#which is getting upgraded from

[sheliesshattered]

So it’s occurred to me that I’ve got about 32 weeks until everything needs to be done for Dragon Con -- and for the first time since 2010, I’ll actually be working for most if not all of that. Work takes up a lot of time and energy (and I absolutely cannot slack on things like getting enough sleep and keeping up with self-directed physical therapy), and two months into this ten month contract it’s looking like I really won’t have much if any time to sew during the week. Maybe once I get to the handsewing stage I can fit that in here and there, but for the most part we’re just talking about 32 weekends to pull everything together

Which is to say, if I want to actually make anything new for Dragon Con, I need to get moving on it pretty quick here. I have a couple of cosplays I really want to make. One of them is lower priority, I’m not super into the fandom and it’ll still be recognizable a year or two from now. But the other one I definitely want to make for Dragon Con 2023.

So that’s what I’m going to be working on first. I’ve had a plaid shirt on my sewing table since like October (shortly before the new work situation suddenly happened) and I’m just not inspired to work on it, and it doesn’t have a deadline so it’s been easy to let slide. I’m going to pack that up to finish next fall, and shift gears into this cosplay that I am inspired to work on, and does have a deadline.

One of my all-time favorite Dragon Con experiences was when I cosplayed as Daenerys Targaryen in 2011, in her Dothraki outfit (complete with edible horse heart prop!). The show was popular and I was really into it, the GoT meetup was a blast, and random people shouted ‘khaleesi!’ at me in the hallways, it was fantastic. Twelve years later I’m still not quite ready to do another edible jello prop, but the whole cosplay was a lot of fun.

I’m not going to try to reproduce that moment in time or how popular that cosplay was. But it’s a good memory, and it helped me narrow down on what I want to make for 2023, especially if I only end up being able to make one new thing. 

I definitely want to represent the House Of The Dragon fandom and my love for Rhaenyra, and after going through all of her s1 outfits I’ve narrowed down on the red dress with the lace-on sleeves that she wears in episodes 7 and 8. I tend to think of it as the dress that best embodies when Rhaenyra is happily together with her soulmate. She’s still wearing it years after the events of Driftmark, even when she’s pregnant and the dress is starting to be just a liiiittle too small. It’s a dress that makes her happy, that represents happy moments in her life, and that’s the side of Rhaenyra I most want to portray.

It’s also a good project for my set of skills in particular. There’s enough interesting things going on with it, particularly trim and beading, that I know I can make it into something eye-catching. But the shapes are pretty simple, and I have a lot of experience fitting that sort of princess-seamed dress to myself. I can sink my teeth into it without having to first make a foundational corset or something. And it should be pretty comfortable to wear around the con, with simple comfy shoes. The only one of my cosplay-for-cons checklist that it doesn’t check off is that there’s no good place to hide pockets in it, but eh I’ll figure out something.

I’ve been thinking about this cosplay seriously for about a month now, and in that time I’ve gathered up a bunch of reference photos, done a sketch of where all the seams are, and sourced all the fabric (3 kinds), trim (2 plus lacing cords) and beading (3 different types, plus lacing rings and grommets) that I’m going to need. I want to make it as screen-accurate as possible, but also stick to natural fibers like silk, cotton, and rayon for the lining. Particularly with the materials, I want it to look like something befitting the future queen of Westeros.

Today I cleaned up the mess of Christmas stuff that had encroached on my sewing space, and then took a bunch of measurements of myself so that I can draft a new pattern from scratch. I do have some existing princess-seam self-drafted patterns that fit me, but they’re not quite right (7 panels instead of 10, bust seam curves towards the armscye rather than continuing up over the shoulder) and were made with a different bra in mind, so I figured I’d just start from scratch, and use those as reference as needed.

After that I needed to take a little sit-down break (it’s all about pacing for this working spoonie) and thought I’d throw together a Tumblr post to start to chronicle the making of this cosplay. Next up, I’m going to actually pack that plaid shirt project away in a shoe box for next fall, and then see if I can start in on drafting tonight.

