#There was originally 2 other fairy type lines that I wanted to make a type triangle with but I couldnt come up with any good ideas

[originalwinnercheesecake]

Specially chosen Pokemon teams for the kids in The Ghost and Molly McGee

I am revisiting one of my favorite franchises as a kid (pokemon) and I have been having fun taking shows I watch on Disney now (plus a couple old ones from Cartoonetwork) and making pokemon teams I think best fit the characters.I started doing this around the time I also started watching TGaMM, and I wanted to do a list for it, but at the time of season 1a coming out I had some ideas for Libby, but was completely stuck on every other character. Particullarly Molly whom from what  could tell would be as enthusiastic with a Pidgy as she would an Alakasam, and as happy with an Alakasam as she would a skunky. 

But now we are half way through season 2, character have been more fleshed out, and I found another pokemon/TGaMM fan who looking ats posts gave me the motivation to go back to work on what I think these characters teams would be (Hey shout out to @slowthypiglordblr​. I tried not to copy your ideas onto my teams, minus one pokemon for Molly that was just to perfect, but you definitely gave me some great inspiration for my structure and to think more about the characters and possible pokemon).

As far as structure goes for TGaMM I am giving each child/teen the total 6 pokemon. Since other characters connections to Molly are so important (she is basically at the center of Brightons support community now) each other character will have 1 pokemon that connects to one of Molly’s to show that friendship. Also I Originally wanted to give Scratch a team of 6 ghosts, given his new rank among the ghosts, but I could not figure out how to swing that. So instead I gave each child 1 ghost type to represent Scratch and the effect he has, be it directly or indirectly in the case of Andrea, had on heir lives.

Teams are Below. I am also trying something new with the pictures

Molly McGee

Haunter: I give @slowthypiglordblr​ credit for thinking up Molly and Haunter first. Haunter is the perfect blend of silly and powerful for Molly. it’s right in the middle of a really amazing evolution line, and its nearly scratch shaped. So Haunter is Molly’s ghost pokemon

Sylveon: Here was another pick I felt was a pretty clear chose for Molly. Sylveon is a fairy type eeveevolution that represents companionship and intertwining, both of which are very important to Molly.

Alolan Muk: I really wanted to give Molly a rainbow pokemon. She slides down one in the theme song, and all things rainbows symbolize color, creativity, peace, love, the storm/flood being over... all things Molly could get behind. Alolan Muk’s colors and the rhinestone rocks surrounding its mouth do kinda look like a tween girls attempt at making Kanto Muk’s pretty, though I still wasn’t sure about Molly having a poison type. Then I read that Alolan Muk’s do not give off the foul stenches Kanto Muk’s do, and that you can feed them your trash instead of throwing it into dumps/landfills. So having one is in a way environmental. Boom

Gossifleur: I had to give “enhappifying” Molly a flower pokemon. Tat was a given the question was just which one: Sunflora? Belossom? Flabebe perhaps? Well after spending hours online going through all the flower pokemon I found Gossifleur! It is super colorful and cheery looking, its musical, and its pollen apparently has healing effects when made into tea for children or the elderly. a community service, “enhappifying”, pokemon all around. ...There is also a fourth reason I picked it, but that will be mentioned down on Ollie’s team list.

Gurdurr: Molly does show a liking for construction, such as when she organized the town rebuilding the Mega Dome. So I a giving her a pokemon that is based around construction. I will go with the second evolution on this one too. Molly is undoubtably very skilled in this field. But I bet their is still more she could learn and do. 

Plusel: A bright,cute, cheerleader mouse, with a great big plus sign on it. Already a great pokemon for Molly who again might as well be her towns official cheerleader with her quest to “enhappify the people of Brighton”. Also I will go ahead and say right here that it is her and Libby’s connection pokemon. Libby is Minun’s trainer.

Molly’s Team: Haunter, Sylveon, Alolan Muk, Gossifleur, Gurdurr, Plusel

Daryl McGee

(little note here I comprised his team entirely of prankster pokemon)

Gastly: Darryl’s Ghost pokemon. Also his and Molly’s connection pokemon. I like the Idea of Darryl’s Gastly being the younger sibling to Molly’s Haunter too.

Spinarack: We know Darryl has a pet spider, so i looked into Spider pokemon. I think he would appreciate Spinerack’s more creepy design. Pus its webbing can apparently be sold as facial product or bandages, which I could see Darryl getting into since he does have some marketing/business interests.

Whimscotte: Darryl’s one evolution pokemon (Hey he would still be a pretty new trainer). One of the pokemon worlds more notorious prankster Whimscotte apparently loves to sneak into buildings and rearrange peoples furniture or leave rooms covered in cotton. This Really sounds like a pokemon Daryl could have fun with

Nicket & Klefki: At this point these are pretty standard pokemon for me to give troublemakers. Nicket likes to swipe things, and Klefki collects keys that can help its trainer sneak into closed off places. Shenanigans ensure

Grookey: Well of course I mischief making kid would need a little monkey sidekick. I picked Grookey due primary due to its hyper and curios nature, matching Darryl. Also it can hit things outside with its stick and make them better, so people cannot get mad at Daryl for it doing so.

Darrly’s Team: Gastley Spinarack, Whimscotte, Nicket, Klefki, Grookey

Libby Stien-Torres

Alright So we all know Libby’s favorite animal and trademark is the Turtle. Season 2 confirms that she has a total of 4 pet turtles. I tried to do 4 turtle pokemon, but with a 6 pokemon max , and other pokemon her team needed the most I had room for where 3. Libby’s three poke turtles are Torkoal, Chewtle  and Grotle. Grotle is at a higher evolution than Chewtle because It was Libby’s caught first. It’s both big enough for Libby to hide behind when she gets scared, and grows delicious berries. Torkoal of course does not evolve.

Lickwit: This is gonna be Libby’s ghost pokemon. I think she would be interested in its lore. Also she is a writer and I love the idea of Lickwit shining its flame on Libby as he she stays up late into the night working on her stories.

Goodra: The ace of Libby’s team and probably her first pokemon (from before she developed her turtle interest). I recently watched a lot of Pokemon XY(Z) and I love Goodra. Goodra’s shy, meek, but still friendly nature reminds me of Libby. I also like that Goodra is a decently powerful pokemon that started from a dragon type the pokedex says is considered weak. This also kinda reflects Libby since in her early episodes she seems like this scared and helpless girl, but as we see in episodes such as howling Harriet there is definet strength in just how much “X-factor” she posses.

Minun: Libby is not a cheerleader, but she could definitely use one to help boost her self-esteem. Also it again is her connecting pokemon to Molly, who is Plusel’s trainer.

Libby’s Team: Torkal, Squirtle, Grotle, Lickwit, Goodra, Minun

Andrea Davenport

side post here. When I did TOH I also said what I thought each character would be in the world of pokemon: Trainer, gym leader, cordinator, breader, etc.. After the owl house I decided that was too much work and stopped doing that. I am gonna dip back into that old rend with Andrea ntd say she is a showcaser/video maker like Serena. Some of these picks are chosen with that in mind

FurFrou: Furfrou is a shaggy poodle like pokemon that is popular in the Kalos region because people like to trim and dye its fur, then decorate it with cute accessories for fashion shows. That is easily something I could imagine Andrea getting into and being very good at.

Alolan Vulpix: This is one pokemon I could really see Andrea loving because it’s just so cute, fluffy, and exotic. It’s also her connection pokemon to Molly, since I gave them both Alolan pokemon. Muk and Vulpix are not as closely connected as other pokemon on these lists. But Molly also isn’t as close personally with Andrea as she is others on this list. So it is what it is.

Geodude: She love rocks and geodes right? So here is a living Geode for her to train.

