#the color and shading is changing with them i think thats interesting

[glsneeg-enthusiast]

all the bens so far

[luneariann]

DTIYS RESULTS!

Honestly this was super hard to decide 😭😭 I ended up adding more honorable mentions slots and I’m still tempted to add more cuz you all did rly rly amazing! I wanna thank all of you for participating this was a super fun experience, now, with that said...

In first place we have @carrotkicks with their absolutely stunning piece! :)

I fell head over heels for the composition its really really unique and it works wonderfully! Their colors were gorgeous and very well balanced, they rly took the prompt and made it their own and it worked wonders :)!

In second place we have @j11nko with this absolute banger of an art piece!

OOO where do i even start, the lighting i think takes the cake here, completely made it look like they were bathed in gold, made the ambiance of it rly rly stand out, Cins coloring style has a way to make things rly look more vibrant and it showed especially clearly here :)!

In third place we have @afraid-of-the-deep-sea with this piece that had me staring for a solid ten minutes straight

His use of texture and the symbolism was SPECTACULAR are you SEEING THIS IM SICKKK, once again a VERY unique piece that rly took ownership of the prompt, absolutely stunning, the colors were wonderfully vibrant and the whole thing has a way of sticking to you, amazing job

In fourth place we have @maractius with this beautiful piece right here

ARE YOU SEEING THAT USE OF COLORS OUGHH, the coloring and rendering is insanely good, and their expressions are soso strong, literally obsessed w this, the way theres not a single stretch of canvas that isn't occupied in some way without making it look cluttered is rly rly interesting and well done, and the subtle shift in perspective is just the final detail that makes this an insanely good piece

And finally in fifth place we have @candiedfright ! With this absolutely lovely piece

Ouuu this is so pretty 😭😭 the way they arranged the piece gave it a rly strong sense of depth, which in turn makes this piece feel like something ripped straight out of a movie, the way they handled shading only adding to it, SUCH a gorgeous job they did amazing

Now! Onto Honorable Mentions! :)

In honorable mentions we have @tedlebred s stunning piece

Are you seeing that RENDERING OMIFHE obsessed, i love the way they implemented the flower details in their hair and their decision on the change of the setting, turning the prompt into a photograph and making the text into part of that new setting was a super clever choice that rly made their piece stand out :)

We also have @spiderbends with this rly wonderfully soft piece!

The change in pose was so fun and so well done, that coupled with the change in expressions to ones much softer completely changes the vibe of the prompt and turns into something you could almost call playful! Taking the text from something confrontational to something teasing, rly rly lovely job!

Up next we have @seukorei with this lovely piece!

Once again we have a change in pose that works beautifully to change the tone of the prompt, the shading and the colors chosen give this piece an almost melancholic atmosphere that manages to also be incredibly soft, truly wonderful job once again :)

And for our final honorable mention we have @lotus-pear ! With this pretty number

THE POSEE, ouuu you guys r killing me w these pose changes! The new closeness of the two characters gives it a much more intimate vibe, coupled w their expressions it does a lovely job at emitting a sense of trust and comfortability between them thats just rly beautiful to see! Rly love job

Aaaand that abt wraps things up! I wanted to add more honorable mentions but i already added more than i was intending to 💔💔 choosing at all was rly rly hard

I wanna thank everyone once again for participating this was truly a rly nice experience and you guys did an amazing job! :)!!

[aisling-saoirse]

Quaking Aspen - Populus tremuloides

Today I want to bring up a charismatic favorite: the Quaking Aspen. Like all populus species, it's a fast growing, clonal colony forming, northern extreme and mountain loving tree (just like its Eurasian sister species: A. tremula) with an incredibly wide range of distribution. In addition to all those interesting qualities, the oldest known organism is presumed to be a Quaking Aspen colony (Pando, in Utah)

General identification before I can talk about the more interesting bits, Aspens are best known for their yellow autumn leaves and smooth white bark with dark knots, they can grow as large as 60' but depending on their environment can be stunted to around 5-20' (think of krummholz). Leaves of this species appear slightly heart shaped and retain the same sheen on both sides (image 1). Plants are unisexual meaning individuals either have male or female flowers, interestingly enough this is a good method to distinguish where one colony begins and ends by looking at the color of the branches in spring (see image from Colorado below, note trees with light green and those without). Emerging catkins are white at first which become green and longer as the season changes, male catkins having slightly longer stamen but female fruiting catkins ultimately growing longest at 10 cm. Seeds are small capsules with silky hairs to assist in wind dispersion, these trees are ruderal so they produce around 1.6 Million a season with many unable to germinate. Seedlings often need consistent moisture and full sun to even germinate, most of the seeds growth goes to root structure the first year.

The name Quaking Aspen (or trembling per the Latin) refers to the extremely mobile habit of the leaf. Leaves are connected to flexible petioles (stems) which flip around in the slightest breeze. Environmentally speaking, I was once told that leaves have chlorophyll on both sides however this stem could also be a biological strategy to cope with harsh wind conditions in mountainous environments, I didn't encounter any recent research verifying this though. Interestingly enough, given the harsh nature of which this tree thrives, apparently, there is chlorophyll in its trunk, allowing extra energy to enter the tree when it's leaves are gone.

Quaking Aspen is an early succession species, able to reestablish/colonize a site after a fire or other major disturbance. Many of Upstate New York's famous Aspen forests are actually a result of logging and fires in the early 1900s rather than a typical forest compostion. Establishment is different depending on opportunity, in the west its often long lived clonal roots systems, in the high arctic its often through wind blown seed, in the east its generally short lived clones out-competed by hardwood/conifer forest after a century, and in its furthest southeastern range I typically only encounter individuals on rocky outcrops or former fields.

Above ground trees usually live less than a century, in the east maybe 50-80 years given our moisture, out west individual trunks can live two centuries. It's common to find dense forests with even-age trees since clonal root structures re-emerge together (Image above from Bluebell Knoll Mountain in Utah). Its also thought that the root system can live for two millenia or longer, Pando being an example of extreme longevity (I mean 40,000 years would survive an ice age, even in Utah there would be mountain glaciation, thats quite spectacular if true). Ironically, one of the best survival tools in the Aspen's playback is fire recovery, otherwise it will get out-competed/shaded pretty fast (see the context in image 2, that NJ forest used to have lots of aspen).

All this in mind its good to point out that Aspen's early successional habit makes it great for ecological restoration. It's common to find them as the first pioneers on former mines or superfund sites (aspen grove below from Palmerton gap, Pennsylvania). Unfortunately one of the negative side affects is that populus species often bring up a lot of heavy metals in their leaves and wood meaning they can re-contaminate through their own biological accumulation. Which is good for extracting small scale contaiminants...very bad for large sites where you need to trap metal under soil to prevent toxins from eroding offsite

All this being said Quaking Aspen's large geographic range mirrors that of the last glacial maximum, implying a rapid spread onto retreating glaciers. This also suggests a growth habit requiring wet or moist soil conditions. This range is North West to Alaska nearly touching the Arctic Ocean at its Northern-most range in the Yukon, then east to Newfoundland; south west to Mexico (usually restricted to high mountains) and east from Iowa to New Jersey (with scattered populations in West Virginia).

Since Aspen often colonizes sites of former glaciation, with climate change it's predicted there will be a northward and uphill progression of populations. Aspen isn't really in intense danger of dissappearing but studies have shown major stressors (draught, extreme heat, over-grazing) cause higher mass-mortality events from minor stressors (typically disease and insect herbivorey). Given the fact that many forests are clonal there was a question of low genetic diversity amoung populations, yet interestingly, individuals undergo somatic mutations (DNA alterations after conception) and are extremely variable, so different individuals often place different energies into different defense tactics.

In addition to all of this information Aspens are primarily used today to make paper pulp. Historically settlers used aspen to derive quinine (think gin and tonic), and indigenous tribes have a history of using big trunks to create dug out canoes.

