All of this is to say that no, they don't have a lot of friends haha. Leo hangs out at Run Of The Mill all the time, and Hueso definitely has a soft spot for him, but at most he's only acquainted with the other employees and regulars there. I'd imagine that includes Sunita, considering her dad works there and as such they've interacted on occasion. But again, Leo's extreme view on humanity makes most people uncomfortable and as such they'll mostly indulge him in civil small-talk to avoid getting on Draxum's bad side. Raph and Mikey...? They might have some casual friendly connections with some yōkai in The Hidden City, especially Mikey can be quite sociable if he can keep himself from ranting about humans for two seconds lmao. But for the most part, honestly, I think The Drax Bros are content staying a bit closed off from others outside their family. The three of them are very close and they know they can trust each other, that last part's important considering their Big Plans aren't exactly.... legal.... and as such they need to remain secretive about everything to others. I feel like they'd mostly start bothering finding new friends after they decide to abandon their Destroy All Humans Plan.

(Sidenote, I really like when Usagi shows up in TMNT stories, but I've never consumed any Usagi media myself. Almost all I know about both Miyamoto and Yuichi I know through TMNT and as such I don't feel confident enough in my knowledge about the Usagis to include either of them in the story. I HAVE been planning on reading the comics, so maybe I'll include him at a later date??)

But OH BOY Mikey's reaction to Leo and Raph starting to hang out with Donnie and April?? :D Both of Mikey's older brothers ditching him to hang out with their new little brother and his annoying human friend??? :D OH BOY YOU HAVE NO IDEA! :D

Listen, look at this from Mikey's perspective: You finally find your Long Lost Brother™ after thirteen years of him being presumed dead, great! Small problem, he's been brainwashed by the evil humans who kidnapped him and now thinks YOU'RE evil for some reason? No matter! He just needs some time to adjust! So you're patient with him, you show him kindness and understanding while gently trying to guide him back to the good side, to his REAL family. You do EVERYTHING right, and how does that bastard repay you?? HE instead turn your brothers against YOU! He ruins your plans of saving the world! Everything was PERFECT before HE showed up and started complicating things, and now your family is BROKEN and everything sucks! And it can all be blamed on Donnie.

...Hate is a very strong feeling, I don't feel like Mikey is really capable of feeling something like that, at the very least not against someone he does still technically considers family. Rather, I think the best way to describe the feeling Mikey is about to start feeling about Donnie would be bitterness. Mikey takes all the negative feelings, all the hurt and confusion about the situation he's ended up in and directs it all at Donnie. Because it all comes back to him, doesn't it? It was only after Donnie got reunited with them that things started going wrong. And from Mikey's point of view, Donnie has basically stolen Mikey's brothers from him. Needless to say, Mikey is dealing with a lot of negative emotions that he doesn't really know how to cope with them aside from taking it out on Donnie.

Donnie, who is so used to being love-bombed by Mikey is VERY flabbergasted over him basically just completely flipping a switch overnight. Mikey will just be glaring at Donnie like he's trying to explode him with his mind and Donnie's just "???who are you and what have you done with Mikey???". He starts acting really hostile towards Leo and Raph as well, it's all very weird!

Back to me not having figured out the details of the entirety of Mikey's character arc, one thing I'm contemplating is how long I wanna drag it out for. For example, I know I want to change up the events of the movie at least a bit in the AU for the sake of novelty. One way of doing that could potentially be for it to focus not on Leo's and Raph's ever growing tension in their relationship, but rather focus on Donnie's and Mikey's relationship? It'd be extra interesting if Mikey hadn't at least completely gotten over his hang-ups about humans when we bring Casey Jr into the situation. CJ looks at Mikey and sees a younger version of the man that was basically an uncle to him, like family, and Mikey looks at CJ and is just like "ew. human." and that'd be a whole dilemma to deal with. But as interesting as that could be, I'm scared that it'd just get tedious if Mikey is stuck in angst-mode for too long. We still have the entirety of season two to get through before we get to the movie, it's gonna be a while is what I'm saying. Then again, character growth takes time, maybe Mikey reconciles with his own family and starts the path to befriending Donnie by the end of season two, but they run into some roadblocks along the way. They ARE very different people, even in canon, I'd imagine it might take some time for them to properly befriend each other.

But next question - Mikey and Raph's interests! Mikey already likes to draw, but he'd definitely start doing it way more after the season 1 finale (oh wow, a healthy coping mechanism, imagine that!) Raph... Raph likes training. Even after it becomes clear that they're not doing their Big World Domination Plan anymore and as such don't really need to train as much, he still does it just because he genuinely enjoys it. He becomes proper friends with Casey the season one finale and she also really likes training, so it becomes a bonding experience for them. Leo and Donnie later on also introduces him to human media like Jupiter Jim and the Lou Jitsu movies and he gets really into it too XD Nerds!!

... Oh man, I think that's everything! Anyway, thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the AU so much :D

[revserrayyu]

2.5 Xianzhou continuance thoughts [part 4]

**SPOILER warning** for the end of the mission, covering the conversations between the Yaoqing trio, the Generals and everything else. If you haven’t cleared the story yet then go do so. Or go farm some relics. Do a ten pull. Go frolic outside. Do whatever you wish except ruin your own story experience with spoilers by reading ahead.

The way my heart sank thinking that Jiaoqiu truly didn’t survive his injuries..

..only for us to see Trailblazer and Bailu messing around, weeping at a hastily put together grave for March because she disappeared out for their sight for two minutes. Hoyo must take great pride in successfully giving me a heart attack.

Pfftt, I’ll enjoy the lighthearted conversation while I can though I guess. We truly didn’t do much during this mission with all the POV switch ups that happened, though I still love that they’re allowing us to speak more. All the Trailblazer voice actors are great and I hope we continue to hear them more often in the future.

Annndd that the panic settles back in. Jiaoqiu’s injuries were no doubt the worst, while Feixiao probably faced some drawbacks from all the fighting and madness she endured, but Moze too? I guess he did get attacked by Hoolay and his followers once the warhead realized he was spying on them, but then Moze was seen later on the Skysplitter when Feixiao at the bloody heart and he did eventually find Jiaoqiu somewhere with the help of the Trailblazer, so surely he couldn’t have been that hurt if he was running around everywhere, yeah? Perhaps exhaustion caught up with him after all the chaos, or he knows how to deal with pain rather well. Possibly both.

Why am I not surprised to hear that Feixiao is the kind of person who can’t be confined to a hospital bed. Even if she left in plain sight, I’m sure she would’ve quick enough that no one could even catch her to bring her back.

Seems the whole Yaoqing trio shares this mindset too. Moze could easily sneak out in the shadows whereas Jiaoqiu probably just walked himself out with an excuse like “I’m a healer, trust me when I say I’m fine” or something.

Oohhh buddy.. I love it when characters have different roles in status or have to act a certain way around each other but one of them tells the other to forget the formalities and just be truthful because their relationship is worth so much more than that, like yes she’s his general and he’s her healer, but I have no doubt they’ve become such close friends over the years too. Also, the way the scene doesn’t show his entire face.. god, what nice foreshadowing.

Aww sweetie nooo! Please don’t blame yourself! If anything, blame the plot. It’s like the four stars had a rough time in Penacony and now it’s the five star’s turn on the Xianzhou. And I’m sure I mentioned it before but the trio’s voice actors are all so talented and completely nailed these two story patches. The emotions are perfect.

WHAT IF I CRIED HUH?? Is that what Hoyo wants? For me to become a sobbing mess after thinking Jiaoqiu healed perfectly fine?? AAAaahh.. I’m not entirely sure if the blindness is a result of Hoolay’s attack or a side effect of the poison Jiaoqiu drank, but either way I’m so incredibly sad. Our handsome foxian has already been through hell from being Hoolay’s hostage, did we really need to take away his eyesight too?? Man.. if anything, I will say it was clever of Hoyo to make the one character who always has his eyes closed end up blind because then they wouldn’t have to change up his model at all. It might seem off-putting whenever people use his ultimate and see his eyes now though. Aah, his pretty golden eyes.. I’ll admit that they did seem a bit dull during that one scene of him all slashed up and bloody on the floor, but I didn’t think it was anything serious. More like it was an art style choice and he was so worn out from the attack and knocking at death’s door.

Tell me why I don’t believe his smile and that’s he’s only saying such a thing so Feixiao doesn’t bury herself under all the guilt she feels. Looking back now though, I can appreciate the subtle hints about his condition before Feixiao revealed it. I remember Jiaoqiu mentioning how he recognized the sound of Feixiao’s footsteps when she approached him, so pair that with how the game framed his face before in the previous shots where his eyes weren’t visible and yeah.. smart moves. Sigh.. he once left his role as a military healer to prevent himself from watching more people rush towards their death and now he’s not gonna see much of anything.

Bruh.. he faced the foxian’s worst enemy, got taken hostage by them, watched people die in front of him, got seriously attacked and purposefully drank poison at some point, yet despite all that trauma, he solely cares about how Feixiao is feeling? GOD HELP ME he’s too precious and sweet! I adore him so much and his devotion to her has me so giddy and weak. In a shipping context or not I fucking I love the bond these two have y’all.

I mean.. I guess? In exchange for losing his sight, Hoolay was definitely defeated, which grants all the foxians a big sigh of relief to finally be rid of the monster that haunted them and treated them as slaves for centuries.

More importantly than that (to me at least) is knowing that Feixiao’s moon rage was actually taken care of. Part of his ‘About Feixiao’ voice line is “I cannot leave this world before she's cured” and our man really kept his promise. I wish he didn’t have to go through such extremes to achieve one of his biggest goals in life but hey, if Jiaoqiu says he’s fine, I’ll choose to believe him. Just a little bit.

The way Moze was here the entire time and he didn’t even know… aaahh. Considering Moze was here way before Feixiao first showed up, he probably moves too quietly for Jiaoqiu to even hear him. I wanna bet that Moze left the Alchemy Commission after Jiaoqiu did just to make sure the guy didn’t get himself lost or walk into any danger.