Once I’ve got the pattern drafted, I’ll need to go out and buy some muslin for a mock-up, as I don’t have nearly enough on hand. As soon as I’m even mostly confident in the mock-up I’ll start ordering fabric, as some of it is coming internationally and may take awhile to get here. I can keep fiddling with the fit of the mock-up while I’m waiting on fabric -- really all I need to know at this stage is how much yardage to order.

Whew, okay. 32 weekends to go. Let’s do this.

[solaestial]

I'm glad you're evil too - Pinocchio-P

[tangledinink]

clenches fist. finally sucked it up and ordered a new ipad...

[veunho]

Shout-out to anyone who goes out of their way to befriend specific villagers I just become besties with whoever I cross paths the most in my current run

[eachuisge-cc]

patreon keeps hounding me with new, increasingly obnoxious ways to harass my followers into subscribing and I'm just. stop it. I refuse to be part of the system making the modern day internet completely insufferable. leave me and my followers alone they'll subscribe if they want to and if they don't it's none of my business. god.

[transsongtaewon]

I think my inability to be consistent about sizes implies that expecting tongue makes you larger? I have elected not to worry about that

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

not to be nitpicky on day one but i do think it's kind of frustrating to not be able to have greying hair and that so many scar options are like. Designs. instead of a bigger variety of Regular Scars. Or thst there are such limited colour options for tattoos??

[jojolimons]

ok goddamn why is the shopkeep so strong

[chokingonfeelings]

Gender Swap AU idea (aka TLJ gets pregnant and bingqiu are girls)

TLJ and SXY fall in love, TLJ gets pregnant, SXY refuses to betray TLJ (not knowing of the pregnancy) and is locked up and tortured in the Water Prison forever while officially getting kicked out for "having ties with demons."

Meanwhile, TLJ is ambushed and sealed under a mountain, barely managing to protect the baby in their belly despite the sharp sting of betrayal. TLJ manages to slow down the baby's growth for a while and lengthen the pregnancy time while they try to heal a bit, but eventually runs out of energy to keep that up and ZZL has to help them, uh, get the baby out. It's a gory process, what with being under a mountain.

TLJ struggles emotionally and physically to care for the baby, so ZZL eventually decides to abandon the child in the forest, arguing that the baby would probably die one way or another anyway, and at least this way TLJ doesn't have to watch it slowly happen.

Instead, a rogue cultivator (SJ) stumbles upon the demonic baby and, at the whims of her beloved disciple NYY, decides to spare the demon spawn and let NYY care for it much as if it was a pet, assuming NYY will get bored sooner or later or the baby won't make it to the year.

The baby, against all expectations, manages to survive and grow into a energetic youth, who SJ treats more like a personal servant than a child/grandchild. That is, when SJ isn't mistreating LBH (NYY named her that bc she liked the Luo river in winter... Look, she was like 9) for being half demon and taunting her about being abandoned to die/being generally abusive. This eventually culminates into SJ throwing LBH into the Endless Abyss during the immortal alliance conference, where SJ reunites with her long lost childhood friend and, aware that she is a shady ass rogue cultivator with a half demon for a """disciple""", decides to clean up her image a bit (or at least avoid getting blamed for the attack) by uh. Quietly getting rid of said demonic disciple.

Abyss arc, LBH fully blackens, goes to the demon realm, hunts down info on her bio parents, visits TLJ to ask them why they abandoned her/even had her in the first place if they didn't want her, TLJ tells her that SXY betrayed them but TLJ couldn't bear to get rid of the baby... And then the baby looked exactly like SXY and TLJ couldn't bear looking after the baby either. LBH comes to the conclusion that all humans/cultivators are Bad, breaks her parent out of mountain jail as a first and last act of filial piety, and they raze the human world to the ground (separately).