So please go out to your nearest mountain/boreal forest to enjoy the Quaking Aspen's lovely smooth bark and haunting shaking in the wind!

[skunkes]

brainstorming tattoooooo

Ok so i think (MAYBE. SOME DAY. IDK YET) i wanna get the green line sterilization tattoo, as well as tattoos over the incisions if/once the scars really fade....im thinking about doing the little x's + ° ive done on smunker (much smaller though of course. And wont be as satisfying since my bellybutton isnt a single line irl LOL)

i often wear stuff that exposes that area though so idk if i want it to be a neutral subtle color, maybe like some shades darker than my skin tone, the color that a blemish or freckle or mole would be, etc, so that it doesnt force your attention to them (especially since the green line will also be there)

OR

My excuse to get something akin to the handpushed confetti (not sure if this would take form in the symbols just being different colors or just a ball of confetti on/surrounding each area....).

This one is much more Cheye but im less into dis one bc idk. Not everything i wear will Go with bright colors that are now permanently on my body...ive talked abt this before but i dont even wanna dye my hair bc of (the maintenance and) how id have to plan outfits around whatever color i chose but at least That example would only be temporary. Not to mention it would absolutely like, attract eyes to it. Unshakeable focal point

(qlso my disclaimer is that im not a tattoos person at all so thats why my thoughts are a little more like...uppity i guess? If it werent for this special event i would not get a tattoo i usually dont like the permanence bc im always always changing as a person, in every way. This is the only time ive wanted a permanent signifier of anything, attached to my actual life and not something mutable like Interests, so its my One Shot i rlly gotta overthink to make sure i dont hate it in a week for the rest of my life if i do it)

[itzsana-kiddingmenow]

Wassap😼 Just wanted to ask what’s your favorite(I yapped quite a lot so you can oppenly yap as much as you like too lol):

- Food - I LOVE ice cream. Like live love laugh ice cream. Especially the one’s that they put in a cone at some cafes. The store bought one’s are alright, but nothing hits more than a fresh cone of ice cream while walking by the beach🔥 I honestly don’t understand people that prefer to eat it from those goofy ahh cups. Like who are you, some 72 year old british woman named Karen?😭

- Animal - umm I love mostly every animal. But dogs are probably my fave. I WOULD like cats more if I wasn’t allergic. Like, I’m used to dogs and was more interested in them as a kid because I just couldn’t interact with cats without getting itchy eyes and uncontrollably sneezing😭 I was like OBSESSED with dogs as a kid. That phase lasted until I was 10-11 years old. But cats are pretty cool too😼

- Colour - oof that must be a tough one. I’m not gonna be edgy and say something like black or white🙄 My fav colour has always been yellow. Although I don’t have that many coloured clothes. My fav fit is all brown😭 But brown IS a shade of yellow so…

- Song/group - ok so I’m really proud that I’ve been getting into lesserafilm because my new friend is also a kpop fan but she prefers gg, specifically lesserafilm, so I’m happy that I finally listened to some of their songs😭 I love “Impurities” and “Guardian” (lesserafilm). My second favourite group is ofc Skz. They made a LOT of 🔥 songs, but “Charmer”, “Domino”, “Surfin’ and “Megaverse” just make my nerves tingle. Enhypen is also one of my favorite groupsss. “Mortal”, “Fate”, “Chaconne”, “One In A Billion”, “Tamed-Dashed” and like a gazillion more😭. As for non-kpop… I really like “Sunflower<Post Malone>”, “Reflections<The Neighborhood>” , “Jenny from the block<Jennifer Lopez>”, most songs from Pastel Ghost’s album “Abyss” and lots of unpopular artists. I can honestly give you my spotify or sum.

Oml I yapped so fucking much😭 Sorry. Feel free to talk even double or triple of that❤️

I LOVE IT WHEN YOU YAP IN MY INBOX ITS SO FUCKING CUTEEEE

FOOD- ahhh im indian so imma be basic and say fried rice cause even though its indo-chinese its literally everywhere in the south so I LOVE ITTTT. only if its a certain kind tho. if its all dry it literally sucks

animal- MY FAVORITE animal changes so much you have no idea but i have to go with 3. dog 2. cat 1. panda 🐼🐼🐼 ITS SO CUTEEEEE- yeah my cousin HATES CATS and when i introduced her to minho she didnt like him cause he apparently "behaved like one" LIKE WTFFFFF THATS ADORABLE

color- purple 💜

thats it...its always been purple

group/song - I USED TO BE OBSESSED WITH LITTLE MIZ BEFORE KPOP and i used to think itzy was a seven membered group for some unknown reason and because of that i was scared to stan them because i used to stan blackpink and stayc so i was A BABY KPOP FAN OKAY but i loved it afterwards. for my favorite song it has to be EASY by le sserafim like its STUCK IN MY HEAD

yay so thats more about me and even i YAPPED SO MUCH

[minhosimthings]

Skz as colours/Colors!

A/N: these are my own opinions, if you have other opinions that's great! This is just my interpretation. Also I couldn't find most of these colours to colour the words on Tumblr so I'm making due with what I've got.

Bang Christopher Chan - Golden. Golden is such a warm and comforting colour. And Im not taking about the very bright golden. Im taking about the faded golden. If you ever search up indian temples the gold that they use, that is the golden which Chan is. Gold is just so nice to look at. It has so much texture and when you peel away the layers of gold there are so many more beautiful colours which come out of it (my chemistry degree is coming in use) and I feel like that defines Chan very much.

Lee Minho - Purple. Minho is a puzzle. We all know that. Purple is a colour which had been misunderstood for so many years now. People mistake it for violet or lilac. And it makes sense. Purple has so many different shades. And purple is such a...cool colour. Like it's so smooth and when you look at purple, you're immediately like, 'thats a cool colour'. It decorates shit so well and it's a pleasure to the eyes to see the colour. And well don't you think Minho is exactly like that?

Seo Changbin - Pink. This is partly because of his babygirlness. Like Pink is such a cute colour. And depending on the shade, it can change the mood completely like if you take a baby pink, it's so sweet and soft but if you a dark shade of pink like magenta, it becomes sensual, sexy, romantic even. Pink has this thing, it's like a child getting excited when they see something at Disneyland or like an adult collapsing on the bed after a fun day. And that's Changbin.

Hwang Hyunjin - Cerulean blue. I was specific with Hyunjin because, there are so many different blues, and while he fits all of them, cerulean blue suits him the most in my opinion. It's calm and chaotic at the same time. It has been used as a symbol of romance for centuries now, from paintings of the sad romance of Romeo and Juliet to album covers of heartbreak. He also uses a lot of this colour in his paintings, which is something I admire since I am shit scared of getting blue on my paintbrush. Cerulean blue is the sky just before sunset and it is the ocean when you're with a loved one and you see the water clearly in their eyes through your lovesick ones. And if that isn't Hyunjin, I don't know what is.

Han Jisung - Silvery grey. I know many people will disagree with me, saying that our ace is probably a more brighter colour. But the reason I chose grey is because, it's so subtle. I don't know if it makes sense, but Jisung Is just such a subtle person. Grey has that effect on things. If you paint grey on red, it symbolises violence, but you often only pay attention to the red. If you paint grey on blue, sadness, mostly because of the blue. Grey, especially silvery grey, is so unique, and special and interesting. There's no way you can describe grey or silver, just like you can't describe Han Jisung.

Lee Felix Yongbok - Yellow. Do I even need to explain? What else can we put for our sunshine? But also there are so many shades of yellow and felix fits each one of them. Bright yellow? That's Lixie. A more darker yellow? That's Yongbok. A slightly greenish yellow. That's Felix. Yep can't explain it in any other way. Yellow is also such an ethereal colour, much like our angelic pixie.

Kim Seungmin - Sage. Sage is just so comforting and calming. You look at it and you're like 'yep I'm in love with this colour.' Sage is also so confusing, just like our main vocalist. Like is it green or is it blue or is it swamp green? What is it? A Rubik's cube that's what it is. Just like Seungmin.