Frostlass: This is going to be Andrea’s ghost pokemon. I picked it for its beauty and dramatics. If she wanted to shoot more horror based videos Frostlass would be a great big star

Corsola: it’s cute, feminine,tough, and apparently you can make pretty jewelry or light chimes out of its shed spikes. That’s another thing I think Andrea would have a lot of fun dong

Pichu: The pikachu line is one of the most post/meme able lines in pokemon, and Pichu is the adorable baby of it. So yes Andrea’s social media page is littered with pics of Pichu to score cuteness points. It also the only pikachu clone to evolve, and has notably more color to it than Andrea’s other pokemon. This is intentional, as to reflect the evolution Andrea’s character is taking within the show, and how she as a character becomes more colorful as the show goes on.

Andrea’s team: Furfrou, Alolan Vulpix, Geodude, Frostlas, Corsola, Pichu

Ollie Chen

(My main goal with him was to give him a team that represented him, and was also different from Molly’s,because while I know they have similar interests they are different characters)

Pancham: I gave him this Panda pokemon to represent his Chinese-America Heritage.

Chimecho: Ollie also really likes music and positivity in his community. Well Chimecho is a beautiful and soothing music pokemon that cheers up anybody who listen to its song

Cutiefly: This is his connecting pokemon to Molly. Cutie is what she thinks he is. Plus apparently are pollinators particularly drawn to Gossifluer, so the pair have symbiotic relationships. Ollie’s cutiefly is at the same evolution Level as Molly’s Gossifluer so that they can train and evolve them together.

Swoobat: Ollie is a research specialist. So that means he is good at searching information, and tracking...objectives down. Searching and tracking got me thinking about bats and their sonar and locating abilities. I gave Ollie Swoobat because it is blue and has fluffy hair.

Poochyena: Ollie is from a family of Ghost hunters, who are all terrified of Ghosts. So since Dark types have an advantage over ghosts, it makes sense to me that they would all have at least one dark type, to protect them in their fight against ghosts. Poochyena/Mightyena are honestly my favorite dark types. I gave Ollie Poochyena because it’s still a young dog and like Ollie is fully capable of learning new tricks, cough*not all ghosts are the enemy*cough.

Pumkaboo (smallest version): I thought really hard on Ollie’s ghost type. He is still unlearning his preconceived notion that all ghosts are evil and scary. So I wanted to go with a more duel typing half ghost pokemon. I am also taking into account 2x08 where he manages to befriend the ghost girl in the video store and as apposed to trapping her helps her finish her unfinished and cross over.

Pumkaboo’s lore says it houses the spirits of those trying to cross over. It is a ghost/grass type mix, so not full ghost. I am giving him the smallest of its four sizes, partially to make it as non threatening as I can, and partially so it will be small enough for Ollie to have an easier time hiding while the McGee’s help the rest of his family come around to ghosts.

Ollie’s Team: Pancham, Chimecho, Cutiefly, Swootbat, Poochyena, Pumkaboo.

Juniper (June) Chen

So the rest of season 2 finally came onto DisneyPlus, Junipers is made aware of the existence of Scratch and other “Good Ghosts”, and I know have enough on her character to give her a team of six pokemon.

Umbreon; Like I mentioned with her older brother , due to the Chen’s fear of ghosts i think they would all have at least 1 dark type pokemon. Since my rules up top state one of her pokemon has to have a similarity to one of Molly’s I decided on giving June an Umbreon, so they both had eeveelutions

joltik: She is a high tech wizz, who likes bugs. Joltik is a electric/bug-type pokemon that liks to cling to machines and tech to recharge itself. June’s joltik is likely one that snuck into her house and climbed onto one of her inventions. Also Darry has a Spinnarack, and since her and Darryl are good friends then I can say spider pokemon are a connection pokemon with them.

Pidgey: Aviation is another large area of interest for our girl, so she needed a bird pokemon. I picked pidgey, since it is a really docile little bird that would not give her any trouble to catch and train, and as she trains it it will evolve into a bigger and stronger aviary.

Goomy: an obvious pokemon for June. From what I have seen of her in episodes she loves things that are squishy and gelatinous in texture, so of course she would want a blob pokemon.I do not see June as a ditto or grmer/muk trainer. Goomy however, with its sticky invertebrate forum, natural stealth skills, dragon typing, and awesome evolution line is a great fit. Plus she could talk to Libby on how to train/evolve it and i really wish those two got more scenes together.

Jigglypuff: This one is a little harder to explain. But I wanted to take June’s autism into consideration and give her pokemon that could help aid her when things pop up that could cause sensory overload. wiki says she is sensitive to loud noises. So I tried to think of a more quiet and soothing sounding pokemon. I thought about jigglypuff, It is basically a softy, puggy, non popable balloon. June could pet it if she statred to get overwhelmed. If someone was really bothering June it could put them to sleep for her. Also if she got really overstimulated and needed to just disconnect to rest and recharge Jigglypuff could help her calm down enough to take a short nap. I basically I wanted her to have a comfort pokemon, while also giving her a secondary one to use in battle apart from Umbreon.

Phantump: Here is her mandatory ghost pokmon, which she caught/bonded with after being introduced to the concept of not all ghosts being evil, and deciding she wanted to know more about them. I gave her a phantump because I do not think she would be to scared of a  woodland ghost who’s big goal in its afterlife is just to keep making friends. Also it goes with her older brothers pumkaboo.

Since the Chen parents are still scared of ghosts and phantump is a little harder to keep out of sight/pretend is a toy than Ollies mini pumkaboo Phantump for now lives in a tree that is at school or more likely in the Mcgee’s yard. Juniper visits it regularly/frequently. She really thinks her parents would like Phantump if only her and Ollie can first manage to convince them that not all ghosts are bad like the one her Dad met as a kid.

#The Ghost and Molly McGee #TGaMM #Pokemon trainers #Pokemon showcasers #Pokemon teams #Molly McGee #Darryl McGee #Libby Stein Torres #Libby Stein-Torres #Andrea Davenport #Ollie Chen #TGaMM Mollie #Molly and Ollie #Molly and Darryl McGee #Molly and Libby #Molly and Andrea #Scratch #because he is still a pat of this #In spirit #Lol #Disney #June Chen #Juniper Chen #tgamm The Chens #tgamm The McGees #Mollie #Darryl and June

[catlove-2000]

Puss X Dulcinea Headcanon (TAOPAD universe)

While you wait for me to return to writing my fanfic next week, here are some headcanons I thought of for this couple I love very much in my AU.

Due to living in a hidden town all her life with no other male cat, Dulcinea is obviously a virgin and get nervous when Puss wants to have sex with her. Dulcinea originally wanted to have to sex with Puss when they are married but realized that in her head, they are already married metaphorical due to how much they care for each other and decided she wants to lose her virginity to Puss immediately... especially the times whenever Puss is in heat and want to impregnate Dulcinea anytime he is.

Whenever Puss is around Dulcinea, he goes all Lumiere on his love as he hold her in a romantic embrace while mentioning how much she means to him.

Puss: Oh mi amor, whenever you are near, you bring a spark that has been missing in my life for decades.

Dulcinea: That very sweet, Puss, but we are busy with getting the party ready today, we must be strong.

Puss: How can I be strong, when you make me so weak.

One of Puss and Dulcinea's favorite pastimes together is singing romantic songs about one another though they can't agree who is the best at it since while Puss does thinks of the best songs for his love, and himself most of the time, but Dulcinea has the most beautiful singing voice.

For a bit of romantic fun, Puss and Dulcinea would dress up in costumes made by Brave and Sons Tailor Shop and act out new stories they made up together when they get bored with thier favorite types of costumes being the swashbuckling masked hero with a heart of gold (Puss) and a beautiful princess, that the masked hero falls in love with, who cares more about finding her true love then royal staus as a princess (Dulcinea).