I fucking hope they can find someone to help him! Also, I absolutely LOVE that it’s her now making a promise to find a way to heal him! All those years of Jiaoqiu stressing about finding a cure for her moon rage and Feixiao gets the chance to pay back all his efforts. Kinda surprised that Bailu couldn’t do anything about Jiaoqiu’s sight, but perhaps she doesn’t know how to or isn’t strong enough for such a thing yet? Not even Lingsha could’ve helped I guess. Who knows.

Ma’am.. I love each and every little thing about you, but can you relax? Please?? You just snuck out of the Alchemy Commission, which means you probably aren’t even full healed yet, and we’re already chatting about rushing into more battles? How about we take a break for a little bit and go enjoy the real Wardance. Sound good?

Me and Jiaoqiu sharing exactly one brain cell.

Just hearing her say “wildfire” made me miss our favorite Underworlders even more. At least we’ll get to see a whole bunch of Luka during the Wardance event.

Ah, even more name drops to taunt my hopes with. I’m still bitter we were teased with Jingliu’s return. Speaking of a certain blonde man though, can we ask him to cure Jiaoqiu’s eyes? We don’t exactly how skilled Luocha is with healing since everything about him is a giant mystery, but I think it would be a nice reason to bring him back, if only for a moment. I know he’s still locked up but whomever does eventually heal Jiaoqiu will be put on my good side.

Well, at least we finally get an idea of what our “traveling merchant” has been carrying in that coffin of his.

Having the Swarm be mentioned right before Ruan Mei.. oh dear. What kind of chaos are we in for next time there’s a mission on these ships.

Now then, I know our mad scientist was mentioned at the very beginning of the quest by Himeko regarding some fossils, then again once more towards the middle by Feixiao when she was chatting with Yukong about how the Verdant Knights found the wreckage of Whistling Flames ship, so that of course got my hopes up that we might finally learn more about Tingyun.. but I wasn’t expecting to hear her speak!! Thank heavens she’s actually alive! Whether by chance or because Ruan Mei has already.. you know, used her as a test subject, who knows. I’m leaning towards the latter option personally but regardless! I’m so thrilled for her! I’m not even that big of a Tingyun fan but my mouth was literally hung open in a huge grin when I heard her voice again. I can’t imagine how her voice actors must’ve felt being called back after so long in to give just a single line for this character again after what happened during the main story.

Speaking of powerful one liners, Feixiao receives a second one about Jiaoqiu after you complete the entire mission. Ain’t that grand.

Behold! I’m finally done with all this rambling and I can finally start the Wardance event! I’ve already seen some characters and cutscenes that I’m excited to learn more about. I do enjoy Luka but hopefully I can just breeze through it and not take an abundant amount of screenshots this time.

[pinemartenstudios]

Today, 10 years ago, Werewolf Cookie opened his eyes for the first time ever... At least in South Korea.

That's right. This Spooky Day is not just THE Spooky Day or Werewolf's birthday, but a once in a lifetime special occasion. I didn't know he existed until three years ago, but since I've known about him my life as changed for the better.

It all started when I was still a noob in CRK. It was the Hollyberry update and the Sonic collab was happening, the English dub didn't release yet and the World Chat messages still informed about people getting new epics or upgrading commons and rares to 5 stars. Suddenly, THE message appeared: "user has met Werewolf Cookie in the gacha". The moment I realized what I just read I tried scrolling between the Cookies I didn't unlock yet, and I could guess which one was him immediately even though it was the first time I was seeing him. I slowly got to know him and the very few things they revealed about his lore and I got attached to him.

Werewolf becoming my favourite character from the game allowed me to move on from Sonic and focus on a new, fresh interest, draw new topics and develop my creativity like never before. In spite of how simplified the canon art style of the game is, I got more used to draw human characters and improved so much my skills. Then Crunchy Chip began existing, the Dog Boy Holly Trinity was formed and the (non canon) friendship between the three became so important to me.

If we look in retrospective, Werewolf actually is an important character for the Cookie Run franchise, and I don't mean it because of him being an early days character. Before Werewolf, character backstories were very basic of just a personality trait: very happy cookie, very shy cookie, angel and devil, a rich woman, Indiana Jones... But he wasn't just the local werewolf. He was of the very first characters that had a slightly more complex backstory.

His story didn't end in "his wolf instincts kick in whenever he's afraid or angry". He lived in a village and had a friend. Said friend was in peril and he had to save them by revealing his wolf form. He got cast away, they gave him his necklace before leaving, he very probably got the scar on his face in that very event. He's afraid of hurting other people and isolates himself from society, he hates himself and sees that part of him as an invasive entity, as a monster he has to banish.

It's true that many of the cookies I mentioned before got their stories expanded and their personalities developed in the following years, but he was a big step into offering a more complex storytelling. It's also true that he barely gets any attention from official sources and there's not that many snippets that can give more insight in how was his life before the Incident, who was his friend or if he'll ever reach self acceptance ever again. Everything is up to headcanons and theories and of course I gave him more character development and backstory that Devsis will ever give him.

From a Halloween special release to one of the classic cast members of the entire franchise. Reduced into emo alpha jokes by both the fandom and the English social media team. No matter what happens, Werewolf has reached an extremely deep place in my heart, and I won't stop loving him (platonically). I love Werewolf not in a "please marry me" way, but in a "I wanna tuck you in bed and kiss your forehead every time you go to sleep". He's just a guy, and I don't say it negatively. His design is extremely generic, it's pretty easy to find so many characters with a very similar face to his. But I think it contributes significantly to "his werewolfhood is neither a gift nor a curse. He's just a guy, and that is just a part of him. Alienating it only leads to becoming the monster they believe him to be".

Because of him, werewolfhood has become for me in a way of speaking about self acceptance, developing it into something very personal. I've been hyperfixated on werewolves since I was 5, but thanks to him my bond with the concept has grown even stronger.

To 10 more years and beyond. To more friends to meet in the way. To more artistic and personal development. Happy birthday Werewolf. Happy 10th anniversary to such an amazing character

[dejinerate]

His Muse

Pairing: Hyunjin x Reader (Fem)

Brief summary: Hyunjin has a *special* art project in mind with you, and he needs your help desperately.

Story contains: explicit sexual themes, brat, dom, self recording

Rating: SMUT, MA

18+/MINORS DNI

It’s a lazy afternoon, a warm and slow Autumn day. Your eyelids start to close as you rest on the couch, waiting to succumb to the nap that’s about to overtake you. Today was such a cozy day. No tasks needing done, no plans for once, and no chores needing completed. It would’ve been a perfect day…  Except Hyunjin wasn’t here. Early in the morning, he said he had to run a few errands, but… he was far too excited when he said that. You decided to let him have his fun though, seeing that excitement means whatever it is, is important. Noticing he was in a rush, you didn't ask any questions. He kissed your cheek and practically ran out the door.

 “I’ll be back soon, I promise!! Wait for me!” 

It was getting close to evening. You don’t usually worry about him, he texts you if something is wrong. You sigh, shifting your position on the couch and ready to take a short nap, as that would make time pass by quicker. 

Your phone pings. 

“I’m headed home, I’m so sorry I took so long! I have so much to show you! Get dressed. I have a surprise.”

A surprise? Well, surprises are always welcome.  You text him back:

“What’s the theme for the evening? You always know what’s best to pick.” 

The response is almost instant and your phone pings, but this time, it's an audio message. You listen to him speak as you can hear his fast footsteps,

“Wear that one dress I love so much, baby. I have an idea. Can you wear a robe over it, though? I'll explain why when I get there. I just.. won't be able to focus.. and I need to focus, I need your help with something. Please do as I say and be good for me.. I know you wanna tease me, brat. And trust me, it always fucking works... You drive me crazy. This is important to me though. Behave for me, just this once? ” 

You huff at his response but bite your lip, knowing he’s right. He knows you so well though, he knows how much you enjoy teasing him while you wear that dress. You think about disobeying, but.. , he really does seem excited about something, and you want him to have his fun, too. He never really pleads like this. Mentioning that it was important to him means serious business.

“I’ll behave, Hyun.” you text back.

Another audio message pops up.

“Good girl. I’ll be home in 20 minutes.”

Well, so much for napping. That woke you right up as if you just chugged an entire vat of coffee. Excited, you rush to the bedroom, immediately knowing the dress he spoke of. He always had such good taste in fashion. He frequently would give suggestions for what to wear and would help you choose outfits, and he often liked to match you in colors and styles when you went out together. You trust his judgment when he tells you to put something on. He knows your body and what looks good clinging on your curves. You find the garment, a cream colored silk dress with tiny straps, that bows at the cleavage, and clings at the hips. The way the fabric shifts in the light looks like flowing liquid. It’s such a luxurious piece. It’s a show stopping high end designer brand dress that Hyunjin bought you for your first anniversary. He spoils you so much, but he especially spoiled you that day. The dress wasn’t cheap by any means. After an entire day of making meaningful memories, you went shopping together, and he was the one that spotted the dress and picked it out. As soon as he saw it on you, he told you to get changed, knowing you didn’t need to try on anything else. He’s been obsessed with it ever since. He makes sure it’s well taken care of, as it always gets professionally dry cleaned after it’s been worn. 

 It’s such a flattering shape. It really highlights the plumpness of your chest, the curve of your ass, and the dips of your hips. It’s… extremely short. It rests right below the bottom of your cheeks. When you wear this in public, Hyunjin likes to drape whatever coat he’s wearing on your shoulders, claiming you as his. He finds a lot of satisfaction seeing you in that provocative dress with his jacket, which is far too big on you. His protective instincts kick in, knowing how gorgeous you are. Don’t get me wrong, he absolutely loves showing you off in public, knowing how good the two of you look together. But this dress is his weakness. This is a dress he only lets you wear when he reserves an entire restaurant for a private dining experience. He wants to be the only one to see you this way, and he’s extremely possessive when you wear it. It’s surprising he hasn’t done any damage to it yet. Just thinking about what the night could possibly entail leaves you so pleasantly anxious. You feel your stomach fluttering, knowing he’ll be driven mad over the sight of you soon. 