Yang Jeongin - turquoise. Alright look I can't explain it in any other way, but turquoise is such an energetic and fun colour! Like you look at it and you're like, 'you know what? Im gonna go on an adventure today!'. Seeing Jeongin's smile is just like that. And also turquoise looks so good on him. Turquoise is also so clean. Like it's so classy yet fun. That's Jeongin for you.

[closetdbisexual]

the way warriors name their kits is so funny because .... naming a cat immediately over their appearance is like the dumbest thing you can do . cats look way different when theyre born. i mean, everyone knows cats have blue eyes that eventually change, but even just pattern wise they change a lot too. but what im discussing in this psot specifically is just certain mutations or temporary effects . and a good deal of these are relevant to black/dark-furred cats so thats what im using as examples . s orry .

fever coats

[id: two kittens, a tabby and a black kitten, with fever coats. their bodies are silver and mottled, while their faces show their real patterns. end id.]

first off, fever coat kittens ... ! a result of the kittens experiencing higher temperatures than usual in the womb (from their mother having a fever), this pattern lasts usually four months to a year . their fur presents as silvery across their back, but similarly to pointed cats, their extremities (face, legs, usually tail) show their real pattern almost normal. think itd be interesting to have a kitten like this born, hailed for their unusual pattern and given a name to fit it, (i can imagine names based off fog or mist prefixes especially), only for it to curiously fade away when the cat gets older, and the prefix no longer describes them. what a fun thing to explain at gatherings ! :) youcan tell i just wanted to make a post about fever coat kittens but thought itd be boring to discuss them alone.

2. vitiligo

[id: a before-and-after photo of a tuxedo cat with vitiligo. the first photo shows the cat as black with a white muzzle and blaze, while in the second, the cat is almost entirely white with a black mottled pattern. end id.]

more well-known, but still an interesting idea. blackpaw ...is suddenly far more white than black ! again, just cool. fun idea. i dont have much to say about this one because everyone knows about this .

3. sun-bleached

[id: a black cat with a sun-bleached coat. its back is varying shades of red-and-brown, unlike a tortoiseshell pattern. end id.]

caused by radiation from the sun, the eumelanin in black cats fur can break down, causing it to actually lighten - and cause concern for sunburn, also. not good. but i imagine this happening to riverclan or windclan cats the most, considering how often theyre out in the sun. considering how this can also return to normal if they just shed naturally and spend less time outside , itd be another interesting anomaly for cats to figure out .... also a very pretty pattern . and also acknowledges that, yknow, letting your cats outside is not very safe for them actually so 👎 crowfeather looking a bit more like cardinalfeather lately ....lol ...

4. pointed cats

[id: several pointed cats. all are primarily cream, with darker markings around their face, legs, and tail. one is a seal-point cat, with almost black markings. the next is a lilac-point, with blue-gray markings. the third is a pair of flame-point cats, with light ginger markings. end id.]

i also wanted to post about this one the most <- guy who LOVES pointed cats . oh this one has so much potential both ways. pointed cats are the result of certain temperatures impacting their bodies - the warmer parts of their bodies produce less pigment, while the colder parts around their face and legs will darken. and, as that might suggest, this process can be prevented by keeping them at other temperatures. pointed cats raised in warm environments, for example, will usually not darken as much. however, this is still coded into their genes, and can even be affected by the seasons and temperature changes then, which again, very fun ! very cool idea . a solid-white kit you found in twoleg-place, slowly changing as they age until suddenly that name snowkit doesnt quite fit them anymore, does it? a pair of visibly pointed cats that traveled to a sunnier territory, confused when their kits stay light and solid-colored. warriors having to get used to their clanmate changing colors with the seasons, making jokes about them seeming more like some kind of seasonal plant or prey than any other cat they know . cool .....

okay i dont have anymore examples you can tell i just really wanted to tell people about fever coats and also pointed cats ^ i like them a lot

[blue-dream-rhapsody]

On Xcution - Epilogue Design Choices

Look I know sometimes the curtains are just blue. But Tite Kubo can be so deliberate with his character design, and with fashion choices in particular, I feel like it’s worth at least looking at it as if it’s on purpose.

And by “it” in this case, I mean his designs for the Fullbringers in his timeskip calendar set. (The four living ones, anyway).

[Under the cut for length. Once again, footnotes can be saved until the end, probably better if you do, and are just attached to the point I think they’re most relevant to.]

Even more specifically, I want to talk about Yukio when compared to the other three. Because I wholeheartedly believe Kubo chose this look for him for a reason, and not just because he didn’t want to change his style from his teenage years.

Think back to the members of Xcution (the original members, outside of Ichigo and Chad), and how their clothes looked. Think about the color scheme at play. If you can’t quite remember, here’s your hint: black and white.

Ginjo, with black jacket and pants, white fur collar, white shirt underneath, and white shoes. Tsukishima, white button-up shirt with black pants and suspenders, black shoes. Riruka, black dress with white trim, black boots, white hat. Jackie, black jacket, white pants, black boots. Giriko, black waistcoat and pants, black bow tie, white dress shirt, black eyepatch. Yukio, black coat, pants, shoes, and hat, with only a white cravat(?) and white gloves.

The outlier is, of course, the outsider Shishigawara, who underneath the standard black of his school uniform jacket and pants, wears a t-shirt thats mainly red-orange. Make no mistake, him being the only one with another color like this is likely on purpose. Chad is also in black and white at the start of the arc, but with his usual vibrant shirt underneath, because he belongs by Ichigo’s side more than Xcution’s. Meanwhile even Ichigo himself is in black and white in the lead up to the end of the arc, black t-shirt and white pants.

“But this is a manga first!” I hear someone saying. “Of course they’re in black and white, that’s the nature of the medium!” But tell me, hypothetical objector, among the other “factions,” when’s the last time you looked at the Visored’s outfits in any of the color illustrations from the main manga? Hell, by the hatched or gradient shading of some of them in just the source material, you don’t even have to see the color to know it’s not pure black and pure white, not on everybody. Or how about the blue and gray in the Quincies’ outfits? Not pure white, and with exception of accessories, no black to be seen at all.

The Fullbringers are also, much like the Visored, a group in easy access to the breadth of modern clothing in the human world. They’re not like the Shinigami who have a uniform, or the Espada who only wear anything particular because Aizen makes them. Xcution could wear color. Riruka especially, who loves cute things, seems like she should be. But she doesn’t, and they don’t. Not then, anyway.

Which brings us to this set of illustrations, ten years in the future.

How much black and white do you see?

Now white, admittedly, is a little hard to avoid. Shishigawara is in a suit, dressed for a corporate environment, and the white dress shirt is just a staple of that. (Also a staple piece of a certain someone else’s dress while he was alive, though whether that’s related or not, who can say.) Riruka’s socks also appear to be white, matching the line in her skirt. If you think her shoes are black, though, try color-picking around the area; you’ll find they’re a coordinating dark green.

And how about the stripe design on the inside of Jackie’s blazer (*1)? That’s probably black, right? Interesting, that. Keep it in mind, along with the other examples.

All three of them have vibrant colors on, with just hints of their old uniformity in traces of either black or white. But Yukio? Apart from his tiny gold jacket buttons and the light blue in the soles of his shoes—assuming it’s not just shading of more white—which would be mostly unseen normally anyway when he stands, and are only visible to us at all because of the angle he was drawn from, he is entirely in black and white. A similar look to his youth, in fact, although he has ditched the hat (*2).

The important thing, is that it’s Yukio still wearing these colors. To understand why that matters, we have to look at his appearances past the end of the main manga, in the epilogue but also the novels that take place in between.

The last we see of Yukio within the scope of The Lost Agent arc, he has a conversation with Jackie, in which he responds to her sorrow their group is breaking apart. He says that, given three years, he’ll have grown his company significantly, and at that point he’ll bring everybody still living (these four) in to work for him. He makes this promise after just having commented that he never felt connected by Fullbring to anyone among them, immediately proving that dismissive statement to be a lie—or at least that it wasn’t from their Fullbrings alone he gained a sense of connection, something especially comforting to say to the person who lost hers.