During their outlaw days, Dulcinea was worried that this life of adventure might lead to Puss getting losing all of his nine lives, he only lost 7 lives when they met Shrek and the gang, which leads to Puss deciding to earn some money to live in Far Far Away so he wouldn't get hurt anymore.

Similar to how other female cats find Puss attractive, other male cat find Dulcinea attractive and try to seduce her. This makes Puss very jealous which leads him being VERY protective towards Dulcinea when a another male cat comes near.

Puss decided to introduce Dulcinea to more types of books then the usual fairy tales and moral books she reads which Dulcinea was ecstatic about this since she is looking for a new favorite book that isn't written by a fraud like Guy Fox.

Dulcinea's favorite genre of book is romance though not the stories where the 2 lovers don't die at the end like Romeo and Juliet or the women is either hurt or killed off to torture the male character like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Puss would quote lines from said romantic books to make Dulcinea all flustered and in heat even though she isn't a real cat.

While Puss finds Dulcinea's gladiator outfit fine, he really missed her old white and purple dress when they first met due to him finding her more attractive in a dress. Luckily, Dulcinea knows this and, thanks to Brave and Sons Tailor shop, is able to recreate it for him with a few adjustments.

Puss wants to have 7 kittens with Dulcinea, to one up Donkey who has 6 Dronkeys with Dragon, which shocked but excited Dulcinea who hoped that he wanted more than just 3 kittens when they are officially married.

While they haven't thought of any official names for their future kittens, one of the names that Puss and Dulcinea like the most to give to one of their future kittens is Joya which, in English, means Jewel as in the jewel of Puss and Dulcinea's hearts.

After leaving San Lorenzo, Dulcinea wanted to go see the rest of the world but due worrying about Puss' safety, that was abandoned. So, Puss decided that, when they are officially married, they will spend their honeymoon by traveling the world just like what Dulcinea wanted.

#dreamworks animation #sherk #puss in boots #the adventures of puss in boots #puss x dulcinea #sweetboots #taopib dulcinea #dulcinea #dulcinea puss in boots #romance #headcanon #alternate universe

[feyariel]

Fey's Entirely Irrelevant Pokémon Entries

Gen VII Favorites by Type

Though I've not made it through Gen VII yet, I think I like this one more than most. I mean, there are some pretty cool Pokémon in these games and the mechanical gimmick isn't just "you get big for a few turns."

Key: types in all caps, italics for "maybes" (not favorites/keepers, but still okay).

NORMAL: Pikipek. This one surprises me: not only are pileated woodpeckers not native to Hawaii (but they are native to Missouri!), but they're also not much smaller than toco toucans (length: 15-20 in. vs. 21-25 in. [including beak], wingspan: 25-30 in. vs. 17-20 in., weight: 8-14 oz. vs. c. 1-2 lb.). Even so, it's an unevolved Pokémon. Weirdt.

FAIRY: Tapu Fini. There are so many good Alolan Fairies, so putting Tapu Fini here was an exercise in putting others elsewhere. I like its eyes a lot; its overall design is okay for a mermaid (better than others).

FIGHTING: Marshadow. He's so cute and he does that ORA ORA thing!

FIRE: Litten, Blacephalon (tie). Litten is okay as far as cats go, but its coloration reminds me too much of Ronald McDonald (i.e., ketchup) and I think it could use a little work and better evolutions. Blacephalon is fun, yet disturbing.

FLYING: Minior. I specifically like the Shields Down forms. The idea there is grand. The form with the shield is not much to my liking, but whatever.

DRAGON: Ultra Necrozma. This is by default -- I dislike all of the other Alolan Dragon-types -- yet I like the four-winged, glowing wyvern. I just wish it didn't have to go through other crappy forms to get here.

ELECTRIC: Tapu Koko. I'm surprised at myself for liking a chicken, yet this little guy is great. I like that he looks like a warrior, yet isn't a Fighting-type. The weird claw/mask hands aren't to my liking, but the rest absolutely is. 9/10.

STEEL: Solgaleo. LIGER ZERO! :D

ROCK: Rockruff/Lycanroc (Midnight Forme). Another cutie; Rockruff is in my top five favorite Doggo Pokémon, stupid typing aside. Midnight Forme Lycanroc is better than Midday Forme because it has characterization (and there are better wolves out there), even if it is a furry. It's less of a furry than some given its anatomy (it's a wolf standing on its hind legs rather than a humanoid with lupine attributes), so it's not quite as bad in my book. The odd typing doesn't help. Still good, though.

GROUND: Sandygast/Palossand. This wasn't a great generation for Ground-types.

WATER: Pyukumuku. Hee hee, it's a sea cucumber bunny punches you with a fist made out of its stomach and intestines.

ICE: Alolan Sandslash. It's unsurprising that there aren't very many Ice-types in a generation set on a chain of tropical islands. This one is by default, but hey, it can be Sonic.

BUG: Cutiefly. It's hard for me to overstate how much I love Cutiefly. It's adorable, only barely cartoonified from a real-world beefly, and it learns several of my favorite moves (specifically Baton Pass).

GRASS: Morelull. Yet another cutie. Shiinotic isn't much to my liking (despite looking like an alien/elf), but Morelull's great. I love that it featured in Detective Pikachu.

POISON: Salandit (shiny). Regular Salandit is okay; it doesn't stand out as terribly interesting. Shiny Salandit, however, has nifty contrast going. Given that it's a repeat of Charmander (with different typing), I could see it getting mined for a variant Litten line.

DARK: Alolan Rattata/Meowth (tie). I like Alolan Rattata about as much as I like the original: the coloration is good and the bipedalism actually works without creating a furry, but the fluffy bits that look like a mustache aren't appealing; the typing is fantastic, save for the 4x weakness to Fighting. Alolan Meowth is so-so; I like that its mouth isn't as big, but otherwise eh.

GHOST: Alolan Marowak. I've been wanting a Ghost-type Marowak since Gen I came out, so now I have one. YAY!

PSYCHIC: Cosmog. This is by default, but it does look like a nebula or something out of Super Mario Galaxy, so that's good.

The only keeper not to make my typing list is Vikavolt. I like that it's a stag beetle yet isn't a walking vagina dentata like Pinsir (shudder).

[heyyoupikaboo]

Rating all of Pokémon's regional forms pt.2!

Galarian forms:

Galarian Meowth and Perrserker: I looove these guys. I like what they did with this one. They went the Viking route and I love it, especially with Perrserker. It's just a little gremlin cat and I love it! 245/10

Galarian Ponyta and Rapidash: Good but could be better. At least they did something to make it look different from the original unlike with Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales. I'm not a big fan of fairy types anyways, so 4.5/10.

Galarian Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd: Not a big fan of these guys. I like the fact that they gave Farfetch'd an evolution, coz I wasn't a big fan of the OG one either. 5.5/10

Galarian Weezing: Oh boy this is a laugh. This design is so bad, it's funny. Well at least they made it look a little different unlike with Alolan Meowth. Plus, the design could've been a lot worse. 3.5/10

Galarian Mr. Mime and Mr. Rime: I feel meh about Galar Mr. Mime, but Mr. Rime's design has me grinning. It's just a silly old man! 8.9/10

Galarian Zigzagoon, Linoone and Obstagoon: Ohhhh hell YEAH!!!! I really loooove the punk rock touch it got on its trip to Galar. It just feels so good to get a punk Pokemon other than Toxtricity. 199/10

Galarian Corsola and Cursola: I really, REALLY love these guys. Pokemon really said the coral reefs were dying. I like the ghostly touch and how different it is from OG Corsola (OG Corsola is fucking overrated). It really does a serious topic like coral bleaching in a way that isn't shoved down your throat. It just makes me want to give it a hug even more. 15/10

Galarian Darumaka and Darmanitan + Zen Mode: I like these guys better than the OG Darumaka and Darmanitan. Personally I like the contrast between the original and Galarian forms of this line. The Ice type really adds the contrast to the OG Darumaka line. 65/10

Galarian Yamask and Runerigus: Wow... those guys are amazing! Galarian Yamask isn't much different from the OG, but you can still tell them apart. Now Runerigus... I love this guy. I love the contrast from Cofagrigus! 99/10

Galarian Stunfisk: I just feel.. meh about it. 6.2/10

Galarian Slowpoke, Slowbro and Slowking: I love these guys, especially Galarian Slowking's goth look in contrast to OG Slowking. I think these guys are better than the OG Slowking line. 73/10

Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres: I don't really care for these guys. I think the best one out of the three is Galarian Articuno because I love the touch they gave it. 6/10

Favorite: Galarian Meowth and Perrserker

Second favorites: Obstagoon line and the Runerigus line

Least favorite: Galarian Weezing

Funniest design: Mr. Rime

Most mixed feelings: Galarian Stunfisk

Reminder: Be nice. Don't attack anyone for agreeing or disagreeing with this list. That ain't peaceful. What is peaceful is not forcing your opinions on anyone and accepting someone's opinion whether you agree or not. Don't make me use Curse on anyone.