CQMS and SJ oppose them, with YQY dealing a killing blow on a weakened TLJ but almost dying in the process. LBH walks in, realizes YQY and SJ have some sort of bond, and kidnaps/tortures/kills YQY to hurt SJ. (People assume it's in vengeance for the dead parent thing but uh, no, she just fucking hates SJ and wants her to suffer)

SJ meanwhile hunts down and acquires Xin Mo as a last resort to avoid the end of the human world as they know it, learns YQY has been taken, and fails to get there in time to save the woman from being kicked into the Endless Abyss in a "fuck you" parallel (already practically dead, since YQY expended what little life form she had still in her to temporarily cripple LBH via self-detonation). LBH and SJ fight, SJ gets the upper hand through Xin Mo's corrupting influence, and SJ "finishes what she started" by decapitating LBH. Then Xin Mo turns against her and she dies horribly of a qi deviation that rips out all her limbs and melts her internal organs.

The story finishes with red and teal flowers growing where their puddles of blood coalesce, and a lotus blooming from the bloody flesh of LBH's severed head. The Endless Abyss rift, still open and active under Xin Mo's passive power, further corrupts the nearby lands and it's left ambiguous whether the rift will ever close or if the monsters there will start escaping it and spread over the lands, potentially dooming the human realm anyway.

......So of course when SY transmigrates into the main villain SJ her first order of the day is 1. Love and cherish the tragic figure of LBH 2. Be a decent mother figure 3. Not yeet her child into the Endless Abyss. 4. Maybe try to orchestrate an early meeting with YQY and get a cushy job at CQMS and some decent cultivation education for her disciples/kids. She needs that job security, goddammit.

(Spoilers: LBH gets the mommy kink of the century and enough mommy issues to make Freud rise from the grave dick-first. And yes, she gets together with SY/SQQ in the end and it's a bit weird for those who Know but nobody has the balls to say anything because LBH has always been Like That... And her life's dream since childhood has always been to be forever with her shizun so like! Good for her???)

(Also, through a series of convoluted events and plenty of face slapping, the Old Palace Mistress is eventually outed as the Bad Guy All Along, and a very fucked up but barely still alive SXY is rescued from the Water Prison. TLJ either gets released or gets a plant body, and SXY and TLJ get the opportunity to start anew with a LOT more shared trauma this time. ZZL is just glad he got to take his pound of flesh when SXY and TLJ rained unholy vengeance on the old palace creep.)

[bobcat-pie]

tooley's redesign is going :/ (too many possibilities!), so I thought i'd study his album art design for some direction

[somethingwittyandweird]

Swordtember 2023 Final Collage

Here's the final results for this year's Swordtember! As always it's been a delight to do. When I first saw the prompt was based around owners/wielders (something I knew I wouldn't be drawing) I wasn't sure if I'd like it as well as previous lists. But I'm proud nonetheless of where the ideas have taken me. Huge thanks to all my friends for supporting me and having nice things to say! Until next time.

Here's a link to the master list of every individual post.

Blurbs for all the swords are under the cut.

Witch- This sword belongs to the sole occupant of an eerie wooden hovel on the far edge of a bog. The runes traced on its blade glow unnervingly, and it reeks of indistinguishable concoctions. Though it isn’t wielded by a trained warrior or a paragon of physical strength, this weapon should be respected and feared by anyone who wants to retain their non-frogified form.

Wizard- This sword belongs to a wizard known by many names-  Olórin, Mithrandir, Grey Pilgrim, the Grey, the White, servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor, or simply Gandalf. A relic of the First Age of Middle-Earth, its blue-tinged bladed bears its name in runes: Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer.

Rogue- This sword belongs to a marine mercenary who frequents the disreputable dockside taverns of a port town to ply his trade. For the right price, his services cover everything from larceny to bodyguarding to assassination. His techniques may not be the most refined, but the damage inflicted by the wicked hook of his blade is evidence enough that they are brutally effective.