Now, three years, he said. Then his next chronological appearance (excluding Thousand Year Blood War, which is like weeks later at most) is the novel series of Can’t Fear Your Own World, which takes place just six months after the end of the conflict with the Quincies. And yet, in that time, it’s commented he had already brought Riruka back in and had also at least reestablished contact with Jackie.

Two and a half years sooner than he had told her. And by the time of the novel We Do knot Always Love You, which is itself two and a half to three years after the end of the Quincy conflict, they are both already in full instatement with his company, Jackie working in aid for developing countries and Riruka having a fashion design role at one of his subsidiaries.

(Admittedly, we don’t know when Shishigawara joins the company. However, Yukio is at least tracking him enough to know he visits Tsukishima’s grave periodically, as of just the six months until Can’t Fear Your Own World. We also see in the epilogue Chad in a televised boxing match sponsored by the company, although if that’s about Chad or about the program itself, it’s hard to tell from just the mention.)

Not only that, but Y. Hans Enterprise becomes a haven for Fullbringers beyond them. Any he finds on his own, but that’s not all.

Within the scope of Can’t Fear Your Own World, when the Fullbringer Aura Michibane sacrifices herself to prevent a disaster, she leaves in her wake a cult of previously normal humans who she’s exposed to the reality of the Soul Society, in other words concrete proof of an afterlife and real spiritual power. Humans who can never go back to truly normal life.

And Yukio takes them on. Into his company, so far as we know not into a new iteration of the cult, but into a group that fully understands the reality they’ve now been exposed to. A place to belong when the normal world is no longer meant for them.

If that doesn’t already sound familiar, we also learn in these novels that the Xcution we met in The Lost Agent is not the first time a group of Fullbringers has centered itself around Kugo Ginjo. That he had done this before, back when he was an acting Deputy Soul Reaper, with this exact same intention—creating a space for those who, like him, found themselves outliers in the normal world.

Yukio bringing the other remnants of their group back to his side is not merely about preserving their own bonds with each other. It’s the beginning step of something greater he has taken on, something he is continuing willingly and deliberately: Ginjo’s legacy, the good parts of it. The parts genuinely meant to help others, to create space for bonds like theirs which, despite how twisted circumstances got, formed regardless and shaped them all. Yukio doing this at all, despite how closed off he always had seemed, is tangible proof of that.

And this is why, in my opinion, Yukio is wearing black and white even ten years on. Still wearing the colors of Xcution. Not merely because it’s his preference, but because he has become Xcution, the axis of it, in the spirit it should’ve always been, the spirit Ginjo had once upon a time meant it to be (even if not in that second, messy iteration where they all had to realize on their own what they meant to each other, what it meant to them).

Riruka, Jackie, and Shishigawara are all still connected to it, of course, through him. But they’re following their own paths, living lives beyond it while the thread remains. They’re in vibrant color, the colors of their paths forward, with only hints of the old monochrome mixed in. White shirt, white socks, black stripes. Yukio, though, has made his life’s work into this. He’s built his company out of it, for the purpose of it, made it inherent to it. Whatever it branches into, be it fashion, television, electronics—that is all in service of it being that place for people to belong.

————————————————

(*1) literally sitting here. Face in my hands at 4am. Because I just noticed while writing this sentence that Jackie is wearing a chain necklace. Unless it’s a chain fastener meant to keep her shirt collar partly together, but it seems to go under the shirt completely so.

Like fuck, maybe it’s just fashion but. Her and Kugo having very similar trauma hasn’t escaped my notice. If for him, his necklace represents the power that failed him in protecting his loved ones… she’s wearing an homage to that same necklace… adding to her being the only one of the four, other than his clear successor who has both, to have black instead of white, hidden on the inner part of her blazer… also being the only one without her Fullbring anymore, the power that also failed her…

(*2) Unclear if Yukio still wears the gloves with his hands in his pockets. Color-picking there and the cuff of white nearby both have shading in pink, and a glove could also start lower on his hand where we wouldn’t see it regardless.

For what it’s worth, Yukio’s original design seems very much meant to convey an aversion to vulnerability with other people, preventing him from being exposed or able to be touched directly anywhere. Losing the hat at least in his adulthood, I think, is a step out of that mindset, and the gloves would serve a similar meaning should they be absent too.

Also, from the size of the image, cannot figure out if his cufflinks are just squares (possibly jeweled or otherwise a common style), or if I’m not imagining the tiny indent in the middle of the four sides suggesting it’s an X-shape… Shishigawara’s are too unclear to tell if they’re round or square even for comparison.

[ucancallmedoll]

the first time you text her its at the start of your shift and you don't check your phone till you're off. you sent her a picture of your decorated acai bowl and said 'if you were wondering why I was trying so hard'. you felt so fucking stupid after you sent it. why couldnt you just send a cool and nonchalant message?

finally, the end of your shift comes around and you check your phone. you have a text from an unsaved number. thankgod. she made some sly remark about the bowl then in a separate message she asks you for your name. you don't know why it makes your stomach flutter but you send it to her. she says your name is pretty, that's its fitting. you ask her name and reply, 'thats hot'. you don't know why you keep doing it to yourself. she responds with 'whatever you say, doll'.

you guys talk everyday for the rest of the week. she tells you 'good morning, doll' and you reply 'mornin, hope you have a good day :)' you guys talk your days and anything interesting that happened. at the end of the week she asks if you'll let her take you out. you guys make plans for later today.

you only have a few hours to prepare yourself. your original plans were to eat some ice cream watch a rom com from the early 2000's then sleep like you're dead. and while this is a welcomed change in plans, you had no time to prepare. you and do your hair in record time. not that there's much to do, your hair doesn't even reach your shoulders. you spend a good amount of time moisturizing, making sure you get every inch of your skin. you keep the makeup simple much like when you met her but this time you add winged liner.

you don't think too much about what to wear, you go with the first thing you came up with. a long black skirt with tiered ruffles on one side that you've been looking for an excuse to wear, and a mesh dark purple top that gives the perfect amount of slutty. you put on your usual silver rings and necklace, your earrings stay the same rings as always, after you slip on your black platform boots, you sit on your couch and try to think of something to do. she said she'd pick you up.

there's a knock at the door and when you look through the window, there she is. she's wearing black pants and a black shirt that hangs perfectly on her. you open the door and she looks you up and down.

"hi" you hang onto the door.

"you look beautiful"

"thanks" giddy, you're giddy. she holds out a bouquet of roses.

"these are for you" you blush as you take the flowers. you look them over, they're the big ones and they're a deep pink color. you shouldve guessed that asking what your favorite flowers wasn't just a getting to know you question.

"thank you, you look good. I like your hair like that." her hair was down when you met her, but today her hair is half up half down. some shorter strands have come out.

"yeah, alright. you ready?" you nod and close the door and lock it behind you.

she lets you connect you phone so you can play music. you don't mind listening to her music you tell her but, she wants to hear what you'll play. what she didn't know is that you'd spend the whole car ride talking about why you love each song. you look over to her and she's amused.

"keep goin', I wanna hear more about your middle school emo phase"

you get to the restaurant and she puts her arm out for you to link yours. you roll your eyes but that doesn't stop your stomach from swirling. she opens the door for your and pulls your chair out for you.

"have you been here before?" you ask as you scan the menu.

"my friend works in the kitchen, but ive never actually ate here" she looks up past her menu. her eyes are the truest shade of brown, not hazel, or nearly black like yours, just brown.

"you like what you're seeing, doll?" she gives you a cocky smile.

"you have pretty eyes" you say and watch as her face changes, you swear her cheeks seem a little flushed.