#galarian meowth #perrserker #galarian weezing #galarian zigzagoon #galarian linoone #obstagoon #galarian yamask #runerigus #galarian darumaka #galarian darmanitan #galarian mr. mime #galarian mr. rime #galarian farfetch'd #sirfetch'd #galarian corsola #cursola #galarian ponyta #galarian rapidash #time to do the whole galarian pokerap in the tags #galarian slowpoke #galarian slowbro #galarian slowking #galarian articuno #galarian zapdos #galarian moltres

[fierykitten2]

Keeping the intro short this time. So there are 4 pilots in F-Zero who existed in the original game and there are 8 Eeveelutions. 8 divided by 4 = 2 (while 8 + 4 = 12 which just happens to be exactly the amount of racers in a race in Mario Kart) so I thought I would pair them up

I will sort them by a few categories (most of which are jokes). The first one is which make sense in general

I'll get the obvious ones out of the way first. Falcon is the only one to represent the franchise (as a fighter) in Smash so his stats are based on the franchise as a whole, rather than the Blue Falcon's stats. F-Zero's main thing it's got going on is HIGH SPEED RACING! Electric-type Pokémon often have high speeds and Jolteon (the electric-type Eeveelution) has a base speed stat of 130 (the Eeveelutions all have the same base stats but with different distributions and 130 is the value of their highest base stats) so the representation of HIGH SPEED RACING should be paired with the representation of electric-type speed. I also think Flareon makes sense (again because of Smash) because his moveset features a lot of fire. Sadly, Flareon can't learn Fire Punch but it's not like it would make sense with those paws

If you wanted to know why I referenced Fire Punch:

Another obvious pairing is Pico and Umbreon. Umbreon is a dark-type which basically represents evil and fighting unfairly. Pico is the only true villain of the Original Four (mutecity.org lists Goroh as a villain but I was surprised to see him there and think he would be more neutral alignment-wise) so Umbreon makes sense. While it's not as obvious as the three I just mentioned, I think Leafeon makes sense with Dr Stewart, just because, as the token non-combat guy, he makes sense with a cuter type. This is also why I think he would make sense with Sylveon. Also, he's a medical professional and the grass and fairy types probably have a lot of healing moves so I guess it's official that those would be his Eeveelutions. That just leaves Vaporeon, Espeon and Glaceon and I think the second-most sinister Eeveelution is Espeon (even though the whole point is that it acts like a foil to the dark-type Umbreon) so I'm gonna give Pico an Espeon. This leaves Goroh with Vaporeon and Glaceon even though he would probably make the most sense with Flareon (fire-type, Fire Stingray) and Sylveon (it's pink) but you know what, he's a butt-monkey (thank you, TV Tropes) so he can get what he's left with (to be fair, being a butt-monkey is probably half the reason he would make sense with a Sylveon)

So the official groups are:

Falcon - Jolteon and Flareon

Dr Stewart - Leafeon and Sylveon (as well as Ninetales, which evolves using the same stone Eevee uses to evolve into Flareon)

Pico - Espeon and Umbreon

Goroh - Vaporeon and Glaceon

Alternate version where Goroh gets the Eeveelutions that make the most sense for him:

Falcon - Jolteon and Glaceon

Dr Stewart - Vaporeon and Leafeon

Pico - Espeon and Umbreon

Goroh - Flareon and Sylveon

And an extra alternate version where the Eeveelutions get to be kept in my favourite pairs (and reasons for those pairs):

Falcon - Jolteon and Flareon (fire seems to get paired with electric more than water and they compare nicely to the Electabuzz and Magmar lines because of that, both introduced in gen 1, Vaporeon's best stat is HP, Jolteon's is speed and Flareon's is attack)

Dr Stewart - Leafeon and Glaceon (both introduced in gen 4)

Pico - Espeon and Umbreon (both introduced in gen 2)

Goroh - Vaporeon and Sylveon (Vaporeon, being the first in Pokédex order and the only gen 1 Eeveelution to have an HP stat of 130 instead of 65, gives off the vibe of a good leader while Sylveon is the newest Eeveelution and only gen 6 Eeveelution and leader-newbie pairings are wholesome)

Honestly for some reason I want the Eeveelutions to join Smash in those pairs (they can't take up 8 slots and I'd rather they double up than all be alternate costumes of each other but it doesn't make sense for them to have more than two Eeveelutions per fighter but obviously Eevee is way more likely I am overthinking this)

Pairing them up based on colour

I'm gonna start with the obvious one again. Falcon would have Vaporeon and Glaceon

Goroh would obviously have Sylveon. Espeon is also a good choice here because it is purple which is made with blue and red/pink also it has a red orb on its head

Things get a bit more difficult to match up the rest but I can work it out (even if these matchups don't make as much sense as I would've liked)

Flareon is orange-red with cream/beige tufts but its shiny is slightly more yellow gold so I guess I'll just pair my favourite Pokémon with Dr Stewart. I'm also going to say Umbreon because of its yellow gold rings/lights

This leaves Pico with Leafeon and Jolteon. I can explain. Pico's machine, the Wild Goose, is green and yellow in a similar way to Leafeon and while Jolteon is yellow, it's shiny is green (honestly, while in general I prefer Espeon, Jolteon has the better green shiny - I swear, the more I like an Eeveelution, the less I like its shiny. Flareon and Espeon are my favourite Eeveelutions but I don't particularly like their shinies while Vaporeon and Jolteon are probably my 8th and 7th favourite Eeveelutions but I really like their shinies (especially Vaporeon because it's purple (if you couldn't guess yes part of the reason I love Espeon so much is because it's purple, I also love it because it looks like a cat))

Now I will do two based on order. The orders I am using are Pokédex order for the Eeveelutions and the order the Original Four's machines are listed when you select a machine in the original game

Version 1:

Falcon gets Vaporeon and Jolteon

Dr Stewart gets Flareon and Espeon (and the best thing is, Flareon and Espeon are my favourite Eeveelutions and Dr Stewart seems to have overtaken the AX trio (Falcon, Princia and Phoenix) as my favourite Pilot)

Pico gets Umbreon and Leafeon

Goroh gets Glaceon and Sylveon

Version 2:

Falcon gets Vaporeon and Umbreon

Dr Stewart gets Jolteon and Leafeon

Pico is trusted with Flareon and Glaceon (would you rather burn or freeze to death?)

Goroh gets Espeon and Sylveon

And one last (joke) one because I can't think of any better comparisons - pairing them up based on whether or not they naturally (quadruped) manspread when standing (I told you it was a joke)

Dr Stewart gets Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon

Falcon, Pico and Goroh are left to fight over Jolteon and Flareon

And a final thing to end this off with - I'm sure they would love Miraidon

#captain falcon #dr stewart #pico #samurai goroh #vaporeon #jolteon #flareon #espeon #umbreon #leafeon #glaceon #sylveon #eeveelutions

[headspace-hotel]

There Once Was...