As you slip the dress on, a thought comes to you. Though you have to wear a robe when he gets home, he never said anything about…. Underwear. You giggle to yourself, and take off both the bra and panties you usually wear for this. He can suffer tonight. You’ll make sure of that. Satisfied with your choice, you grab your house robe and put it on, then get to work on your hair and make up. You curl your long hair with just a few waves, and you keep it nice and soft and elegant with the make up look, nothing too dark. While you’re putting on the finishing touches of mascara, you hear the door open.

“Baby, c’mere!” 

Your heart leaps at the happiness in his voice, and you run to the living room to greet him.

He has lots of bags in his hands, but also has a camera strapped around his neck. You don’t remember him leaving home earlier with a camera… 

You give him a quick kiss to greet him, and he puts the bags down on the dining table. 

“So, I got an email this morning that the brand new camera I’ve been waiting for was finally in stock! It was at that one store down the street that we went to that one time, they have so many cool lenses… I picked up a new wide angle lens. I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to try it out. I've been running around the city all day, taking photos… I can’t wait to show you and see what you think. I took quite a few that you’d like. Oh! After I got done taking photos, I went to the art store on the way home and bought more canvases! I think i’m going to try acrylic or watercolor paint this time, but I couldn't decide, so I kinda went overboard and bought everything…” 

You giggle at him, he’s truly nerding out right now, and you love that he can show you his excitement over his hobbies. You both are artists, so it’s a shared love that you two bond over. You mainly do photography, while his normal medium is painting and sketching. He recently got into photography, so to see him so inspired to create art just melts you. Hyunjin glows when his face shows he loves doing something. 

“I’m happy for you, Hyunnie. I bet you took some amazing photos today.” 

After he’s taken the camera off his neck and set it down, he walks towards you and wraps you in his warm embrace. He smells like.. the smell of outside. He smells like the scent of leaves and crisp Autumn air. You embrace him in return, and he puts a hand on your cheek and starts giving you happy little kisses as he mumbles against your lips.

“I-” kiss  “have-” kiss  “an-”  kiss “-idea.” 

You laugh at his assault of kisses, returning his enthusiasm. 

“Tell me, I’ve been dying to hear.” 

He pulls away from your lips as he holds you around your waist. He’s gazing intently at your face, looking at your eyes. He looks a little nervous now. 

“I want to photograph you tonight. It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten to be creative together. I want to paint the pictures I take of you.” 

You smile back at him, “That sounds like a ton of fun actually, where do you wanna go? The leaves are so pretty this time of year, the reds and oranges just now started to show, we could go to the park…”

“No,” he interrupts you, “we’re not leaving the house tonight.” 

Oh.

He continues, “I want to photograph you… in the shower. With that dress on. The new lens I bought is perfect for water shots.” 

Oh. 

The look in his eyes is pleading. That definitely took you by surprise. He must really want this. He doesn’t really ever ask you for anything, he’s usually carefree about choices between you two and if you say yes or no to ideas. But… he must be craving this. You never know how an artist will envision a scene. It seems like he’s been envisioning this, a lot, and the desire is blatantly apparent in his eyes as they search for your answer. He notices you hesitating.  

“I’ll buy that dress again for you, I promise. Ask me for anything. It’s yours. Please do this for me, baby. I need to paint how beautiful you are.” 

Well fuck, when he puts it that way, how can you say no? He asked so nicely, too. 

“Let’s do it, Hyunnie. You’ll have to direct me though, okay? I want you to get the right shot.” 

His face lights up and he swiftly picks you up, you shriek at the surprise and your legs automatically lock around his waist so you’re held securely. His large hands support your legs while he carries you to the bathroom, as he’s profusely thanking you for being open minded to the idea of being so vulnerable in front of the camera for him.

He sets you down on your feet in the bathroom and says, “Now turn the shower on for me, my gorgeous girl. Go ahead and take the robe off. I’m gonna go grab the camera, and grab the music speaker as well. We should play some music, maybe it’ll help us both relax.” He scurries off, and you giggle at his chaotic retreat. You do as he says though, shrugging off the robe as you turn the shower on. It can’t get too steamy in the bathroom, or else it’ll fog the lens, so you leave the water on lukewarm. The main bathroom of the home is huge, it’s actually quite gorgeous. The walls are white and the flooring is white tile as well. The lights in the room create a warm glowing ambience, and there’s large windows right before the view of the shower.. The shower itself has clear glass shower doors, and is big and spacious. There’s a huge tub in here as well, with enough room for two. Golden hour lighting is currently filtering into the room, the sunset beginning to peak outside. 

Hyunjin comes back in the bathroom, concentrated on setting up the equipment. He looks up at you, finally seeing you in the dress. He takes a moment to admire you, his eyes slowly drifting up and down on your body, head to toe. His eyes rest on your breasts. They widen in realization. He knows you aren’t wearing a bra underneath… You tease him.

“I’m not wearing panties, either.” 

He makes eye contact with you. His gaze is full of heat, and you see him blush. He looks away, a little embarrassed that he's already getting worked up so easily, and has to push down the growth currently happening in his pants. “Fuck, You little brat... You had to go and tease me already, huh?." He looks at you again, biting his lip. "This is gonna be…. difficult for me.” He swallows, you can tell he's struggling while he's trying to gain self control.

You smirk at him. 

“Good.” 

He groans. 

You turn around and walk towards the shower, waiting patiently for his instructions. You look at him, tilting you head with feigned innocence and ask,

“Are we ready to get started, Hyunjinnie?”

 He loves that specific nickname. You know this. You wanted him to suffer tonight, afterall.

He lets out a frustrated breath, and mutters, "Ugh, fuck..." he sits on his chair and closes his eyes, bringing his hand up to his face to hide it from view, seemingly at war with himself.

He commands, quietly, "Don’t step in yet. Come here for a second, baby.” 

You smirk and obey for once, and he beckons you to sit on his lap. He envelops your frame, his large hands gliding along the silk dress, relishing the feel of the fabric under his fingers. He reaches for your face, one hand on the back of your neck and the other cupping your cheek as he pulls you in for a hot, lingering kiss. You whimper at the intensity of his desire, you can tell how bad he’s already burning for you. His head dips down to your neck, and he languidly kisses it with an open mouth, his tongue brushing against your skin. He kisses his way close to your ear and whispers, “Thank you for doing this, sweetheart. You’re gonna do so good for me, I can already tell… you're too beautiful, you know that? My gorgeous, perfect baby...”  His voice is low and deep, and the heat between your legs aches. You can tell how aroused he is, you feel him hard and hot through his pants as you sit on his lap. You groan in response, ready to just forget the entire photoshoot, but he gently kisses your neck for one last time before pulling away. 

“You ready, pretty girl?” 

Head hazy, you nod and shakily stand back up. 

“I’m gonna miss that dress” he whispers.

You laugh, knowing how conflicted he must be that this will most likely ruin such an expensive, delicate piece of clothing. He must've been saying his final goodbyes to it while you were on his lap.

You nervously step into the shower, and he starts up some music. He turns on some slow, seductive tunes. You understand the mood he’s trying to go for. He wants sensual. 

“Tell me what to do, Jinnie.” You say quietly.

His voice is gentle. “Alright pretty girl, go ahead and step under the stream with just the dress.. Hold off on dipping your hair and face, let’s keep that dry just for the time being.” 

You obey and follow his direction, and the water hits the silk dress. The fabric immediately clings to your body, the light cream color of the dress turning completely transparent as it gets wet. Goosebumps show up on your skin at the change in temperature, and you feel your nipples harden under the wet silk. You pose for him and look directly at the camera, and you can see him peek up from the camera to look at you, in awe of the beautiful image in front of him. You look like a marble statue of a goddess, the way the fabric clings onto you, the water accentuating every detail of you. 

“Fuck, baby, you’re so gorgeous. All for me. So fucking gorgeous.... I’ll never get enough of you.” 

He shifts around the glass doors, getting the shots he wants as he directs you to tilt your head, raise your arms, close your eyes… 

You get fully immersed in the mood, the creativity affecting you, no longer feeling nervous or shy. You slip the straps of the dress off your shoulders and look up at him through the camera, keeping your face as sultry as possible. The shutter clicks away as he goads you on with encouragement. Feeling satisfied with those shots, you ask him, 

“Should I dip my head now?” 

“Yes, love. God, please do.” 

You slowly place your head under the stream of the showerhead, as the water drips down your face and hair. It finally hits you mentally, how erotic this is, how incredibly sensual and hot this is, and you feel so completely powerful in this moment. Your eyes lock on Hyunjin through the glass door, and he can tell immediately that your energy has changed. Your gaze is burning with fire. You smirk at him, and your hands glide slowly down your body to touch yourself on top of the soaked dress. 

Hyunjin forgets he has a camera for a moment, entranced by your movements. He can’t look away. He stumbles a bit which makes him remember he’s supposed to be taking photos, and reorients himself, knowing he has to capture the moment correctly. He praises you.

“That’s it baby, that’s my perfect girl. Get into it. You know how fucking hot you are, don’t you? Be a pretty little slut for daddy. You do such a good job for me, my little brat.”

Ah. The magic words. 

You moan and close your eyes as one hand touches your breast, while the other hand drifts down to your aching heat. You arch against the glass shower wall, giving him a full view. Your hair is chaotic, strands of it plastered on your face and your shoulders, and you feel suffocated. 

You need to be naked. There’s too much on you. You need to take it off. Right now. 

Knowing he’s had enough shots of the dress, you grab the hem of the dress, and start to peel the fabric off of you, grimacing at just how stuck it is on your body. You finally pull it over your head and drop the dress on the shower floor. Finally free of the fabric, you tilt your head back under the shower, letting the water cascade again over your long hair and fully exposed body. You prop yourself up against the wall and pose beautifully, but there's no sound of the camera clicking.

You look at Hyunjin, and the poor man looks so dazed. He looks like he forgot he was there... his mind looks lost in another world, as if you’re not real right in front of him. His own personal strip performance. He’s so entranced in watching you, eyes wide open, absentmindedly touching himself over his jeans, camera slack in the other hand. 