"you are something else" she shakes her head and turns her attention back to the menu, but you can see the corner of her mouth turn up. you decide to drop the conversation for now, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

you guys order drinks and you ask her stupid questions while waiting for the food to come out. she gives each one serious thought before answering, most times asking more questions to make sure she has all the facts. the way her eyes squint slightly when she thinks is the cutest sight to see.

the food comes out and you make a comment about how her plate looks good. she offers you a bite and before you can say anything, she's holding a fork in your direction. you lean forward and she carefully moves the fork further. the food is good but her watching as you eat off her fork and the look of satisfaction when you pull back made it taste better.

"that's good" you say, wiping the corners of your mouth.

"I have good taste" she takes a bite for herself.

"yeah yeah, its your turn now" you make the perfect bite on your fork and are reaching towards her with it. she raises her eyebrow at you and you just nod your head.

"stay still" she steadies your hand and takes the bite. you feel a warm surge run through you.

after dinner you guys decide to go to the bar down the street. she insists that she walk on the outside and wraps an arm over your shoulders.

you get to the bar and she stands behind you as you hand over your IDs to the bouncer. inside she guides you to the bar and orders for you. you look around, you haven't been here in a while. you guys settle at a table and she moves your chair so you're closer and in front of each other. you lean in to hear her better and she grabs your head to talk in your ear.

at the end of your first round your legs are wrapped around the one she has in between yours. you watch her eyes study your face and are suddenly so aware of the smell coming off of her and, you lean in and ask,

"do you wanna go outside?" she smiles and grabs your hand and leads you out. she pulls you to the side of the bar where its a little darker out.

"I have been wanting to do this all night" she is quick to pull you into a kiss and lead you to the wall. the kiss is deep and honestly just nasty. you let out what can only be described as a squeak as she moves down on your face. she holds you against the wall by your hips and you hold onto her shoulders. she positions her leg in between yours, getting under your skirt, your lacy underwear acts as the only barrier.

"fuck" you get out. you feel her hand directing your hips in a back and forth motion. you can feel the slick in your underwear, you were already turned on, you've been turned on since you opened the door.

"fuck, doll. already this wet?" you can hear the cockiness in her voice, you don't care. you move your face into her neck and give her kisses.

"you-, 's your fault" it comes out a little more pathetic than you intended. she grunts and picks up the pace on your hips. you can feel where her thumb digs into your skin, you hope you wake up with a bruise. you find a spot right above her collar bone that makes her let out a small groan, she's not the only one leaving a mark.

"yeah, that's right. fuck baby, you're doing so good" you fall into her a little bit more. your hands find the hem of her shirt and you hold onto her back, feeling her muscles flex. you try to not scratch her back but she moves you up closer to her and you cant help but to run your nails down her back and pull her closer. she responds with a grunt.

you can feel the build up in your lower stomach and you try to keep your noises to a minimum. you go back up for a kiss and a whimper escapes you when she bites your lip.

"gonna let the whole bar know who's making you feel this good?" she gets a little rougher with her movements. you let out a breathy moan when she grabs your hips with both hands and presses you down further onto her. you move your hips in tandem with her, pressing your chest to hers.

you choke out a whimper and she presses you down low and slow and eventually softer. you fall back into her neck and grab onto her shoulder with your other hand.

"you did 's good, baby" she holds your back and you pick your head back up to give her a kiss. you cant quite stand up by yourself yet, and you still need the friction between your legs.

she breaks away to kiss down your neck and to your chest. you feel her thumb over your nipples, you're not wearing a bra and the mesh of the shirt isn't doing much. a small whine leaves you, courtesy of her touch. she goes back to the kiss but her hands stay cupping your tits. you're getting more and more sensitive and you let out a small cry against her lips. your hips buck, still on her leg.

"again? you're insatiable" she smiles through the kiss.

"shut uuu-" you don't get it all out, she goes from small circles over your nipples to rolling them between her fingers. she let out a chuckle and you pant out a little moan and rest your head against the wall. that should be the last of it.

you look at her for the first time. she moves a few strands of hair out of your face. your face is flushed and hers is smug.

"I-" you don't even know what to say and just laugh.

"I like the noises you make" you shy away at her comment.

"oh god, I for sure ruined your pants" she moves her leg down and you bring your leg over to your other, you stand between her legs now. she does in fact have a wet stain on her pants.

"im buying you new pants" you touch your slick on her leg.

"wouldn't have done it if I didn't know the risks. and i'd do it again to get those little squeaks out of you" she pulls you closer and you wrap her in a hug. you laugh against her and she asks if you're ready to go home, you nod and sneak another kiss from her.

you hold her arm on the walk back to the car, she likes the way you cling onto her.

on the car ride back to your house she holds your thigh, you hand goes up and down her arm. you ask her if she has a favorite dessert and when she asks why you say, no reason. she doesn't have a favorite but she does love raspberry and dark chocolate. when she pulls up to your place you look over and smile at her and tell her you had fun. she offers to walk you up, you say its okay but she gets out anyways. you stand in front of your steps.

"I want to see you again" you cant help the way your stomach swirls when you say it.

"I bet you do" she looks down at her pants, you scoff and hit her arm.

"I did too, doll." she pulls you in and kisses you slowly, she smiles at you when she pulls back.

"alright, go get cleaned up."

you roll your eyes.

"goodnight" you smile.

"night" she watches as you walk up and unlock your door. you give her one last wave before going inside.

[red-dyed-sarumane]

asfhdkhgjadskjl oh no i know about changing skin color too well. u gotta like do 3 different color filters than color adjustment and then u gotta do that for each skin tone u want and sometimes u gotta manually fix things and UAGAHHA that stuffs like nightmares to me. there is so much set up u gotta do if u want to make it easy later and thats a nightmare too

see u do it the right way im out here raw dogging it. i change my base colors like 7 times & then. well u see i dont do separate layers for shading so i just color the base color right. which means if the shadow isnt right & im too far in for ctrl+z to save me we have to repaint the whole base again. reflective light usually isnt too bad bc thats based on other existing colors but getting the saturation right is its own challenge & then only after i like that do i think okay time to add in adjustments to make it more interesting. legit if i dont think it can pass without them its not even moving to the adjustment stage. i just live like this. its not picrew friendly.

[garbagequeer]

1, 7, 18, 32 :-)📭

1. What are three shows in your watchlist that you’ve been meaning to get to?

i’ve been meaning to watch dawson’s creek for like a long time, also kevin can f**k himself i want to find out if those women are gay and atlanta which i always forget exists but then im like yeah i gotta watch that

7. What color dominates your closet?

i think my closet’s pretty varied tbh i dont think there’s any dominant color though i do have less blues purples and neutrals/blacks i think

18.What’s one historical event that you would have liked to have witnessed? 

i dont think there’s any one particular general event that stands out to me like i think id be equally interested in watching people kill louis xvi as id be in hearing the first ever electric guitar in the 1930s. if anything id like to witness historical events that people i know today witnessed to see how that was for them because ive heard about them a lot. but thats less about the events themselves and more about the places and the people like i wouldn't care as much about getting to see idk the attempted coup d’etat in 1981 as it went down as id be in following my uncle around on that day or seeing what the man who opened the bakery in my neighborhood that still exists bc his grandchildren run it did during post-war rationing

32. If you could dye your hair any color, regardless of how you think it would look, what color would you choose?

i dont think id dye my hair bc i could theoretically dye my hair any color normally but im just not interested in changing my hair. but to play along if i HAD to dye my hair a different color i think id like to try some shade of deep green

thank you for asking!! <3

50 Questions Just Because

[lemon-sugarcoats-nothing]

I hear you Mocha, and I understand your struggles <3 I know it can be hard sometimes, feeling like your art is and will never be good enough. This feeling is normal, and please please please understand that you're not alone in this! Almost every artist thinks this way from time to time. This isn't to take away from your problems, but for solidarity in knowing that even the artists you look up to most either 1. Feel this way right now or 2. Have felt this way in the past. Myself included.