Used the rest of my InferKit characters to generate openings for stories. These were created one of two ways: 1) typing “There once was...” and letting the AI complete it, and 2) making a numbered list of previous AI-generated story openings and letting it continue the list. 

There were probably thousands of these, but these are my favorites. Not all make perfect sense, but most would make a great first line for a novel, if you ask me.

There once was a thief named Honesty and an even worse thief named Deception.

There once was an endless sleeping city called Strash, home to greedy capitalists who wanted to forever forget their shared origin as circus performers.

There once was a gun that became sentient and decided to be an assassin. (i love this one)

There once was a lesbian dwarf who wanted to return home for Christmas. While looking for the old magical door to return home, she met a fairy that could show her the way, if only the elf would stop saying Merry Christmas.

There once was a leaf guy in New Jhabingport. He collected leaves of all kinds: ochre and rust. He wished there were more colors. He had a daughter, his only child, who was as red as a single heliotrope leaf and two asparagus stems, for that was the size of her red and green gills, and did nothing but sit about and think, and when she did, she was very distant.

There once was a young magician called Saarlen, who was great at making fake money and spooky diamonds.

There once was an old thief named Jack the Painter who was famous for hiding in your walls. He had a wooden flute and a hideously ugly cat called Squibble.

There once was a lizard. This lizard used to be a boy of about 9, but he had became vain of his skin.

There once was a tailor named Victor Hobbs who only tailored trousers. No greater joy in life could his soul know.

There once was a trucker who loaded a large amount of salt. He only stopped long enough to look for a piece of wood to throw at speeding winged horses.

There once was a poet whose work was anthologized at the dawn of time.

There once was a farmer who lived in an old abandoned castle with evil spirits in it. His two daughters would always get possessed by demons. They got into a sword fight with each other over food.

There once was a wizard who drove his car all the way up to Jupiter, and took his date with him, too.

There once was a cat, the Archbishop of the Catacombs, who was responsible for everything from one thousand two hundred cases of suspicious stomachaches to the death of Princess Fluffy, and who had absolutely no business giving opinions on anything.

There once was an immortal dictator who ruled the world with an iron fist for thousands of years. He was a dictator called "Sheer Strength."

There once was a man called High-Tech Demon who snorted glue for a living.

There once was a leprechaun named Hank, who was well into his 80s and got his kicks by whistling every 8th second.

There once was a woman with the power to turn people into plants.

There once was a former court magician named Araceli, who tried to cast a spell so wicked that it would make the last dragon on earth sicken in his sleep and die of a nosebleed. Unfortunately, the dragon had been chuffed-up by her magic and gave her a remarkably ugly gift as a joke.

There once was a demon who discovered a comet and thought it would make a wonderful weapon against God.

There once was a man named Bartholomew Disgusting.

There once was a knight whose life was as pure as a virgin's liver, but he ended his life with nothing but regrets.

There once was a man named Three-Step-Long-Man, who found a nice round stone and used it to perform eye surgery on himself, while simultaneously executing all the cows in the land of Brix.

There was a man named Mayor Steve who drank white lightning on the hill at night. A long time ago, he witnessed the meeting of Jesus Christ and the Devil. He survived.

There once was a statue of a dwarf warrior who was used as a doorstop by a mason.

There once was an assassin who saw death from fifty feet above and could talk to ghosts. His name was Necomposity and he was trying to kill the sun for three hundred years.

There was a great king who showed many different faces, one day pouring rain and the next day a giant orange sky. He was first married to the Queen of Stars and then married the Queen of Asteroids, whom he had dreams about nightly.

There once was a wizard with a telescope and a clear, blue ice lake, and he saw the future. He used his telepathic powers to ask a magician he knew who was standing near the other side of the lake what would happen in three hours.

There once was a man who wanted to avoid the three main obstacles in life, poverty, loneliness, and of course, himself.

There once was a philosopher who believed that humankind was destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again forever. He kept locked up behind a black door and beneath a ceiling fan for fear of his mind going the way of all mortal minds.

There once was a reclusive woodcarver who grew bored of carving faces, especially after the death of his favorite model. So he carved a monster out of bone and stone and named it Bembe, after the hero who murdered the Serpent of Eden.

There once was a bizarre woman known as Sister Mincemeat who took to the road. During her travels, she collected a mysterious book called the Book of Doubt, which can send one to the morgue.

There once was a lone troll who one night found himself a rare harp. He played at it for three full moons. The harp sang the beautiful song of Valum Votan to him, and whenever the troll took the instrument in his hands and began to play, he always saw the image of the most beautiful woman who had ever lived.

There once was an alien who followed alien fortunes and strange signs, and went on an adventure on a strange world. He sold some dung to a wizard and landed in a library called Outskirts of the Galaxy.

There once was a girl named Blessed Virgin Mary who sold lampshades and the Virgin Mary mask to tourists.

There once was a travelling salesman who couldn’t let his grumpy and whiny clown persona get him down.

There once was a chicken thief who became a rock star.

There once was an assassin who loved eating human flesh. His name was Epicureanism, and he was hunting you.

There once was a bachelor with a wife and 2.5 kids who is haunted by his clown past.

There once was a man who suffered the devil's whip, but was born with a bullet-proof soul.

There once was an old woman who was cursed to live inside an air-conditioner for one thousand years.

There once was a malformed boy with a camera who worked as an Associate Editor at MONSTERS ARE BIG.

There once was a crossword puzzle fanatic named John Nettle and a dog named Calamity Jane, who had come to a crossword championship.

There once was a gunsmith who sold every firearm known to man, including the bullet that destroyed Noah's ark.

There once was a man who made endless lists. He had a dream of a man who couldn't see anything, and he would give him a lifetime supply of yellow pencils.

There once was a rogue wizard who conjured a star out of nowhere and called it Bakuto, which quickly became his name.

There once was a man from the Moon with seven zits. His name was Mr. Zingler.

There once was a ruthless yet honest gangster named Bling, a good friend of the Fox, who was hit by a falling sign.

There once was a wizard who made it to the top of the damn-near-endless White Rabbit Escalator.

There once was a witch named Lelica, who tried to boil George Washington in a wok for her own amusement.

There once was a gremlin named Hairy Muffins who worked at THE TERMINAL MEAT LOBSTER.

There once was an ordinary man who seemed to glow in the dark.

There once was a woman who held a meeting for normal people where she told them that they were not crazy, and that they were normal.

There once was a man named Dickie and a man named Pepper who played accordions together in a railroad barbershop.

There once was a cowboy who was very knowledgeable about guns, but who could not fire one because he was dead.

There once was a bard who smelled like rare salt pork. His name was Toufik, and he was only in love with himself and maybe the tavern owner or a squirrel or somebody.

There once was a cynical chicken who kept telling lies.

There once was a dragon who loved gossip. This dragon was always sitting in front of the fire at night, giving various advice and then sitting back and laughing, knowing that his friends had listened to his advice.

There once was a white-haired young man with good fashion sense and no arms. When he was 21 years old, a popular poet stole his arms.

There once was a crazed bricklayer who made his living off of attacking the city with every possible tool, including but not limited to lawn mowers, sledgehammers, explosives, and an anvil full of bricks.

There once was a man with the power to make someone's head burst through their back, and if anyone is wondering why no one knows this man's name, it is because he has an extremely tough-to-pronounce last name.

There once was a miner who was at the bottom of the sea. He always wanted to see the sun.

There once was a dwarf who only had one leg. He had a plan, though, to get revenge on the dwarf who cut off his leg.

There once was an eccentric thief who was short and round and talked about being "big as a house."

There once was a master whom possessed the power to turn any mortal into a tree, not to kill them, but to merely ensnare them within an arboreal lifetime.