“Focus, Hyunnie.” 

That snaps him out of it and he growls, picking up the camera begrudgingly, and you can tell he won’t hold out much longer without touching you. You go back to posing for him, completely wet and naked, pressing against the glass, making it fog up. 

“That’s it, baby, my God.” You hear the shutter of the camera work fast. 

You press your nipples against the door and lick the glass, knowing he’s about to go insane getting that shot on camera. You hear the shutter go nuts, as Hyunjin struggles to keep concentrated. 

“We’re done,” he commands. “Out. Now. I need you, baby.”

You need him just as badly. You turn off the water, completely satisfied, knowing you did your job well. 

When you step out of the shower, he has a towel ready for you. He wraps your body in it, and as soon as it’s covering you he captures your mouth in a hard, searing kiss that makes your head spin. He’s ravenous. Goosebumps erupt on your body, making you shiver. 

He pulls away, ready to take you right then and there, but notices you’re shivering…

“Let me go get another towel for your hair, little baby, you’re soaking wet.” Without second thought, he leaves the bathroom to grab a fresh towel from the laundry room. Hot and heavy Hyunjin always turns you on, but considerate and loving Hyunnie makes the insatiable fire even worse. You shut off the music, and spot his camera sitting on the chair where he just was.

An idea…. hits you. 

With the towel still wrapped around your body, you grab the camera, and walk into the bedroom.

You place the camera down on the nightstand. You begin drying your body off when Hyunjin walks into the room, towel in his hand. 

“Let me.” 

The look on his face is full of love, and he walks over and begins to dry you off, putting slow kisses on your neck and shoulders as he does it, taking his time.

“You did so good for me in there, baby. Those shots were amazing. That was absolutely perfect. Let Daddy take care of you now, pretty girl.” 

He picks you up gently, his strong arms holding you effortlessly, and lays you down on your back, head cradled by the pillow. He crawls on the bed, hovering over your body. His gaze on you is soft and needy.

The feeling of anticipation runs through you as he opens the towel, exposing your naked body to him. The cold air hits your semi-damp skin, and he sees you shiver. He sits up quickly to take off his shirt, then lowers himself back down to you, engulfing you in his warm skin. He lays there for a moment, letting you steal his heat. He peppers your collarbone with gentle kisses, and begins to slowly make his way down. Stopping at your breasts, he gives both nipples a kiss, and continues to drag his mouth down the front of you. He’s immersed in you, completely, eyes closed in bliss, kissing down your stomach. He drifts his large hands down your naked thighs while he kisses down your navel, until his hands reach your knees.

He pushes your legs up, fully exposing your aching heat to his lustful eyes. You’re completely soaking wet for him.. 

"Aww, brat... Look at you." He bites his lip as he admires your cunt, speaking in his teasing, deep voice. "This little pussy wants me so badly... You need Daddy, don't you? Look how pretty this pussy is, dripping wet and ready for me... you're a mess, little baby. We can't have that now, can we?"

He lowers his face to your cunt, making you squirm with his hot breath.

While he’s not looking at you, you realize…. Now’s your chance. 

You try your best to not shift much, as you grasp for the camera right beside you on the night stand. You quietly turn it on, and begin to set up the settings. His mouth is kissing on the innermost part of your thighs, then glides to the outside of your lips, completely unaware of what you’re plotting. You hold the camera up to your face, and once you see the view in front of you through the lens it sets your body completely on fire. He looks so good, eating you.

You feel his mouth capture your clit. The moan you let out is straight up gutteral, and you click the shutter button of the camera. 

Hyunjin snaps his gaze to you, without moving his head from your pussy.. His eyes widen when he realizes you have the camera out.  

“Keep going, Hyunnie. It’s my turn. Make me yours.” You breathe at him. 

“Fuck, pretty girl. Are you sure?” He hesitates, though you can tell how badly he wants to continue.

“I need to watch you fuck me with that mouth, Daddy.”

His eyes roll back as he groans into your cunt, his tongue swiping the entire length of you from your entrance to your clit.

He looks up at you while his mouth is lingering against your pussy and gently spreads your legs as far as they can go, giving him maximum exposure for his mouth. "My naughty little brat..." he whispers, dipping his head back down to worship you.

He begins to devour you with a loving passion, his tongue swirling as he sucks the sensitive bud of your clit, his lips gliding against you, making you dizzy. He knows exactly how you like it, and there's nothing else in this world that he loves more than making you feel good. He's so experienced to your pleasure... He would spend days doing this if he could. You begin taking photos of him this way, trying not to let your head fall back and give in to the overwhelming sensations of greedy need and lust. You moan his name, and his gaze sets back on you. He looks into the camera with blazing hot eye contact, as he languidly makes love to you with his mouth. It’s deliberately slow. He wants you to capture him devouring you. You shakily take the photos of him lapping at your cunt, barely able to concentrate on the framework, and you see his eyes smirk at you. He's watching you fumble with the camera, he knows you're struggling to focus on your task. He chuckles against you, and suddenly, you feel his tongue plunge inside your desperate little cunt. Your body flushes all over, and you arch your back, begging for him to take more of you. 

“More, daddy, please. I need you. I need more. Please.”

He sits up a little and takes one hand off of your leg, and drags it down your heat to wet his fingers. 

“Whatever you want, brat.” 

He plunges two fingers into you, making you cry out in relief, while his tongue is still sucking on your clit. You forget the camera, finally letting yourself cave into the desire, and throw your head as your hand searches to grip his hair. You grind yourself into his face. He figures out the tempo of your hips and begins moving his fingers to the speed of your needy little thrusts. His mouth never wavers, as he moans greedily onto your clit, enjoying the fact that he’s driving you crazy. 

He can feel you tighten as you get closer to your release, and he breaks away from your clit for just a moment to whisper against your pussy. “Come for Daddy, baby.” He dives back in, licking circles on your clit, keeping the same rhythm as his fingers as they curl inside of you, diving in and out of you, hitting you deep. You feel your orgasm come on fast. 

“Fuck, Hyun, I can’t hold on!” 

Your breath heaves as you close your eyes, and white hot heat sends ripples through your body, pleasure shaking you at the core. You cry out, locking your legs around his head, riding the high, his name tumbling from your lips over and over. 

He smirks up at you, "You always taste so sweet, baby. Good girl. You love when I make you come like that, don't you?"

He kisses your thighs before he raises up, and you open your eyes to take sight of him. His cheeks are red, his mouth is drenched, his hair is disheveled, his chest is flushed with red. 

His eyes are hungry. 

He makes quick work of the rest of his clothing, shrugging off his jeans and underwear, and crawls back on the bed to you. This time, he grabs your thighs, and pulls your entire body to the edge of the bed, with full force. He looks up at you, and leans down to kiss you. The taste of you is heavy on his lips, and he opens your mouth, hungry for your tongue on his. You groan into each other's mouths. Kissing is always so easy, so effortless. So entirely consuming. He pulls away from your mouth, but keeps his face close to yours as he positions himself at your entrance. His head drops to your neck, as he teases his tip against you, bucking his hips and shivering just at feeling how wet you are. He must’ve been suffering, badly. Poor Hyunnie. He's so desperate for you. Right before he buries himself into you, you put a hand on his chest and stop him. 

He looks at you, eyes questioning what’s wrong. 

You smile at him mischeviously, holding his face and kissing his cheeks, then bring your mouth against his ear and whisper,

“Grab the camera, Daddy.” 

He pulls his face up abruptly and looks at you with a burning look you’ve never seen. Without a word, he lifts up and grabs the camera where it was laying, and turns it on. 

He looks at the view of you underneath him through the camera lens, your body waiting for him as your legs are spread open, as his cock rests against your entrance. He growls at the view, your hair a damp mess, make up strewn on your face, cheeks flush with red, eyes full of fire for him. Nipples taught, body writhing. You decide to hold up your legs for him, grabbing your thighs underneath the knees, opening your cunt farther open for the camera, and for his viewing pleasure. 

“Holy fuck, baby, I’m gonna lose my MIND.” The camera clicks. He grabs the base of his cock and lines it up with your center. He’s taking photos as he slowly moves, capturing every moment. You both moan at how fucking naughty and erotic this is. He pushes himself inside of you, his eyes rolling back, as he releases a loud, deep groan. He looks back at the view of being inside of you. He says your name, completely incoherent, as he tries to take a picture of him buried in you, the sheer eroticism of it making his hips buck without his control. Praises fall off his lips. 

“Your daddy’s perfect little slut, aren’t you? Look at the camera, baby. Such a mess underneath me. You’re mine, brat. I own this pussy, do you understand? I own you, pretty girl. Forever.” 

“I’m all yours, Hyunjinnie, you own me.” You moan breathlessly at him, needy and whining at how deep he is inside of you, and he takes a photo as your mouth opens as he starts to thrust at a faster speed. 

He puts the camera down, and grabs your hips as he fully immerses himself in eye contact with you again. He’s biting his lip as he watches you bounce underneath him, your tits moving with every thrust, as he's letting go of the primal vocals he’s been holding back all evening. He’s succumbing to the desire completely as he loses full control, while you feel your cunt tighten again, your orgasm coming dangerously fast. His gaze darkens as he feels you tighten around him, and you know he’s close as well. He lowers his entire body onto yours, sloppily kissing your neck as his thrusts are relentless, making you a whining mess of nerves. 

His breathing quickens, “Ah fuck, I’m cumming baby, cum for daddy, I need you, pretty girl.” He breathes out, his release hitting him fast, and you feel your muscles tighten and explode as you cry out and come with him.

He collapses, trying to hold some of his weight off of you, and kisses your lips sweetly, his hair and body completely drenched in sweat, placing his forehead against yours. Exhaustion hitting him, he shifts his body and nestles himself beside you, grabbing you up, placing gentle kisses on your shoulder while whispering against your skin... He breaks the comfortable silence, his mind a messy drabble of words.