As for the base usage, thats okay! A lot of artists start out that way, and it doesn't make you any less of an artist. I've seen a lot of improvement with your free-hand art, and I think using bases has helped you with that to an extent. Just remember that it never hurts to branch out from using bases, and you don't have to use them to make something pretty.

I love you Mocha, and I dont mean to lecture or pressure you. I'm here if you ever just want to talk about this and just leave it alone. For that reason, I warn that if you're not looking for any serious advice, disregard the rest of this reply. From here I'm just gonna give tips for expanding your art and getting it where you want to go 💛 Its okay to stop here and come back to it later (or never). Im no authority on any of this, this is just information I gathered through hundreds of hours of hyper-fixation and study through the past....sssiiix years???

If you're looking to change your art style into something different

(whether that be more detailed, more defined, etc.) I heavily recommend you do art studies. Try art styles that maybe you're not familiar with, maybe even not a huge fan of (cough, that would be cubism for me, cough) and see what techniques you might like to incorporate into your own style. With each one ask yourself;

-What do people generally like about this style?

-What makes this style interesting/unique/different?

-What do I personally like about this style?

-What do I NOT like about this style

Try looking at;

-line art (is there any? is it thick? is it thin? Does it have line-weight variations, or is it very same-y?)

-color use (Pastel? Bright colors? Dark colors? Muted? Monochrome?)

-lighting style (Is the shading very detailed and realistic or very simple to get the point across? Is it blended? is the shading hard-edged? Is it a mix of both? is there any shading at all?)

-For character art styles, what Kinds of characters do they draw? (Thin girls with big boobies? Punk/alt fashion and characters? Larger body types? A wide variety of body types? Cartoony, anime, or semi-realistic? etc.)

-What kinds of shape language do they use? (Sharp edges and triangular shapes? Round, soft shapes? Do they use a mix of both?)

-How do they show their subject matter in 3D space? (Do their subjects look like they have weight and form, or are they flat like a sticker? How do they show that?)

-If applicable, look at their youtube speedpaints and watch how they draw; See if you can copy their techniques!

For all of this, there are no rules for what you keep and apply to your own art, and what you discard and choose not to use. I do recommend at least trying out some different styles, and then finding something to practice working into your drawing habits.

For character and fashion design

Again, look at artist's designs that you like! This is also where pinterest will especially be your best friend. Look for references of the type of outfits you want to draw, and see how you can hodgepodge them together into something new!

Some things I like to keep in mind, that i learned from artists like ABDIllustrates;

-It's generally a good idea to keep your pallets limited to just a few main colors, but with every rule in art, theres always room to bend or break them

-Balance your colors through your designs, and focus on where your colors draw your attention when viewing it as a 3rd party. (it might be helpful to take a few hours break from a drawing to do this, or ask a friend) If it draws attention away from where you want it too, then see how you can move colors around or alter them to make it work.

-References are your BEST FRIEND, and dont be afraid to have more than 10 references. The more references you have for a style, the more likely you are to both create something original and something that really feels like a part of that fashion subculture.

-pay attention to how the fabric lays on the people wearing it!

Other than that, all I can really say is just- binge watch ABDIllustrates redesigning his old RWBY characters, his Heartless series, and (if it interests you at all) his Disney D&D designs series. (I also recommend watching his speedpaints if you want to learn from a style that balances cartoon, anime, and semi-realism very well without it getting too complicated)

For line art and sketching

If you also happen to ever feel like your art feels too stiff, these are some little tips that have helped me (whenever i consciously use them ^^;)

-Do not death grip your pen, oh my god do not- This will save you from so many hand cramps and will let you draw longer; Hold your pen comfortably, but try not to put too much pressure on your fingers, or on the pen to your paper/tablet. I know this is a hard habit to break, but instead of trying to hold your pen vertically, try holding it at about a 45 degree angle from your surface and reminding yourself to hold your pen looser.

-Stretch your fingers periodically through the day! This helps ease tension (duh) and can help with the point above with the death grip.

-Take breaks. If your hand starts to hurt, let go of your pen, stretch, and take 5 mins break; If after, your hand STILL hurts, run it under warm water, massage it gently, and do something easy on the hands until your hand feels normal again.

-Try to use long, fluid strokes in sketching. See how long you can sketch before lifting your pen! Go wild dude, and try not to worry about it looking good just yet. do a REALLY rough sketch just to get your idea out there, then a clean up sketch before lineart if you have to. This is especially good if you dont really know what you want to draw or dont know how to draw what you want to. See where your hand takes you!

-For lineart, i have no valid tips for on paper...But digitally! I tend to try not to take to long on a single stroke. I do the strokes fast, and extending past where i want them to go (of course undoing if it doesnt match what i want, and cleaning up any cross over on my lines) Really though, all of it is up to your preferences and how you want your lineart to look. (now or acquired through art studies)

I could keep going, but this is already getting long and anything else I have to say, I'm pretty sure you're already aware of (Figure sketches, gesture drawings, studying realism, etc.) I just hope at least something in this post helps, Mocha.

-Mod Bee 💛🐝

Slight Vent 🍫

I feel like a fake artist. My art's not good unless I use a base, vaguely trace the shapes in an image, or even trace a nice artist's drawing on Pinterest and change it up enough so it's not a blatant rip-off of someone else's hard work. I am not an art tracer, and when I use a base or something as a heavy reference I do credit the original artist. (Save some asks here and there because the reference usually comes from Pinterest and I can't find the original artist for the base because the links back to the source material bug out or I forget to actually look)

All my friends have amazing artwork and styles that are recognizable or likable and the only comment I ever get on my art is "cute". "You're art style's so cute!" "Oh that's cute" cute, cute, CUTE. I want my art to be more than just cute! but I can't draw anything that isn't cute. even if I try to make something scary or different it just ends up being "cute" or inappropriate. This isn't to say I hate the "cute" compliment, but I just hear it and only it so often it feels like that's all my art is ever going to be.

I've tried to own it, but I've seen and still see art styles "cuter" than mine. I also suck at outfit design. hell, it's why Cinna's only in generic dresses, hoodies, and t-shirts. "Design an outfit for a fancy party mocha" I can't because i'm SHIT at fashion design. I can't draw clothes, I can't make anything without a reference, and everyone's better than me. I got straight up rejected from an art school and the art program at my top college. The college i'm going to doesn't require a portfolio and my grades helped me get in. I suck at art and it's frustrating as hell.

..but it's whatever..

🍫

[rin-hanarin]

There's this 11 years old Homestuck fic that forever changed my perception of the post scratch timeline called Like Forgetting the Words.

I think about it sometimes and I imagine Rose and Jade would remember important bits and pieces, but Dave and John wouldn't. Alpha Dave gets the shades and the bunny, "had brief obsession with Con Air" according to Dirk, built and entire memorabilia museum, but he doesn't consciously remember. He'd watch things John Crocker was starring in by accident and have a good laugh at how dumb and friend shaped he is and get an unbearable sense of longing for something, but he wouldn't remember anything still. Then one day Rose takes him to some random grave in Washington and says that she needs to visit a friend, and she brings flowers and talks to the stone, and Dave just kinda watches her do that. She asks him vague questions and he has no answers, so he one day comes back alone to the grave and brings red flowers, saying something like "thats probably blasphemy or some shit i hope your family doesnt freak out if they ever see that". He finds the meaning of these flowers in a book by a certain J. English Rose conveniently gifts him one day, and it's something really specific, written in a manner young girl would write and not a famous old rich woman. He comes back to the grave every year in April, talks about whatever at it and has one-sided conversations with himself, and wishes "John" a Happy 13th one day in 2009 and finds it hysterical that it's the date of his death on the gravestone for some reason. He comes to the grave one last time after killing the juggalos because he thinks he saw a flash of blue there and says that he "wanted to bring these motherfuckers heads to you didnt you hate clowns or something? thats kinda fucked up now that i think about it i dont wanna defile your grave with these pieces of shit bro my bad". He dies to the Condesce and thinks that maybe he'd get to see them again.