There once was a grand warlord who used to be a space pirate and a dragon. He was named Shemhazai.

There once was a cat who liked to spend time in saloons, bars, taverns, and brothels. His name was Calipso and he is always hoping you're having a good time.

There once was a blonde man who claimed that he had the power to time travel, and in his earlier life he was a pirate who was famously known for his silver tongue.

There once was an evil dictator named Evil Santa Claus who would fire his Christmas cannon at his own citizens.

There once was a thief who was bound to a calendar. Whenever the 18th day of the month came around, he would turn into a 15 ft tall skeleton and smash things.

There once was a fairy named Mirielle and she was part of a demon family. Her family gave her horns to make her look all evil, but she was really sweet.

There once was a young woman named Rusalka. She lived in a castle and she was very beautiful, but she would turn into a horrible monster every time she heard music.

There once was a Stinky Wife who lived in a decaying house and smelled of boiled cabbage, old pizza, and roasted carp.

There once was a gnome named Mortimer who was very smart, but he lived in a sewer and never did much with his smarts.

There once was a wizard who spoke of the End of the World in all but one of his spells, which he himself later was to say was prophetic.

There once was a priest named Chest-Cutter who would burst into church during services, lurch around, and then forcibly extract the holy communion from those who were undeserving.

There once was a hungry dragon named Soji, who laid waste to an amusement park in the Red Light District with twenty breaths of flame, narrowly missing crowd favourites Mr. Kreepy and Blinged-Out Lorraine on his way.

There once was a computer programmer who turned green after an unfortunate dinner with a sentient jellyfish.

There once was a young rabbit named Tokler, and he was obsessed with making bombs.

There once was a man with a ten inch penis named Randy, who was so happy to have a ten inch penis that he couldn't stop talking about it.

There once was a wealthy plumber named Miasma, who was trying to get revenge on his former boss, Soda Scum.

There once was a jar full of hateful words. The owner of the jar was the devil, of course, and it was full of all kinds of crap.

There once was a purplish reptilian sorcerer who lived in a black hole.

There once was a knight named Mannequin, who was always carrying a lantern. He was terribly allergic to sunlight.

There once was a spider who spun webs of pain.

There once was a dying princess whose broken body was in the name of a crooked corporation.

There once was a magical fairy who was arrested for burning down a sports stadium but she claimed it was a manifestation of the wrath of the Almighty.

There once was a certain wizard with a twisted interest in enchanting people. He was not very good at it and to cover up his mistakes, he would resurrect the children who he had snuffed out of existence.

There once was a man who had lost his memory. The King let him live, even though he was a murderer.

There once was a bandit named Wise Priest who lost all his fingertips due to a cornfield accident. He still rides a one-legged horse, only he's not lost a step.

There once was a very evil president who'd promise to eradicate terrorism. After having been in office for only a few hours, he instead eradicated civil liberties, first-born sons, and free thought.

There once was a master whom possessed the power to turn any mortal into a key made of flesh and blood.

There once was a man who was wearing a shirt that said “Psychologist” on it. This didn’t mean that he was a real psychologist, but he went to see a psychologist who was wearing a T-shirt that said “Psychologist” on it. (my personal favorite)

There once was a stage magician who really knew his magic, and didn't bother hiding it from his community. He was the subject of one of those gruesome stories like you see on the back of dollar bills: If you pass this man on the street, you could be just the victim of a hideous curse that you won't even realize you're under until it's too late.

There once was a collection of skeletons who each came from another world entirely.

There once was a werewolf who had angered a wolf goddess. She cursed him to turn into a pile of human meat, took his father and mother's life, and cursed his three remaining relatives with a grievous condition.

There once was a boy with a weird finger. Even as a little child, friends dismissed his every finger and toe. It was hard not to.

There once was a man who survived The Flood and eventually came back with another man, and they would work the night shift under the high-traffic highway. They would tell ghost stories around the campfire with sparklers.

There once was a young inventor who sat in the back of a horse and carriage, flicking bullets into the place where his anus would be if he still had one. (riveting first line)

There was once a little earthworm who escaped the Death of the Universe.

#writing #stories #writing prompts #writing prompt #prompts #inferkit

[faffodil]

Okay so I've seen the lists of 'which empire would the mc ppl be in' going around, and I thought why not do ALL OF THEM

This took not as long as I thought actually

If there's anyone missing they're probably at the bottom, but if not just ask (either for them to be added to the idk list, or give a suggestion as to where they should be too)

Alternate suggestions of where ppl should be are also helpful :D

(Also, I do keep updating this so just check you're reading the most recent version)

Servers included so far (there are some overlaps) :

Last Life

Hermitcraft

Dsmp

Bear smp

Origins

Empires (duh)

Cod Empire:

Grian - Advisor - because it'd be funny, and he'd have to deal with all the diplomatic problems Jimmy causes, and he looks like a cod.

Jimmy - Codfather

Wilbur - Regular citizen/bard? - again, looks like a cod, calls Jimmy 'Mr Gaming'

Tommy - citizen - spends about half his time here and half in the Overgrown, lives with Wilbur

Charlie - citizen -  literally a slime

Boomer - citizen - frog man

Jevin - citizen - slime man 2

Petezahhutt - for the 4/4 slime people

Crystal Cliffs:

Gem - Head Wizard

Karl - History Teacher at the Academy - because I think it'd be funny to have a time-traveler as a History teacher & it'd fit with the magic aspect

Niki - Runs a bakery with Eret - idk I think she'd make a good witch/wizard. Used to live in the Ocean Empire but moved to the crystal cliffs to attend the Academy, met Eret and started a bakery together

Eret - Bakery with Niki - see above, but has always lived in the crystal cliffs

Skeppy - citizen - bc made of diamonds?

Bad - citizen - probably helps out at the Academy but not sure yet

Moonzy - citizen - fairy + the amethyst crystals

Sniff - Builder - originally from the Undergrove

Gilded Helianthia:

Pearl - Queen

Cleo - Advisor - fighting a demon? Totally something cleo would encourage

Techno - Farmer - let the man farm his potatoes in peace PLEASE, would probably also be completely behind fighting a demon for fun

Ponk - Orchardist - lemon tree :)

Joe of the Hills variety - citizen - just a guy TM, kinda lines up with Pearl not being the most regal of the rulers, also for the Joe + cleo duo

(o!)Schlatt - for the brewery, (o! bc when I thought about origins schlatt he was about 70% easier to put in an Empire than c!schlatt)

Grimlands:

Fwhip - Ruler

Fruitlegs - bard - idk just instinct again

Zedaph - scientist - I wanted team Z I T in the same place, sue me

Impulse - citizen - has the same demon wings as fwhip honestly my only reasoning atm

Tango - Explosives expert - bc last life >:)

Mumbo - Domestic Redstone technician - would probably also be part of the Deepslate-Redstone cult or whatever was happening with that

Iskall - citizen - used to live in the crystal cliffs but left as soon as he could cause of all the diorite (suggested by @/gumy-shark)

Sam - Security Redstone technician - bc prison

Doc - Redstone again - SAM DOC COUSINS ARC let's goooo

Tubbo - Redstone apprentice - switches between learning all the types of redstone, currently most interested in the explosives

Sally - bc salmon sanctuary

Lost Empire:

Joey - Ruler

Scar - my first thought was 'yea scar would definitely get lost' and my second was 'he also wouldn't go in the crystal cliffs bc they do Actual magic there (sorry scar). Also I think Joey would support his plans to scam people from the other empires

Quackity  - owner of a casino (arcade?) - again: scamming ppl, also has wings like joey? Idk kinda an instinct one

Ant - citizen - he is literally one of the cat people

Evil X - c a p i t a l i s m   p o g

Beau - vibes again I'm not sure

Xornoth - friends with EX

Mezalea:

Joel - King

Bdubs - Builder - brain went: moss

Sapnap - citizen- bc he likes killing animals

Billzo - citizen - partly for the pranks aspect, partly because his skeleton skin reminds me of the clones somehow

Eryn - citizen - reminds me of sapnap so they can go in the same empire

xB - citizen - joel would definitely endorse horse head farms

Hypno - citizen - ^

Mythland:

Sausage - Ruler

BigB - citizen

Punz - Assassin

Purpled - Trainee Assassin

Wels - Head Knight - spends most of his time wrangling micheal

Micheal(mcchill) - Knight - often trying to run away from Wels and his duties

Jonah - also a Knight under Wels, but far better behaved

Skizz - citizen

Ocean Empire:

Lizzie -  Ocean Queen

Ren - Advisor - I just couldn't imagine ren anywhere else after last life

Puffy - Captain of a trade ship that visits Mezalea, Ocean Empire, Swamp empire, Mythlands and Pixandria - its her name, I had to

Neptune - treasure hunter who joined Puffys ship. Edit: just realised his name fits too XD

Xisuma - citizen - he's an axolotl what do you want from me

Sneeg - partly just the vibes, partly bc of his obsession with tridents and axolotls. Maybe he's the axolotl trainer

Overgrown:

Guqqie - citizen - fell from the sky into the ocean and no-one questioned it (but to be fair when your queen is a 10 foot blue axolotl, an alien isn't particularly unusual)

Katherine - Head of House Blossom

Tommy (only half the time) - Random kid who keeps annoying Katherine (not a citizen) - you can't tell me it's not funny to have them have a rivalry over the 'just killed a woman' thing. Hc that Katherine accidentally died the first time they met, but then Tommy said that and Katherine was like 'welp, guess I'm enemies with a child now'

Hannah - citizen - people keep headcanoning her as a fairy cause of the elytra, so she'd definitely fit with the flower fairy theme

Tina - citizen - what I've seen of her reminds me of Katherine

Hbomb - built a cat cafe and visits niki in the crystal cliffs to swap recipes. There have been reports of a certain cat maid terrorizing the Undergrove but no-one from the Overgrown will admit to anything

James Marriot - bookshop on the same road as the cat cafe. As a result he visits there fairly often and encourages H

Pixandria:

Stress - apothecary - bc healing + flowers

Pix - Copper King

Foolish - Builder - he is literally a totem god who lives in the desert and has lightning powers and two totem children what more do you need? Also he has a riverboat and ferries the resources to trade with Puffy cause Pixandria is actually pretty far from the sea

Cub - terraformer - bc dripstone

Ori - citizen - another god/prophet would fit right in, surely?

Rivendell:

Scott Smajor - Ruler

Etho - citizen - idk Rivendell just gives me the vibes that you could be as isolated as you want in the mountains, while still in an Empire and i feel like etho fits that

Callahan - Servant of Aeor - again, isolated, but also deer things

Phil - Builder - isolated, Arctic Empire things, avian things idk

Ranboo - citizen - Tall people things, would vaguely fit in with the elf population, snow doesn't hurt as much as water does, has pretty much only lived in snow biomes (snowchester, anarchist commune)

Jack Manifold - citizen - neighbours with scott

False - owl trainer - because I decided so (cause of the big birb she built)

Undergrove:

Shrub - Ruler

Martyn? - citizen - not sure about this one, I think I put him here cause the whole fleeing-from/targeted-by-the-watchers thing in last life fits with shrub running away from xornoth

George - citizen - bc Mushrooms

Fundy - citizen - wolves->foxes, also seems like a safe haven for Yoghurt and Ketchup

Bearbubb - citizen - bc hobbit hole style builds. Lives in a house in the hills surrounding the Undergrove

TFC - citizen by association - doesn't live in the Undergrove as such but often spends more time around there due to their respect for nature (also mushroom house season 8 :D)

Aimsey - citizen - just turned up one day and made friends with Bear

Undecided as of yet:

Connor

Dream

Keralis

Beef

Suggestions are very welcome! [All] of the people left are the ones who I don't watch so I'm completely stuck

Edit: THE LIST IS SHRINKING!! 5 TO GO

Edit 2: ..okay so maybe the list is growing again whoops. (Also I forgot jack and H so they're actually there now)

Edit 3: Nvm I sorted them all already!! And got it down to 4!

Edit 4: somehow a bunch of them goy messed up, fixed now

#uhhhhhhh #oh boy #no way am i tagging everyone #empires smp #dsmp #bear smp #hermitcraft #(i used season 8 list of ppl bc theyre the ones i watched the most but if you want me to add any others #just ask) #i accidentally pressed comma there #long post #everyone's in empires au #okay this has expanded to pretty much just any mcyt now #or anyone whos been in mcc #now origins smp too apparently

[nerdwriting]

The Creative Directors Behind Fate: The Winx Saga Must Not Be K-Pop Fans

Also, they have a pretty wrong idea of the role fashion should play in a show.

There are a few words that will stand out across most reviews of Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga - drab, boring, flop, flat, unimaginative. Critics and audiences consensus is that the show is not only a mediocre-at-best story, but also an atrocious (and ultimately confusing) choice of adaptation of the color pop and fairy magic cartoon it’s based on, 2004 italian cartoon Winx Club.

Fate has plenty of it's own issues - white washing and erasing characters, cringey dialogue, outdated melodrama, etc. But where it truly, unequivocally fails is as an adaptation. Fate misses everything that was magical and lovable about the original series, in all levels, from bizarre writing choices, - such as never actually developing any sense of friendship between the characters, who are based on a cartoon about…..a group…….of friends -, but it's especially and immediately felt in the art direction and costume design.

Winx Club is set on a fantastical world, Magix, where each of our main characters hail from a different planet, à la Sailor Moon. Alfea, the fairy school they attend, is the most common background: a pastel colored, futuristic high tech-meets-fantasy, art nouveau inspired castle. Alfea sets the tone for the whole visual of the cartoon: bright, colorful, futuristic meets vintage, leaning into the technological positivism of the Y2K style, uniting it with magic, DnD worthy monsters and, of course, fairy wings. Often featured are also the Red Fountain school, where the Specialists train, and especially Cloud Tower, the goth and gothic inspired witch school Alfea has an OxBridge rivalry with (How cool would that be in a live action? I guess we’ll never know…).

On Fate, Alfea is the only school we ever see, and it’s another beige boarding school in not-Britain, somehow set in a magical world where everyone has the exact same technology and even social media that we have on Earth in 2021, no transformations and, most egregiously, no fairy wings.

This lack of visual creativity is pervasive throughout the whole show, and its most heartbreaking iteration is in the characters' wardrobe. The styling has the barest bones of a color scheme, - such as 'Bloom has to only dress in red since fire, duh',- the clothes are ill fitting, bland, dark and very dated. These are supposed to be teenagers who enjoy fashion, and yet they look like varying types of soccer moms from 2010.

The series seems to operate on an old and tired vision that women and girls can’t have depth and have adventures and fight monsters while also caring about fashion, a vision that the original show played a big, big role in challenging in the early 2000's. Fashion and costume design sets as much of the tone of a visual medium as the script does; through clothes we can gauge characters’ backgrounds, passions, and personality.

Winx Club has some of the best examples of this in the cartoon sphere - Bloom’s comfortable and bright style, Stella’s glitzy and bold, Musa’s edgy and cool, Aisha’s sporty and fun, Techna’s neon and tech gear inspired, Flora’s earthy and romantic, they all work as extensions of each character and serve a narrative purpose. And that’s not even mentioning how insulting it feels that in their quest to make Winx “edgier, darker” and fit for an older audience, the creators of Fate somehow decided that was in opposition to caring about style and fashion. Most “girly” shows, including the Winx Club are just as much adventure action shows as the ones geared towards boys, and it’s emphasis in fashion, friendship and color does not detract from that. The original run of the cartoon deals with war, violence, grief, abusive relationships and even genocide; leaning into those plotlines would not require Fate to erase any integral parts of what made Winx so beloved, and the fact that they did shows that the Netflix team completely missed the point of fashion in the original show, and really, the point of fashion and costume design in the world building of any show.