"That was... I can't... baby, do you know how I love you? The ways that I love you... " his voice is hoarse, emotion evident that the experience you just had was a lot for him to register. "I've never felt more alive than when I'm doing... exciting new things with you. I want to keep doing all the spontaneous moments, all the time." His lips are a bit garbled as he's speaking against your skin, too tired to move his position. "Being with you is my favorite thing, being in our own little world here... Life doesn't get better than this." he trails off, as he dances his fingers up your neck and into your hair, sweetly moving some strands to tuck behind your ear.

You look at him and smile softly, the intimacy of love in his eyes making your heart do flips. "You're my sweet Hyunjinnie... " you say. "I've never loved anyone like you, everything that you are is a gift to me. I love you so much it hurts, Hyun. I want to do new things with you, always. You are my entire heart."

You lay there, spent and exhausted. Realizing what you’ve just done together, you giggle to yourself, and grab the camera. You turn it on to look at the photos that were taken this evening. You angle your body to where Hyunjin can see the screen as well, and you start going through the photo gallery. 

“Oh my god, baby. These are so incredible. I can’t believe we just did that..” 

He snuggles against your neck. 

“We look fucking good together. And we look good, fucking.” and you hum in response, agreeing with him. You feel him harden again as he spoons you, each photo turning him on all over again.

He perks up inquisitively, laughing, realizing this entire project was so he could paint a portrait. 

“How am I supposed to paint all of these? I can’t choose a favorite. That’s impossible. I guess I’m gonna have to buy some more canvases….” 

[nightowl374art]

Hey,

-So I'm very excited to write this 'cause I've been meaning to do it for a while now. So yah here I go...

-I just love your art so so much! Like fr bro you give me so much joy with your fanarts. I haven't felt this attached to an artist and certain art style in a while but you bring it all back with what you're doing and I'm so extremely grateful. So y'know... Thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart.

-I love every piece you've made so far but I gotta say ... That one with the remake of the amazing Spider-Man 2 graduation was just out of this world. Andrew's spiderman is my favorite of the live action trio and I love that one part so much! But I gotta say... Take this as an idea lol... So there's one more part of that movie I deeply love. It's the part where Peter makes the "I love you" on a bridge and then takes Gwen and they make it up to each other... Can't help but see miles and Gwen do that as well. Like in the end of beyond like them getting together or like maybe Miles proposing like that IDK! Take my idea 💡!

-Ok so that's my fav fanart but I'm absolutely in love with their beautiful family! Their kids look so beautiful and them being together is something I treasure a lot! I love how you made the kids different then the comics and also the way you made Miles and Gwen! They look so good! I love Gwen's side braids and Miles haircut it's like... I don't see him doing it BUT I freaking love the spider detail in the side! I even told my friend that if I had my hair like Gwen someday I would add that detail! It looks so good! So perfect like chef's kiss! Also the first art I saw of their kids was that one with Peter B calling Miles and Gwen for having kids and them all just being like:

Max and Charlotte: who the hell is this dude?

Miles and Gwen: What the actual f-

Miles (dad): Idk who the hell you are but please don't touch my kids...

-I also love miles 42 and Gwen 42 art... It looks so cute and she looks hot as hell btw. I also find it very funny when they are having a double date with miles 1610 and Gwen 65. They look adorable ... So different but very refreshing I really like it!

-Look like I mentioned I'm beyond have and grateful that you're making art like this... It's not just the art or the art style but the impact it made me! You're very talented and special! I can't wait for more beautiful art from you. I hope you're getting all the support you deserve and that you're doing well! Never stop smiling and have a nice day/night!

-Hope you get to read this soon and sorry for being so long! But this is just a fraction of what I was meaning to tell you so yah....

-Thank you for everything and for your time! Bye❤️🌻🫂🕸️

I am always amazed when people say these kind of things to me. It means everything to me to know I can bring even just a little bit of joy to someone through my passion, so I would like to say thank you to you 💕.

Agreed. Andrew is my favorite version of Peter, the vibe of his movies really speak to me. I love the scene you’ve mentioned, but it breaks my heart because of Gwen’s fate. However I would love to do that for Miles and Gwen. Right now I’ve got a lot of pieces in progress, so don’t expect it right away, but if I find a chance to do it I will ✨

I really enjoyed drawing their kiddos and had every intention of drawing them differently from the comics. I wanted to do my own interpretation of their kids since the spiderverse style if different from the comics. I actually based Gwen’s braids on some of her concept art, I loved that look (it’s viking-ish which I dig) so I wanted to do something with it.

Though Miles and Gwen 42 are not exactly canon, I still love the idea of them and so I’m glad you have enjoyed what I have made.

Just so you know, I’m very moved by what you said and all your heartfelt thoughts about my art. It’s lovely to hear what you think and how it has given you joy. It’s all I could’ve asked for as an artist so I hope you know how grateful I am 🩷

[myobsessionsspace]

Hi, I'm the anon who asked about the unconfirmed JiKook thoughts. You don't have to post this. I just wanted to tell you that yours was the best non-answer answer I've ever gotten. Thank you for putting together such a cute response. I agree with you. I'm horrible at the numbers and deep theories too, but it's fun to consider and you sounded like you wanted something fun to dig your teeth into for the heck of it. Also, I wanted to correct the link I put for the travel Vlog that reminds me of Closer Than This design theme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TbIyRhvIBQ It was actually Jimin's Japan travel Vlog for his and JKs 1st Japan trip, not the 2019 vacation I had mentioned. Again thanks and take care.

Post anon is referring to

Hi Lovely!

Can I just say I love you?! I love people like you, you seem like good peoples.

I say this with all the excitement possible, DM me and let’s go crazy with the jikook theories 😜

Nah but for real, I saw Jimin’s vlog he did for their trip years ago and revisit it occasionally, it’s soo friggin cute!

Original Jimin Tokyo Vlog Tweet

I see what you’re saying about the style of it and how it reminded you of the ‘Closer Than This' MV

I totally see what you're saying anon! And to think in 2017 Jimin probably only had iMovie and a vision. Then end of 2023, with a billion won company, that him and his members helped build with resources and a team, we get a refined but still in essence Jimin MV!

Very much in line with the fun, not too serious but full of sentiment style Jimin likes, like his video to army:

⬆️Clip from end of Jimin’s BTS x ARMY video⬇️

Original Tweet

Look at how proud he was showing his work off to Tae & Jungkook

Clips from BTS Memories of 2019

It’s just another notch in the ‘you are me, I am you’ counter.

Jimin’s BTS x ARMY Video

[2019 FESTA] Euphoria (DJ Swivel Forever Mix) - JK Memories by BTS @ 1:31-1:43

Who wudda thunk that Jimin and JK both like art and editing?! They are literally like two halves of a whole 😩

One of Jungkook’s many art styles

Some of Jimin’s art & Some of Jungkook’s art

Jikook have, in my opinion and also maybe one of the ‘unconfirmed Jikook thoughts’, been talking to each other back and forth through songs, their cute edits, twitter and weverse posts FOR YEARS

Again it’s like, how does anyone diminish their tighter than tight bond?! They’re like me and my besties that can talk to each other on text, IG dms, snap, TikTok etc and be holding different trains of conversation on all of them AND STILL see each other or speak on the phone for hours like we’re not in constant communication on different platforms…and still have little things we didn’t know about what the other did that day or did last week. Why are we like this 😭

Fr though if you wanna DM me instead of chatting through asks feel free 😉

Thanks for the follow up

💜

[supoctosss]

Finished Veilguard two days ago and wanted to share my thoughts, good and bad, ALL SPOILER FREE

Pros:

I genuinely did really connect to each and every character and companion, this is also the first game where I actually adore every one of them and had a difficult time choosing who to romance (Davrin my love🫶) even ones who took my longer to warm up to (Emmerich and Neve) I still very much enjoyed their stories and arch’s

COMBAT COMBAT COMBAT. I played as a double dagger rogue, it was seriously had so much fun fighting in the game, I’m not big on combat (easy is go to for everything I play) but I found myself going to normal, and even hard, mode just to dodge attacks, think it my party, and time my hits. It was so so fun.

The art style. Everything was gorgeous, Treviso was my favorite (jumping around on buildings brought me back to my Assasin’s Creed days😭) but I loved Rivain and Arlathan as well.

The backstories/factions I felt were very well done, I was a Crow, and the whole time was very worried about how Viago and Teia were, even though I didn’t read the books with them, they did a really good job at showing how important they are to Rook, and I loved how Lucanis speaks to you about being crow, or when the companions bring it up in dialogue, it’s so real ig? I also loved how much you could connect with Bellara about being an Elf, even if you aren’t necessarily Dalish

How your choices genuinely can effect things around you, I won’t bring up specifics obviously, but there’s so many choices that when u get consequences for them, I feel like a jerk even though I felt like I made the right decision

There are more small things the codex, the cc, outfits, merchant set up, but those are the main big things I loved about it

Now the cons:

The biggest issue I have is actually also with the companions, while I connected with every one of them their relationship with Rook felt very empty to me, the very few romance scenes, the gifts, how Rook basically gentle parents all of them (which is funny sometimes, but many times came off as very annoying ig?) I felt the companions connect with eachother, and got very invested in their friendships and storyline, but didn’t necessarily get invested in Rooks storyline with them if that makes sense? I think it may have been them replacing the question wheel with small discussions you can have at the lighthouse, which I liked but also would prefer Rook being able to get know more about the companions (how they grew up, they’re feelings on certain subjects, etc)

I don’t know if this is considered a spoiler, but the lack of epilogue at the end of Veilguard that tells what Rook and everyone is up to after everything REALLY disappointed me, it’s one of my favorite things in all three games, being able to here my Lavellan is retired in a farm and my HoF is with Zevran, it’s such a nice touch that I really missed in Veilguard

Now to talk on a pretty big thing that I was disappointed when it first announced, the three choices in the world state. Now, I won’t say much bc again spoilers, but it wasn’t necessarily as bad as I thought it was gonna be, I do think the game would have been a lot better if they did add small codex entries about the past, but other than that the main issue I had was the lack of talk about the hero of ferelden, I didn’t want a cameo or anything bc please let her have her peace, but I’m assuming this will be the end of Dragon age, as they’re aren’t any major loose ends I can think of, but I wish we could have a closing on the calling, even if it was a vague SOMEONE found the cure and we can kinda assume from where (HoF, Alistair, Anders, Loghain) whoever, or that it’s still being worked toward, I think that could have been cool, also I feel like as there is a giant blight, I wish there could have been a mention of the most recent blight and who stopped it.