Young John Crocker would spend hours listening to clocks ticking and writing in journals in different colors, trying to find the right one with the right voice to go with it. He ends up being left behind by his sister, the last thing remaining is her garden with a wide selection of rose plants, so he looks after it to pass the time, begging of Betty not to destroy it. He has a great interest in film and the way it develops during 1900s, but never someone to share it with, and he so desperately wants to that he end up writing his every thought about it like he's writing a letter to someone. He would collect vinyl records and scratch them sometimes for no apparent reason, and asks his son in his will to auction his collection some day after his death, only for some rich movie director to buy them later for such an obscene amount of money that Mr. Crocker expects him to ask for a refund. He never remembers anything, but his family recalls how detached he was sometimes, like his thoughts were in a completely different world, and in the end of the day no amount of movie roles and comedy gigs made him any less lonely.

[rottingsparrow]

Part 4! Of rereading Lore Olympus. Ep 31-40

Gotta be real I keep forgetting to post these even tho I'm reading them but it's fine. Obviously I won't finish before the end of the 2 week break (this Saturday) but after this I may start reviewing episodes as they come out, who knows. Last part:

Ep 31

Theres so many other reasons you shouldnt work together but ok

Also shes literally so smart right like thats canon

Artemis is cool hera,,,sometimes

Which two sons i wish i knew the lo family tree as opposed to the real one yknow

How do heras powers work she felt her pain but doesnt know who??

I would kill for a comprehensive list of family tree and powers, dont even have to spoil powers just please i get so confused

Ep 32

Train ur fuckin dogs hades i think ive said that before

He changed skin color again but like not just light vs dark thats a whole diff shade of blue

Hehe threaten low class workers so cute and quirky hades

Why is uh psyche/whatever her nymph name is wearing more traditional clothes while not in the mortal realm

Love the dog

Hades has a point, even tho it makes no sense for him to have said that

Ok also point out in the like future episode he wants persephone to call him Aidoneus but doesnt like when others do it why

Thats my same thing with him calling her Kore like i know in the future its like explained or whatever but idk

Aphrodite has a point it was a favor in a way

A dumb way but yknow

I remember everyone losing it over the “im only interested in the dead ones” panel but looking at it its so lame LMAO changed his entire face shape for a panel

Ep 33

HECATE HECATE WOOOO

Im but a simple man

Hades texts like an old man i know he is one but

Also i am dying to know how his business works including as the god of the underworld like. Give me something

Then again, maybe i am a lil dumb when it comes to this

I always thought he was giving the little elevator friend a sugarcube lmao

I like how minthes ears react to her emotions

Stop fighting at work omg this would be the worst place to work at

“Hey can u do ur job”

Ep 34

Why this subplot ugh

The crown floats yet is sideways after she hits him

Also haha hitting

Also their relationship does confuse me just a tad bit yknow

All the clues were there hades you dumbass

“Cancel all my meetings” DO YOUR JOB

“This doesnt affect you in the same way” cause hes a man or a king or both but also kings seemed to get treated the same by their subjects until they are dicks and excute their power

From what ive seen

Then again we havent seen poseidon do that but that brings me to the point of I wanna see poseidon realm

thats . so creepy hades ew

“Smth must be done about this” like fair legal action right?....right?

Who reads newspapers these days anyways wait a second

Ep 35

See the laptop having news makes more sense like sure we make newspapers but ppl dont use em as often

“Biochemistry Theory” fun fact I switched majors to specifically avoid taking chemistry

What are they typing he just started speaking

What type of nymph is thetis bc i know minthe is a river nymph but thetis has fancy ears

They are so mean to each other lmao

The financial situation and the fact that they both are like sleeping with the kings confuse me why do both of them do it.

Like retrospectively i understand it but when i first read it i was like “are nymphs supposed to be like hookers??” so i was lost for a bit

“Hades micromanages computer usage” oh what a shit boss

Also the meal ticket she has a job sure hades gave it to her but

Idk maybe im slow

What an awful way to do a heart shape i just tried it wtf

“Crying is for wives” damn

Yes body issues that dont get brought up again right? Like she all of a sudden gets bigger boobs and i dont think hades pays ppl enough for cosmetic surgery

You guys know this is a work setting

Has rachel ever had a job bc this feels like a comical trope seen on tv the workplace drama yknow

LMAO IN THE LAST PANEL RACHEL FORGOT TO GIVE HER NYMPH EARS

Like fully normal ears i know its a mistake but its funny

Ep 36

“Not my circus not my monkeys” queen

Hades is it not your circus how dont involve hecate in this

“Stop starin at me with them big ol eyes”

Oof that does not look good on you, i mean why didnt you give her the coat

“I thought you didnt get jealous” ok she may have said that but literally everything about her contradicts that

And i love this part bc he doesnt call her crazy and they talk, i mean he hides some of the truth which like fuck him, and then they try to talk about the party and

Ugh i know minthe is supposed to be an antagonist but rachel does this weird thing where she tries to flesh her out, then realizes it would be an easy set up for a redemption arc and screws her over again

I know the ppl in the mortal realm are generally frightened of hades but why are ppl in olympus

“I wouldnt expect anything less from a goddess” so we are going to bring in the racism/speciesism that occurs in this story right

Its the middle of the day isnt he supposed to be in the mortal realm moving the sun or some shit

Ep 37

“Last night” Rachel its ok to space things out sweetie

Ok ok so one thing i hate about her characterization of apollo is he goes from being delusional to knowing what he did was at least slightly wrong and i hate both are fine stories but pick one he either is so infatuated with persephone that he thinks that they had a great time or he wants her for her power

And! A transition from one to the other would be fine, but she goes back in forth in his characterization

Little red vines look cool

Hehe cerberus

How did he escape tho

I love that dog

Ep 38

Oh its the greenhouse again

But this time it represents the evil feeling?

Idk but i like eye symbolism im lame lol

Why was she sleeping in the chair

When did she get those clothes i dunno if eros would buy her business casual

Artemis really sees all the signs and then goes “meh”

Like points out the possible crush on persephone just connect the dots they are so close

Why is there not more than one door

Why is no one getting off

How does rachel think train stops work

Ep 39

Also not thatanos with an undercut lmao

Ope its thanatos i mixed it up

Also minthe you just actively arent doing a good job like lmao how are you not getting fired

Hades smoking a cigar is so old and gross tbh

What an awful boss

That man has a point dont stand infront of the door

She gave her a little flower nice

Minthe i know ur being spiteful, weird bc hades explained shes just the daughter of a friend( i know its a lie but still) but just do your job

“It says restricted access but that lady says it was fine” i would just wait until someone came out theres no reason to go inside

Ep 40

Why would they not have a lock on this place actually

Why wouldnt she just leave the way she came

When did hades put on his glasses

How is it hades fault what

So many questions yknow for such a short episode

Also does this place not have security cameras in places that are tartarus

[antiloreolympus]

7 Anti LO Asks

1. Do you know what really gets my blood boiling about this comic? Persephone and Demeter's relationship.

In the myths, Demeter and Persephone loved each other more than anything. Their reunion is so important - it marked the coming of spring and growth. A whole cult was dedicated to this for crying out loud. Yes, the myths were far from perfect, but the Persephone and Demeter myth showed the strength of a loving mother-daughter relationship with Demeter searching endlessly to find her child that was ripped away and had her innocence forcibly taken.

Now, RS is not the only author to make Demeter this over-bearing mother type in order to put more positivity onto the Hades-Persephone relationship. However, RS takes this trend to a whole new level - to the point where I would even consider it misogyny.

How is it, she takes this beautiful mother-daughter relationship and makes it out to be an abusive and controlling one, and then takes the Hades-Persephone relationship from a forceful one to a loving, perfect relationship with no problems? How is it ok to ruin one relationship to elevate another?

I understand that many versions of the myth try to downplay Hades' actions, and even make it so Persephone actually falls in love with him and there is no rape. But it doesn't change that this relationship was problematic, and meant to represent the loss of innocence.