Dragonslayer- This sword belongs to a reclusive warrior of countless years. Long ago were the days when dragons roamed the sky in great number. This warrior is among the few survivors of the band who came together to drive the dragons into parts unknown. The jade of this sword hums with the energy needed to pierce through any dragon’s magical resistance.

Spymaster- This sword belongs to a royal spymaster and never leaves their side. Though its wielder operates as much in light as they do in shadow, this sword still conceals a few tricks- namely, the hidden compartment in the hilt used to subtly transport written plans or occasionally crucial devices. The symbol on the hilt is used as an identifying sign by their agents.

Knight Errant- This sword belongs to a paragon of the chivalric age. Wandering the lands without castle or title, this knight seeks only to live by the ideals of the code, providing for the unfortunate and thwarting the wicked. It’s rumored that once the knight has wandered long enough to purge their past misdeeds completely, they may at long last witness the incomparable relic they once sought so fervently- none other than the Holy Grail.

Oracle- This sword belongs to a priestess who dwells in an ancient temple. Archaic in appearance, temperament, and vocabulary, she speaks the words of the visions that come to her- not always to the pleasure of those who came seeking them. The sword is her defense against any pilgrim that might unwisely choose to violently object to the sights she sees. In more normal circumstances, the sword itself is used to channel oracular magic through the lens inset in the blade.

Jester- This sword contains the essence of Marx, an innocuous-seeming jester who once schemed to gain ultimate power over the world of Popstar with a wish. Revealed in his true form, his glittering wings reflected prismatically, and the stars of the Milky Way swirled behind him. He was defeated by Kirby, who returned triumphantly home and proceeded to take a nap.

Royal Hunt Leader- This sword belongs to a well respected huntmaster, proud owner of several breeds of hunting hounds. The leather wrapping on its horn hilt matches the leather collars in place on the dog heads carved at either end of the crosspiece. It’s said that between her dogs’ uncanny tracking and her own keen intuition, there’s no place in the royal lands she doesn’t know. 

Healer- This sword belongs to a pragmatic and dependable cleric of a sun deity. The runes on its crosspiece allow them to channel divine magic through the weapon- but, if that well of power is overdrawn, the bandages and spare flask of potion are helpful as backups for tight situations.

Queen- This sword is one of a pair. A more offensively balanced blade, its wielder prefers to make the first move.

King- This sword is one of a pair. A defensively balanced blade, its wielder prefers to let enemies come to them.

Royal Heir- This sword has been passed down from ancient times, but the ages have not dulled its blade or its shine. The gemstone inset in its crosspiece holds a magic that can only be awoken by a member of the Laputian royal bloodline.

Royal Guard- This sword is a hypothetical fusion of the Royal Guard’s Sword and the Master Sword. A sufficiently skilled smith may well have been able to fashion a replica of the latter in the style of the former, if calamity had not struck.

Enchanter- This sword was commissioned from a master weaponsmith and enchanter, who was instructed to provide as many sockets for magic gems as possible. This blade boasts a whopping 16 available sockets, well above the count that would normally be advisable. The fact that the weapon still remains as stable as it does is a testament to the enchanter’s craft.

River-spirit- Infused with the energy of a whitewater river, this sword surges fiercely in its holder’s grasp, and churning spray constantly emanates from it. Whoever would hope to wield this blade must possess sufficient strength to keep the rapids’ coursing power in line.

Forest Spirit- This sword belongs to an elusive guardian of the forest who shows no mercy to trespassers or those with ill intent. Though some believe her to be a human living among the wilds, others are convinced she must be a spirit- no mortal could move as quickly, travel as unerringly, and vanish away so entirely. No encounter with her has lasted long enough to produce a certain answer.

Bard- This sword belongs to Red, previously a lauded singer before her voice was stolen in a botched altercation. She wields this weapon, the Transistor, in an effort to strike back against those who took that from her. A familiar voice speaks from within the blade to to guide her.