Now, one small thing that irritated me was Zevrans trauma with the crows being written off, it did make me upset bc it is confirmed that he is still being a pain in the ass to the crows in inquisition, so I wish we could have see that. But I loved being a crow so much that I can look past it.

One small thing I loved, the blight. I’ve talked about it before how interesting I find it, and how many directions it can take. And just how terrifying and unsettling it can be, and I’m so glad they ran with it, there were moments that I was genuinely scared, and adding on to that, there are many moments that made me so sad when doing random side quests, so anyone saying BioWare isn’t ’dark’ anymore did not do any side quests or pay attention to the codex.

Overall, I absolutely adored the game, it will take me a while to do a replay (people who’ve finished know why) but in the meantime I’m gonna be doing a full introduction of my Rook, and enjoy some pictures of her and her infatuation with Davrin and love for cats (plus her half cat half bird son)🫶

[e-adlirez]

The last question you answer about violet having a grasshopper pet being stereotypical make me realize that the girls do be kinda stereotypical in the very first book…(which fortunately isn’t there anymore as the series progress). Though, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I would love to hear your take on the cultural aspect of the thea sisters books. In your personal opinion, do you think the books do a decent job in cultural representation?

It started out with a decent chunk of stereotypes, but what allows me to look past them and love them is the fact that they show the girls growing out of them. For example, Vi (the only one I can actually speak on) is very much the smart and shy Asian kid stereotype (and the occasional esoteric proverb or two), but I love her because she grew into the role of being the group braincell. She's the group braincell, the straight man, the nanny holding four leashes at once, the anxiety-riddled bean who wants to move out of her comfort zone but is scared to do so on her own and thus leans on her friends for support ohmygodshe'sjustlikemefr--

For a series made in the early 2000s, the representation is pretty good! Definitely not perfect (stares at the Chinese proverb thing and Pam being a sasslord with weird-ass slang), but it was very much ahead of its time! The girls did start out stereotypical, yes, but one thing that it did was expand the girls beyond the stereotypes they initially started out with. Violet started as the Asian smart kid, but her character was expanded (if I described how we'd be here all day); Colette started out as a diva, but grew out of it and became a proud girly girl who gets along with Pam even though their tastes in fashion are different; Nicky does have that crazy Aussie in her (which I love), but she's also a goofball and passionate nature advocate a la Steve Irwin (still crazy tho, see that one time she crawled on the roof of a moving train); Pam I think changed the most, seeing she started off as the sassy one with weird slang but is now more the comedic relief who takes charge of the girls culinary itineraries and keeps them grounded; and Paulina's stayed the most consistent, but I dunno if that's saying a lot because she doesn't get that much screentime compared to the others.

One thing I will also appreciate is the extra bit of character building that the girls have that tie the little bits together. Vi has many things she's into and is good at? She is a curious type open to new learning experiences and is also a perfectionist (with anxiety coding), said wumbo combo means she's pretty good at a lot of nerd-flavored things like art and strategy and attention to detail. Pam likes pizza? Her family runs a pizzeria. Nicky is crazy? Yeah she's crazy, she's really good at thinking on her feet even if it means jumping off the outstretched ladder of a speeding firetruck to catch a perp. Colette is a fashionista? She likes looking good and has a good eye for different fashion styles and how to elevate them (and is most likely the reason Pam doesn't just have the most basic of clothes to wear everyday). Paulina is an IT kid? She is also chronically online :D (:'D) and she uses technology to try to improve her corner of the world and remain in contact with her family, mainly her little sister.

Oh yeah and the plots of the books were not that stereotypical, either! Tho take my statements with a grain of salt because I'm not part of any of these cultures, their trip to Japan didn't involve a single ounce of sushi or origami or samurai-- it involved bunraku and a theme on tradition versus passion. Their trip to Hawai'i did involve hula, but that was because they were there to compete in totallynottheMerrieMonarchFestivalweswearsincerelyScholastic, and they do mention the whole volcanic eruption thing without having to talk about Hawai'i religion beyond the white dog superstition, with a little side comment of how business corporates can be more than willing to pull all the strings they can to exploit the natural beauty and the people of Hawai'i. They went to New York and the plot was intertwined very much with the NYC housing crisis in such a way that was easy to digest, even for kids! They went to India and not only set it in an underrated part of the country (Tamil Nadu), they didn't lean into mainstream media stereotypes about India and let the story tell itself as it deserved to! They went to Italy multiple times and, get this, they didn't make a single pasta joke. (Because it's an Italian series that'd be weird if they did.)

But yeah, they treated these cultures with a surprising amount of respect. Like I said, not perfect, but it is a relief how a good chunk of the books still stand up to the test of time.

If you're from any of the cultures they explored in any of the books, feel free to let me know ^^

[has-gilgamesh-doneanythingwrong]

nsfw headcannons with Cu~? (≧∀≦) hope you have a wonderful day~!

Hi anon, thanks; you too!!! Well, as my queue is permanently closed, I'm not really taking requests anymore... But I guess I can share a few general NSFW Cu headcanons. Some headcanons I have may be more popular than others, but I hope they will be enjoyable to read regardless. I've kept all situations with a partner gender-neutral as well!

Hope you enjoy... These will be tagged as 'lemon fanfic' and there won't be any explicit content however it will likely be 18+.

Warning: depictions of a sexual nature and mentions of kinks/ possible bedroom interactions, temperature play, outdoor sex, oral...

As you haven't specified a Cu, I will write for all four!!! (in my personal belief Proto is 18+ so he'll be included as well. These may be long...)

Fate Series Cu Chulainn (Proto, Lancer, Caster, Alter)-General NSFW Headcanons

Proto Cu

As a Cu that seems even more intent on proving his worth than the others, I headcanon that he would possibly the type to go way out of his way to impact his partner as much as possible during sex. Like the kind of guy that will pull out as many stops as possible to make them melt beneath his touch (but then gets extremely carried away at some point, losing himself to the moment).

He does seem like the kind of guy to really indulge in the touch and sensations of his partner, however Proto Cu does also strike me as being pretty insecure sometimes as well. So sometimes he may try to play it cool at first, or may prefer sex with clothes on (until he gets really into it).

He's also depicted as a bit wilder and more unrestrained than the other Cu, and has a very restless vibe in my personal opinion. So I can imagine him getting a bit wild in the bedroom; via biting, pouncing etc. I bet he'd likely be the guy to pull out the claws, as well as feel great pleasure from having his partner's hands digging into his skin.

He'd likely enjoy as much simulation as possible, so would love if his partner touches him openly as well. He would want to feel them too, and would relish in them openly exploring his body. Let him know just how much you desire him.

On the reverse, this means planned foreplay will likely unravel very quickly- because Proto would likely get extremely hot under the collar, and lose track of himself. I guess this means that it could get a bit rough, but then in the myths they say he is a lover that knows how to attend to their partners' needs, so it may not get too intense.

He's cocky as hell, that's for certain. Just like on the battlefield, he most likely has trained in the arts of sex as well. If you praise him, he'll likely eat your adulation RIGHT UP and then push himself to please you even more, yearning for even more of your adoring words.

Despite this, as he's shown to warm up extremely quickly to the master in his 'my room' lines, and can be really affectionate; I believe he may also be a massive softie as well. I think he also has the potential to be a huge romantic in terms of NSFW, and would definitely enjoy a tender time together as well!!

Though as he's Proto, he may be a bit shy with the tender words at first; but seeing as he's the guy who still holds on dearly to his Gae Bolg replica from Prototype, as well as still speaking very fondly of his time in the Land of Shadows with Scathach- you bet that this guy's heart would likely be bursting with a lot of feelings.

As for kinks, I am unsure- this guy seems really open to many things. But as he also enjoys the thrill of battle, I have a feeling he'd get really excited from some combat-style stuff. I think he may be a lil bit freaky.

Kinks that can evoke a thrill, that makes his veins thrum with adrenaline-setting him off with deep desire. I think he loves that kind of simulation.

I once read a post that details Proto as the kind of guy who'd cook a nice breakfast after a passionate one-night stand, and I can also imagine that happening. I can also imagine there would be space for joy and laughter as well as some occasional random moments, so he'd be pretty fun overall!

Lancer Cu

Overall, I'd say he is pretty similar to Proto. But the major difference here is that Lancer gives the impression of being way more comfortable in his own skin than Proto is. He knows how fucking hot he is, and has the pride and ability to work a room (though he can also be extremely crude as well).

Lancer is proud of who he is, and isn't afraid to show it- so he'd be totally up for showing off to the utmost.

His flirting game would be a powerful entrée to set the mood. Be prepared for flirts that range from cute, affectionate and pretty complimentary of your skills and positive traits- to downright horny and even extremely blatant (he may be smooth, but personally I feel like Lancer sometimes also gets extremely carried away).

However, I believe that Lancer is a serious romantic. It seems to bring him great pleasure to commit Acts of Service by doing as much as possible for those he cares for, like a 'big brother' type.

I guess in a NSFW setting this means he'll attend to your needs and make you feel safe and comfy during some very attentive sex??

He may also be very easy to wrap around your fingers as well. He may very well bend his knees to your words of praise, desperately grasping for more.

Tell him just how good he feels, what you think about him... it'll give him a real boost, and maybe make him blush too. As the type who loves putting on a show- and who loves it even more when his heroic acts are admired and adored- admiring touches and words will have him whipped like an errant knight serving their lord.

On the other hand, he also loves a challenge; so may not be entirely adverse to being ordered around a little- especially if the demands are hot!

This one is probably also open to a lot of different kinds of sex and kinks, so there's a lot of options to play around with (ranging from tame to hardcore).

Lancer doesn't seem that judgmental when it comes to sexual desire, and whether a partner is experienced or a shy newbie, he'll be happy to take the reins- or let you pull him a little by the collar- if you dare to handle him, of course.