Then fans have the gall to claim this comic is feminist and then claim on top of that that Demeter and Persephone's relationship was the same in the myth? These fans clearly don't know the myths, and neither does RS.

Making Hades a good person is fine. Changing it up a bit to make Persephone's loss of innocence something else is also fine. But ruining Demeter and Persephone's relationship? Especially when Persephone has to spend half the year with her? So horrible. 

2. im sorry, but rachel cant introduce KRONOS coming back and then dropping it for several episodes to focus on a stake-less trail and persephone not knowing what lingerie to seduce hades in. like thats too much of an earth shaking development and huge stake plot point to just ignore for months to focus instead on something as minor as hxp's relationship, which only points out a huge flaw: why is hxp's relationship so minor in this? isnt the whole point supposed to be about them?

3. I think LO completely dropped the ball over Hades’ characterization. 

From the first ep I thought ok, this is good, we have some bones to see he’s not that lucky in love and is just tired and lonely, and while ignoring the creepy actions towards Persephone, I thought ok, Artemis hates him, Hestia hates, even Ares hates him, maybe once Persephone finally sees the underworld and probably gets to know him it’ll be a clever twist and they’ll be proven wrong. The underworld will turn out to be fair and just, the citizens will love Hades, he’ll be revealed to be a good leader and king and not like his brothers, it’ll be like everyone saying Hades of myth isn’t actually that bad, and it’ll help reinforce why this sweet and bubbly Persephone wants him, she sees the real him, not the mean rumors and assumptions, this is perfect.

And then it just didn’t happen. The exact opposite happened, actually.

We’re shown the LO underworld is cruel and unjust, where the poor dead are forced into slavery and Hades created a harsh class divide with him and him only on top, the citizens hate him, the underworld gods don’t trust him and openly seem ok if he’s taken out of power, he’s not a good leader and king and doesn’t even want the job yet keeps it for his own ego and grip of power m, and on top of it all he is just like his brothers, if not worse. He loves to get violent over any little slight against him, he hoards wealth and resources to enrich himself while his citizens starve and struggle to survive, he’s corrupt, he controls all the media and laws to bend to his will, sleeps with his brothers wife for centuries behind his back while claiming to be holier than thou, he has sex with his secretaries who are made dependent on him for any way to survive, and now he lusts after his barely legal intern who is also now dependent on him for her way to survive, and that’s only what I remember off the top of my head.

LO perfectly set up to prove Hades isn’t the devil or the false pop culture assumption that he’s evil and to show some actual facts from myth, and yet Rachel only ended up reinforcing exactly that and even making him even worse with her made up ideas, all while thinking having Persephone ignore or excuse it somehow makes it not bad or even a good thing. It’s honestly kind of impressive just how bad of writing that actually is. 

4. Chapter 172 is not that interesting. It’s setup had me excited to see Hephaestus and Hera and learning more about echo, but it’s cut so short. Because again the story can’t leave HXP out for 2 seconds.

I can also see why Zeus is gonna go insane. 

5. i agree w/ other anon. LO should have pulled a PJO or a BoZ and just made up OCs and have them interact with the gods than whatever Rachel thinks shes doing, which is lying she's being accurate and faithful while completely changing all of it, removing what is needed, and adding what isnt so that it lines up with no actual myth besides like, various 50 shades fanfic she read in 2015 and some popular tumblr text posts.

6 . the animation studio behind blood of zeus literally can only draw one face for the men and one face for the women and they were still able to make the gods all look distinct and hot while LO can't even bother to use more than 6 colors and can only have the women look as tiny as possible with the biggest boobs while the men are all just lego men.

7. ////FP SPOILERS////

Okay so like I stopped reading LO way back before season 1 ended, and a majority of my knowledge of the series comes from what I read here on your blog which is enough for me lol and I decided to read the latest 5 chapters just to see what's up (on zahard. I refuse to give the actual series any views)

And I just. Could not take the whole scene with Daphne running from Apollo seriously? The anatomy and art inconsistency was so distracting that i genuinely could not find it serious. Even when Thanatos discovers her hibernated body I couldn't take it seriously because of how she looked?

And when Hades had that call (??? Was it a call? Or his inner dialogue? I couldn't really tell ngl) with Zeus and said he's causing Persephone unnecessary distress, and that she didn't pose any threat. B!tch??? She killed a ton of mortals??? She has no control over her powers???? She's literally a fugitive for the aforementioned things??? She apparently woke Kronos up? (Idk if anyone knows about that, again my knowledge only spans to whatever I read here) Hello????

And I have a lot to say about the chapters starting the trial but I'll only mention one thing; Hades saying "I don't think blindly supporting my little brother would be doing him any favours (as a ruler)" had me cackling. This is coming from a guy blindly supporting a girl he's literally only known for a few weeks, who's like what, only recently turned 20? Sit tf down Hades you're not cool, you creepy ass overgrown smurf.

Overall I still hate this series lmao. Regarding art though I feel like I wouldn't be so miffed about the anatomy much if the character designs were consistent and the story was compelling. They literally change hairstyles and body types frame by frame, and it's distracting.

The timeline from what I read here is laughable. 4 years in publication with almost 200 chapters and you're telling me only like a month has passed canonically. That's wild and such poor writing.

And as someone who literally will sympathise with any lead character pretty quickly, the story makes me hate them. It makes me want to root against them. I also hate the fact this trash is somehow top ranked on webtoons when so many other stories are far better then it.

Anyway, many thanks to this blog for existing and allowing me to dump so much text here to vent out my hate for this series lmao. You the mvp fam, hope you're having a good day 🥂🥂🥂

[spaceconfusion]

Okay get ready because the avalanche is coming

*deep inhale*

1; 4; 5; 11; 21; 22; 24; 33; 40; 41 & 50

Feel free to answer just some of them, the ones you prefer. Have a nice day :)

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

Even if i never really noticed, for many years now spiderman has been a huge comfort character for me. A superhero, who decided to help people because he had a power to. He was my first superhero story and a big motivator in learning basics of self defence in middle school. Even now, one of my big motivations for getting better and being in good health is to be able to watch second Spiderverse movie in cinema!

4. which cryptyd being do you believe in?

Pretty much every single one that is supposed to live in the sea/body of water. We cannot ever fully explore them and everything that lies beneath shimmering surface is a mystery i want to solve.

5. what color are your eyes?

I love this one! i know a lot of people make fun of describing ones eyes as having many colors, but thats what mine are. They are mostly mix between green and gray, but green is the one more in control. it's the shade of olive oil, but because of small streaks of yellow (or as close to yellow as eyes can get) located somewhere in the middle of the eye, whenever sun shines on my eyes, it makes them look similiar to grass deep inside of forest.

Can you tell that eyes are my favorite part of my body?

21. something you’ve kept since childhood?

My white and brown dog plush. He doesn't really have a name, i've mostly just call it variants of word "dog". Had him since i was 2 months old and always made sure not to loose him. I only take him out of house when i'm sure there is no way i'll forget to take him back. Definitely number 1 thing i would save from my house if it was on fire.

22. what type of person are you?

that's something i still have to discover. i hope i'll be able to answer to that soon

24. if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

Stargazing! I'd love to talk about stars, constelations and what they represent. We would also be listening to music, every once in a while changing the volume of it. Talks of stars would sometimes be disrupted by stories of what had happened in our lifes recently and what interesting and wonderful things we managed to find on our adventures.

33. the last adventure you’ve been on?

i honestly didn't see that it was the next question! Me and my doggo went on a walk in nearby forest and after some wandering, we were able to find a big area clear of people. There is a passage people use pretty close by, but i haven't seen anyone actually go to area, so i think it's gonna become my main hang out spot soon!

40. did you have any snacks today?

Not yet, but i think i might get some crackers soon

41. how do you take your coffee?

Cappucino with coffee as strong as possible. Also a little bit of sugar, so it isn't too bitter.

50. can i tag you in random stuff?

YES! i love being tagged