Alchemist- This sword belongs to an enterprising alchemist who spends a good deal of time away from their facilities. Rather than carry pre-brewed potions, they've installed an apparatus that can draw from flasks of certain base essentia to synthesize any needed brews on the fly.

Summoner- This sword belongs to a mage tasked with defending a kingdom by calling upon allies from distant worlds. It has historically taken many forms, but has appeared in this day and age as a sword. Its centerpiece forms a socket for the focus the mage uses to summon.

Mermaid- This sword appears to have been assembled using a shattered bowsprit from a shipwreck. It washed ashore and sparked debate on whether it was a prank or if a real mermaid could have made it. If so, the question is: just how big was that mermaid?

Vampire- This sword belongs to a particularly vain vampire noble, who takes every opportunity to show it off. The markings on the blade are enchanted to glow according to the phase of the moon. 

Vampire Hunter- This sword belongs to a well-traveled warrior who has sworn an oath to use the power of the sun to vanquish the creatures of the night. Monsters and dark creatures alike recoil at the sight of this whip-like blade.

Barbarian- This sword belongs to a brash, impatient barbarian who wields it with reckless abandon. Thanks to a combination of heavy use and unwillingness to bother with whetstones, its owner has dulled many blades in the past. He was finally convinced to take up a weapon that could still be effective while unsharpened. 

Inquisitor- This sword is issued to the heavily armored Inquisitors of an unnamed sect. Though their rank is Inquisitor, they actually do very little questioning themselves- instead their role is largely to impose, intimidate, and where necessary, put their heavy blades to use in rooting out dissension.

Artificer- This sword belongs to a tinkerer with an incessant desire for improvement. Its modular design allows it to change forms between longsword and greatsword as the situation calls for it. In its larger form, its crystalline power source is visible.

Assassin- This sword belongs to a lethal covert operative. Its ethereal blade can be summoned or dispelled at will, and makes short work of even heavy armor- the blade passes through it as if it weren't even there.

Druid- This sword was recovered from the remnants of a standing stone circle. Its weathered shape is covered with signs of age, faded mystic carvings, and mossy patches. Its original owner is lost to time, but the one who wields it now gives new life to the ancient druidic lineage.

Paladin- This blade belongs to a zealous warrior who has sworn an oath to bring light to the dark places of the world. Radiant power infuses this blade at all times, causing it to emit a constant glow and a holy aura.

Necromancer- This sword, in the shape of a looming, leering skull, is carried by a wicked practitioner of dark magic. The bite of this blade isn't to be feared, but the withering curse it inflicts on its victims most certainly is.

[skeletalheartattack]

im showing my friend clanker the awesome six eggs and single ice key i found today

[bmpmp3]

thank god for indie devs making like tiny little maximum 10 megabyte freeware games on itchio keeping the art of filesize optimization alive. ASSET REUSE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hana-no-seiiki]

Have my wips so I don’t accidentally give you guys a heart attack or idk spontaneous genitalia combustion

I swear why is HYV so adamant on not releasing a fuckboi

Thoma was so close to glory (but malewife Thoma is still great don’t get me wrong) and now Wriothesley with his prim and proper yet strict vibe.

I want a feral man.

Kaeya and Childe kind of fit the description but not necessarily the looks.

Hhhh

[what-is-it-to-be-pk-esque]

My partner finally finished BG3 but has no idea that his ending was actually bad cause he was a pro-Vlaakith githyanki who rode off with Lae'zel but got NO EPILOGUE where Withers points out y'all died im 😭😭😭

they have no idea what happened with Gale or anyone else (who was still alive) after flying away 🙃🙃🙃

[molagboop]

I would very much like to infoblast about Raven Beak's powersuit upgrade library with all the optimizations, QoL tweaks, security features, and the myriad integration systems Samus is currently lacking with her babby suit, but alas. Time restrictions.