That doesn't mean he isn't intense though. Lancer is also very emotional, and will very likely fully invest himself into the moment. In a sentimental sense, that likely means he will bless you with praise and compliments, as well as endowing you with beautiful terms of endearment in his native language.

In a horny sense though... watch out. You may be at it all night, in all sorts of ways. If things are feeling good, then he'll indulge in the moment with you for as long as possible.

If things get a little heated, or even competitive- such as fighting for dominance, or really going at one another- then he'll battle back with his utmost. If you want to render him to paste beneath your luxurious touch, Lancer will make you work for it. He likes the competition.

Lancer will remember exactly what turns you on, and is a very perceptive warrior; so though he may not always read the finer details, he'll be able to gauge how you're feeling or know exactly where to set you off- so be prepared for one heck of an experience.

"Do heroes give head?!" The debate continues. Sure, I bet he'd enjoy receiving some oral, tightly weaving his hands around the easiest part of his partner that he can access.

However, in my opinion- who knows? He may return the favor every now and then, pouring his all servicing a partner; and enjoying the way in which they unravel before his sumptuous fingers and tongue.

On a last note though, I do think there are aspects of Lancer that can be very deeply sentimental at times; as well as moments in which his more sorrowful aspects may rise to the surface.

There may be moments where he completely unravels his outer face of peerless confidence before a partner and unleashes the vulnerability resting within, and may just wish to bury himself within another's warmth, whiling away the painful hours by another's side.

Caster Cu

Caster Cu is also very similar to Proto and Lancer in terms of NSFW headcanons (im sorry im just repeating this for all of them). However, to me personally, Caster Cu's air of mystery and emotional distance is much stronger than Proto and Lancer's. This man is like a wizard's maze, boasting many different aspects to his character.

As he's older, the flirting game is even more deadly. He likely has a tough repertoire by this stage, able to set even the steeliest of hearts aflutter (or serve as a very humorous and interesting guy to banter with at the very least).

Due to his role serving as a form of guidance towards Mash and the Master- as well as certain lb6.5 spoilers that reveal the reason as to why he has adopted a role that is so strongly defined by wisdom- he is likely to have a more mature edge to him.

This doesn't mean that he's immune from 'silly time' though.

This means that he'll be a comfy guy for someone who is a bit new to sex or someone who is nervous, as he can consistently guide them along; constantly adjusting to their changing pace and needs.

However, he does seem to give off the impression of being rather tired (are those bags under his eyes?), so he may have a bit less stamina. Or maybe more. Caster Cu is very unpredictable in my opinion, however I can imagine him complaining of pains in his joints and of aching muscles, so some kinks may be a bit more exhausting for him to pull off.

That doesn't mean that he's not up for some adventure though! Now he's got all the time in the world to explore nature, get prepared for an exciting bevy of locations.

From the forest, the great outdoors; to even under a waterfall- he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to have any shame about where he'd indulge within a good time.

Thanks to his mastery over the runes, Caster is your ultimate guy for temperature play. A little bit of ice from the Isa rune there, and a comforting fire from runes such as the Kenaz one make for a very titillating time.

Rotating between heating and cooling the parts of your body that yearn for him, as well as even as going far as to change the temperature of his body as he works his way through- you'll be bound to melt beneath his touch.

Plant sex with the runes is also an option. Making sure to remain careful enough not to hurt you with his vines, yet also tightening the pressure enough for your face to lax with bliss, he fills with excitement (and a bit of apprehension) when pleasuring you with nature.

Though it gets him hot to see you so appreciative of his ancient arts, your expressions of pleasure make it increasingly difficult for him to retain his slipping sense of composure...

However, he may burst out with a strange catchphrase or a silly move every now and then (matrix ordanye- bedroom edition style).

Please don't mind it- or even laugh along if you like! Caster Cu gives me the impression of being a rather surreal and random lad at times, and I feel as if the realms of NSFW would be no exception to showcasing this funnier side of him.

Seeing as Caster is more measured than his other selves, and allegedly boosts a even temperament, he may be less prone to get carried away within the moment, however he likely still has a tender side, flattering you with caring words and loving touches.

He isn't yet immune to praise either, so don't hold back in letting him know how you feel about him (he may get even MORE flustered, or caught off guard with surprise).

Despite this, it can feel as if Caster Cu is wearing a very tight mask at times. It may take a bit longer than the other Cu to really see him set loose, and let his words and feelings flow freely within the moment. It doesn't mean he's enjoying things any less, though.

After losing so many that are dear to him- over and over again- and experiencing so many terrifying moments, he may savor every moment as if it's his very last, drinking in every last second with a partner.

The here and now, this fleeting moment. Caster Cu will hold it dearly, in order to calmly let things go once the time comes.

This may manifest on him holding on a little tighter to you at times, burying his face against your own, almost as if he's worried you'll suddenly drift away.

Caster gives me the impression of being very sentimental deep down, but keeping said cards of emotion very closely bound against his chest. It may be a bit of challenge to get him to unravel a little, but it's far from impossible.

Cu Alter (In General)

In terms of NSFW, I believe that Cu Alter is an extreme contrast to the other three. Despite having the same capacity for emotion and care as the others, he operates as if he's an unfeeling killing machine- almost as if he's a beast with no reason (even though that's not always the case with him).

In my opinion, I feel like Cu Alter is most likely to have sex during a situation that fulfils a need or an urge of his- for example, having sex solely to recharge his mana, or if he needs a physical release from all the things going on inside of him.

Sex with him in these circumstances may focus on the most necessary elements of intercourse only, jumping straight to the grittiest, most business-like aspects of the act.

Cu Alter isn't the type to let himself have fun, nor allow himself to enjoy sensations as much as his other selves do.

That doesn't mean that other forms of sex are completely off the table, it's just that to me personally- it would likely be rarer for him to have more sentimental types of sex, seeing as he showcases his care for others in extremely subtle ways.

He's also suffering and struggling in an extreme manner, so it also may be extremely difficult for him to express those kinds of feelings.

Possibly as a result of the corruption of the grail and his madness enhancement, even when he showcases his deep affection- it is often marred by contradictory words and harsh insults that belies how deeply he feels for others.

Emotions are likely really, really hard for him.

Cu Alter is likely the type to show how he feels through actions, as a result of struggling severely to articulate his feelings via words.

He is very awkward and reticent when it comes to expressing his feelings, so hearing praise from him may be quite rare.

However, as his words tend to manifest as insults, he may mutter phrases of a more degrading, cold or fierce nature in the bedroom at first.

Cu Alter often says the complete opposite of how he feels. So if he were to feel affection for someone, he may push them away with some stinging words or attempts to inform them of his apparent nature.

He'll make it incredibly hard for you to get close at first, batting away words of praise; and doggedly insisting that he's nothing more than a monster- that you shouldn't praise nor adore him. Cu Alter won't harm a partner, but he may be very stubborn against praise at first.

I believe he is the type to pick up others with his tail, or wrap his tail around them, and sleep next to them; getting close. I feel like he may let his guard down a little if he feels comfortable sleeping next to his partner.

You may not hear him say how he feels, but I headcanon that he may give into guttural growls, moans and other incoherent noises when he's having a good time; claws and fanged teeth clutching onto his partner for dear life.

For Cu Alter, in a sexual setting- I think his actions will be of a much greater import than his words.

Cu Alter also purposely isolates himself from others. It's as if he is very self-punishing. So I think in terms of sex, the act itself may be a barrier to him- seeing as he does all in his power to give the impression of being distant and avoiding touch with others.

Sex could possibly be a bit rough and intense with him, or very sleepy and slow.

He does seem like the tired and worn out sort, to an almost worrying level; so I don't feel as if he'd go too hardcore- unless he eventually decides to unleash the millions of restraints that he's shackled and bound himself with.

This kind of side to him may explode within a more combat-focused situation, or a very intense one in which he decides to set off all of the things burgeoning inside of him, so it could end up being an extremely wild sort of sex. (I'm not too sure myself, as Cu Alter is a character that I find difficult to truly grasp.)

I feel like sex of the slower sort may be more likely with him though, as he doesn't give me the impression of being one who would unravel quite so easily around another.

As he seems so exhausted, there is a chance that his partner may have to take the lead at times, or initiate the mood- he's not going to really have the skills to set things up himself or flirt. I can imagine him being very languid and tired, so a partner may need to actually take Cu Alter by the hands this time.

As the once Mad King of America, Cu Alter is used to barking out orders, so you may hear quite a lot of those in the bedroom!

Cu Alter (in a more affectionate sexual situation)

I haven't got much to say in terms of this scenario, as I believe that he'll still struggle a lot to express his feelings. However, in a situation in which he gives up on pushing a partner away, he may really indulge in the little things- and wrap himself protectively around a partner, melding every part of his body against their form.

He is likely EXTREMELY touch-starved, so I can imagine him really taking in every single curve of a partner, deeply taking in every single touch, nip, bite and touch of his against yours.

I do think he has a side that is every bit as sensory as the other Cu deep down- maybe even more so, as he's been cut off from touch and isolated from others for so long.

His words will be a bit less harsh, and he may be a lot more receptive to your touch and words of adulation in this sort of situation.

I can imagine him taking extremely long naps and just holding a partner in his arms all day in this kind of situation. He wants to be as close as he possibly can to you, treasuring you with every fiber of his being.

Extra (General Notes)

I do think that Cu Chulainn would entertain many various forms of relationships and sexual relations, and that open relationships would be a possibility as well. In terms of NSFW, I believe he is open to many kinds of situations and scenarios.

[doubledeadstudio]

OMG @adventa messages time :) My fave! Thank you for the messages. Let me comment on and answer some things:

"Though I'm this close to starting a petition for MC to stop bullying Crux."

He likes it.

Thank you for the comments about the voice acting! I'm honestly so thrilled about these actors, and I'm hoping to work with them more soon. <3

"Speaking of the world, I can't help but notice that the weirdest thing about it is not the eerie green sky (still love this shade of green!), not the mythical creatures walking the streets, not even the fricking Iggdrasyll in the middle of the town, but how hot everybody we've met so far is!"

Someone actually warned me like "people are going to want to romance the side characters!!" At first I tried to make them more plain, but... it's my art style, I can't help it... LOL. I just leaned into it in the end.

"I wonder though, how delusional MC can be/needs to be to successfully romance him, because he's so obviously trying to manipulate MC to make them doubt everything they know (which isn't much at this point, to be fair) and trust no one but him. I wonder if it's possible to call him out on his bullshit while still romancing him?"

You can romance Vincenzo in a multitude of ways, I'll make sure of this. You can play straight and get a yandere romance experience, or, as you've mentioned, develop a more defiant stance against him. (Just don't get too defiant, or else he'll catch on to what you're doing. In many legends, it is important to trick the monster with your wits, wink wink.)

These characters are very dynamic, and what you say to them matters. Seriously, my game's "brain" (aka code that remembers stuff you've done and said) has gotten pretty complex, esp this early on! And you'll find that they'll remember very specific stuff you've told them.

"For now thank you for this absolute jem of a game and all your hard work! Stay safe and take and don't forget to take a break and have a good rest from time to time!"

Thank you so much! I am resting this latter holiday season, but... I have already sent the update to my programmer. :) Once he polishes up the code, I will go through it one more time then post it. Ideally, it'll be the end of December.

[fioras-resolve]

Playing Style Savvy for the first time has been pretty cool, delving into a kind of game we don't usually play and getting to experience the fashion world as trans women. (Incidentally, I say "we," we're a plural system. Please don't get mad, at least not in the replies. I'm Maya, I love fashion, and that's about all you need to know.) But playing it has also called attention to something that I just cannot ignore as a fat trans woman, which is the lack of body diversity. So, let's get into it.

So, I wanna start with a concept I'll call "the world of pretty." This is a fictional setting where just about every character is some kind of attractive. Style Savvy is obviously a world of pretty, but so is Final Fantasy, Hades, a lot of anime, and the portfolios of plenty of artists on this site. And this is a good, fun thing, you know? It gives the work a kind of appeal that's incredibly straightforward to understand, so I don't need to dwell on it for too long.

Here's the thing, though. I am, as I said, a fat trans woman. Not many worlds of pretty include someone with a body like mine, because trans bodies are so often forgotten, and fat bodies are simply excluded from a lot of people's idea of what an attractive person looks like. So when Style Savvy doesn't even let me be an XL, the implication is that my actual body is not worth having in your world. And that's not even to mention the limited or non-presence of people of color in many of these works. When I realize that my own body is excluded from a world of pretty, the illusion shatters.

Now, the fact I mentioned tumblr artists as an example of this might raise some eyebrows. After all, this kind of thinking can easily drive someone to hassle an indie artist about changing their style or preferences. I don't want to encourage that here, and if you've received grief about not drawing fat, trans or PoC characters, I'm sorry that happened, and it shouldn't have. I've been in the position of wanting to have this kind of conversation, but knowing it could easily get drowned out by people who do not fucking speak for me. I just want you to be mindful that, when you make attractive character art for a long time, you inevitably create a world of pretty, for good and ill. I can't tell you how to use that power, but I want you to know that it's there.

And, additionally, there are excuses, some better than others. Final Fantasy and Style Savvy are both inspired by high fashion and normal people fashion respectively, so it makes sense their characters all look like models. Worlds of pretty are very marketable, and it can be a hard sell to break from that mold. And it is genuinely hard to have diversity in your work, in a way I will explain right now.

Okay, look. To give Style Savvy its due... gamedev is hard. I would know, this body does it all the time. So like, if you're making a game with any kind of visual element, you need either sprites (2D drawings basically) or models (Basically 3D puppets with potentially hundreds of moving parts). And these models will almost always require a rig, like, a skeleton with bones and joints, that determines how the model can move.

From a production standpoint, you can crank out new characters from the same base model, much easier and faster than if you spent the time building another model with a unique rig. I can't speak for this exactly, because we've never done 3D dev before, but it's just way less of a headache and a hurdle if you're trying to get the most "content" out of your limited budget of staff and time. It just makes sense not spending the time to make different body types, especially in a game like Style Savvy where they'd also have to do a metric shitton of work modeling all the clothing for each distinct body type. I understand this. We sympathize. But what it means is that fat bodies are not in the games' world of pretty.

(hey, Angie here now) so like, i am not immune to the world of pretty. it's part of why i like the things i do, and it's part of why i picked up style savvy to begin with. even as the illusion shatters, i still like a lot of media and artists that don't really do body diversity. but at the same time, as i was playing style savvy i started imagining a version of it that actually did have what i wanted, and used that to create an even more positive experience. like, imagine playing one of these games, playing a clerk at a boutique, and then a trans woman comes through the door, bashful about her looks but desperately wanting to find something that suits her. i'm imagining a world of pretty that includes all body types, that finds beauty in every body. and i know i can't create this because i'm a lowly game designer... but i imagine it and i start to feel happy.

[becomingabeing]

Love in the Big City: Reflections on Part 1

For context, this is the first time I am reading this story and I haven’t proceeded beyond the first part yet. I’m sure I’ll revisit these ideas once I’ve read the entire book.

As I finished Part 1 of Love in the Big City, a few strains of thought stood out for me. This got long so I'm putting it under the break.

First, the sarcastic, cynical and sometimes acidic nature of the prose. The narrator reads much like a jaded man in his mid-to-late twenties. As @twig-tea has pointed out, the “disaffected tone was intentional and also unreliable.” The narration keeps readers at a distance from the narrator’s more vulnerable feelings while simultaneously drawing us into his internal world with his sharp commentary as if we’re in on this joke together. 

Of course, there is the queer platonic relationship that starts off this recollection of the four great loves of the narrator’s life. @doyou000me @lurkingshan @bengiyo and others have brilliantly explored this dynamic. I love that the novel starts with this relationship as a sort of frame of reference for what’s to come. The narrator’s heartbreak following his breakup with Jaehee and getting left behind by the one who taught him “every season is its own beautiful moment” is painfully palpable. 

Next, the tense dialectic of anonymity and visibility that is present throughout Part 1, and I suspect the remainder of the book. This 2011 article on queer representation in Korean film put it succinctly: “For now, gays and lesbians in South Korea live and work under a dual system: privately out of and publicly in the closet.”

Related to this, I have some thoughts on citizenship and belonging I’ll probably make a separate post for.

While the shield of invisibility can protect us when we’re living in homophobic society (speaking from personal experience), it is nonetheless an act of erasure. There is a subversive agency in the liminal existence practised by the narrator, his “fuck you” to societal mores and his dogged opposition of tradition. But it is highly isolating. Even the person he considered his partner-in-crime “forever” leaves him behind when the pressures of heteronormative milestones come calling.

Again, the narrator himself admits he isn’t exactly closeted but he doesn't protest the homophobic comments of the male nurses at the clinic, holds his tongue around the straight people at Jaehee’s wedding and of course, he’s extremely hurt by Jaehee’s betrayal when she outs him (though that is more about his best friend abandoning him because of her shifting priorities as @lurkingshan notes here).

Then we have the titular “big city” which I believe is shaping up to be a character in itself. Yes, I read reviews and “spoiled” myself – the NPR review mentions the narrator and his partner taking walks all over Seoul and how that plays into the public/private dichotomy.

It reminds me of another favourite book of mine, Amruta Patil’s graphic novel Kari. In Kari, the queer protagonist navigates her sexual and gender identities vis-a-vis navigating the sprawling metropolis of Bombay. There too readers will find a fascinating tension between the public and the private, especially as it applies to a persecuted minority. I’ll be looking out for this thread as I read further.

Finally, going forward I will be thinking about the idea of queer failure. In The Naked Civil Servant Quentin Crisp writes, “If at first you don’t succeed, failure may be more your style.” 

Failure, in this context, is not a failing but a subversion of heteronormative capitalist measures of success. The queer subject has been epistemologically tied to negativity, nonsense, anti-production and alienation. Rather than escaping the structural associations of queerness with negativity and lack, a certain type of queer art embraces it and works it into its unique perspective. I get a sense of that from the narrator’s series of “failures” (in love, sex, career, military conscription) in the eyes of heteronormative society. This applies to Jaehee as well – even when she marries she speaks of a “contract” to have no babies thus failing to reproduce the family unit (as a microcosm of the nation) that is the ultimate goal of an “ideal” heterosexual marriage. 

Now, whether this conception of queer failure holds true for this narrative remains to be seen.

[marialiwanag137]

What's your favorite Lupin part from the series?

Omalaaaaawd! Am I allowed to say that I have more than one favorite?

Although each show is unique, Parts 2, 4, and 5 are the ones I personally like.

Do you guys have any idea how much I keep coming back and quoting every unhinged line from Part 2’s English dub? Gotta love and give credit to the English cast 😂😂😂

Part 4, on the other hand, got me intrigued by the animation art style. Not to mention that I’ve become a sucker for anything Italian like how Jigen is a sucker for Fendi and Prada 🤌🤌🤌

Now even though there are mix feelings about this, I enjoy Part 5 ‘cause I like how each arc screams to me that Lupin never dies, anytime and anywhere. The main characters being put in this modern age and how they deal with it is very interesting, and although I may not know all of the tiny references, somehow I can still feel the decades-long history of the franchise. Same way that I felt when I watched The First film 😍😍😍

I still haven’t watched Parts 3 and 6 yet and I wanna give them a shot despite many people feeling conflicted about them, but I’m struggling on where to watch them 😭😭😭

I also tried watching Part 1, but the vibe of it being too close to the darker manga isn’t exactly my cup of tea… I only came for the Goemon-centric episodes 😅😅😅

Anywho, that’s it for today, folks! Hope this answer satisfies you. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts too! Speaking of sharing thoughts, I have a question for you:

If there’s going to be a Part 7, what do you think it’s going to be about? Which jacket color is Lupin gonna go for next?

…Okay, that’s actually two questions, but y’all get the gist 🤷🏻‍♀️