That, however, is not a mistake K-Pop makes very often; (This might seem like a bit of wild swerve in topic, but stay with me here). Unlike it's western counterpart, the Korean pop scene never lost the emphasis on music videos and how the visual medium can complete and potentialize music and performance; the K-Pop culture is very album and concept oriented in a way that has been all but lost in many other pop circuits, and the music video, styling and set design of a ‘comeback era’ is a key point of excitement among fans.

As such, music videos that follow storylines, connected universes, boundary pushing concepts and visual effects are the norm, rather than the exception, and a list could be made of works that are beautiful examples of what a live action Winx adaptation could look like. In fact, and very smoothly, here is a small list of exactly that!

A Small List of K-Pop Music Videos That Are Better Winx Club Live Actions Than Fate: The Winx Saga

3. Red Velvet - Psycho

If it was a darker and more somber look that Fate wanted, there was a way to make it actually appealing. While it still feels a liiitle too grown up and elegant for Winx, (maybe this author is biased, as a full proponent for the Y2K fun) Psycho makes a very compelling argument for a witchy, mysterious, fairy tale-esque show that could look scrumptious and definitely not boring, or even a gorgeous example of what the witches in Cloud Tower could look like. Black and white, dark green, pastel blue and pops of jewel tones make Psycho's color palette. To add interest to the understated colors, the styling is heavy on textures; We see plenty of stonework, intricate embroidery, tassels, lace on lace on lace, feathers, bows, opera gloves and lots of glitter. All of that is offset by bold, dark makeup, leather accents and eerie cinematography. Needle & Thread, Marchesa Notte and Self Portrait lend their hyper feminine and intricately detailed tulle gowns, juxtaposed with the creepiness of the lyrics and the dark backgrounds; their deep berry and green fairy tale looks are built with pieces from Zara to Nina Ricci to Dolce & Gabbana to Alexander McQueen.

Red Velvet’s more edgy styling for 2018's Bad Boy would also not feel out of place on the Trix.

2. IZ*ONE - Fiesta

IZ*ONE kicked off 2020 with sweet and fun Fiesta. The MV features rooms with mismatched décor that go from retro to space opera, rocky faux landscapes that feel other worldly, and visual effects that would look perfect on the back of a transformation sequence. Mirroring the set design, the girls wear various outfits by sustainable up and coming brand Chopova Lowena. Their signature skirts made with discarded and repurposed fabrics give a cool and interesting twist on a schoolgirl look that would look very sweet for a band of school fairies that occasionally go off to save the world. Also, wouldn't those bedazzled headphones look great on Musa's fairy outfit?

1. Aespa - Black Mamba and Next Level

Aespa is what fans call a monster rookie. With only three music videos under their belt, they still have some of the most visually interesting work in the industry right now. Their concept is very tied in with high tech, featuring even AI avatars of each member, packaged in a glitzy, fantastical and futuristic aesthetic, candy pop meets cyberpunk. I think I’ve exhausted ways to say that is exactly what a perfect Winx adaptation should feature.

Their debut smash hit, 2020’s Black Mamba is truly a perfect moodboard for live action Winx. Wearing a sequined and colorful mix and match of Dollskill, Gucci, Didu and Balenciaga to a backdrop that features some alien fairy forest realness, a pyschedelic fever dream, rooms straight out of a Y2K catalog or donning lime green and black techwear inside a metro fighting the "black mamba", Aespa look through and through the part of fashion loving fairies who save the world together, while looking fierce, stylish and, most importantly, interesting.

The styling and the sets jump seamlessly from more casual colorful fits with blouses, shirts and baggy pants to barren, darkly lit backgrounds and fringe-and-glitter heavy pieces necessary to fight giant snakes, in a way so fitting to transformation outfits for magical girls we could cry.

In their third MV, 2021's Next Level, the cyber in their concept is taken up a notch (get it. because Next Level-), set to a futuristic urbanscape intersped with a planet made of crystals and the ocasional alien fauna popping up again. We get treated to Monse, The 2nd Skin Co., Johanna Ortiz and The Attico styled to fairy princess standards, sporty sky racers and a white and sequined group styling that is top ten fairy busy saving the world uniform material, or maybe even a specialist worthy getup.

This particular look from Ningning is so Techna that it almost feels as if it's mocking Netflix.

And doesn’t this Karina trapped inside the "black mamba" in Alexander McQueen feel like a perfect Dark Bloom moment?

These are only a few examples of interesting and creative designs that are in line with what a live action Winx Club should have given us. There are so many more I could list, even among other TV Shows, like Sex Education and even polemic dark Euphoria, that know how to have fun with style and design without losing the depth of their stories. In the end, it's hard to justify why Fate creators even wanted to make an adaptation that didn't even try to capture the heart of its source material, and all we can do is watch one more "Restyling Fate: The Winx Saga" video on Youtube whilst mildly dreading season 2.

#winx #winx club #fate the winx saga #fate: the winx saga #tv #tv/movies #cartoons #k-pop #kpop #red velvet #aespa #iz*one #fashion #costume design #art direction

[myrulia]

"Are they bothering you love?" - Kokushibou x Reader

.｡.:*✧Synopsis: You are out with your demon of a lover, hiding in plain sight in modern times as you both are simply walking in public to enjoy the night sky. All comes crashing down when a bold male approaches you, yet Kokushibou is there to protect you for he is your one and only.

.｡.:*✧Warning: Stranger with no filter

.｡.:*✧Word count: 1,647

It was such a beautiful night, unlike any other for that fact. After endless amounts of begging to Kokushibou, he finally agreed to going out with you. The moon seemed to radiate brilliantly in the night sky, all the while beaming down on the two of you who had a rather hard time struggling to hide the fact that you were demons. It went as far as Kokushibou closing the top and bottom pair of his eyes just so that the two of you could wander around safely. It was awkward to say the least - since you are used to seeing all 6 of his inscrutable eyes look at you with such love and adoration - but it was something that you adjusted to quickly.

Now walking side by side, out in the wake of the night, you both were simply enjoying each other's company, disregarding anyone else who was also out in the bustling area of the city, for there was multiple fairy lights hanging above the certain street you chose to wander about on that caught your attention, so you basically dragged Kokushibou along with you.

`` It is very pretty this time of night, `` you stated in your usual soothing voice to your much taller lover who was staring bright eyed and bushy tailed at the sheer amount of lights above your heads. It was bright to say the least but it really caught his attention, which made it the experience mean so much more to him. `` I must agree with you, it is beautiful, but I do not think it is as beautiful as you. ``

To Kokushibou, the compliment was normal and he said such words with ease as the poetic statement rolled off his tongue without struggle. You on the other hand was notably having a hard time keeping your composure, for the end of your ears became a scarlet red at his words. `` You believe that wholeheartedly? I mean look around, this place is absolutely beautiful. The sakura trees are even blooming. ``

`` [Y/N], how could you believe I do not actually mean that? You are beautiful and that's that. `` Looking down at your smiling face, the demon could not help but to smile ever so slightly in return at your flushed ears. He knew just what to say at just the right time to make you a flustered mess in a matter of seconds. He really did have a way with words.

Time seemed to fly by effortlessly, due to the both of you spending most of it window shopping and actually entering the multiple ones available for entering. Courtesy of your behavior, you dragged Kokushibou along with you into a plethora of stores that had all types of clothes to choose from. It was mainly due to the fact that you have never seen him smile this much before when the both of you are out. Usually he does do a pretty good job of keeping up a stoic expression, but this time, watching him struggle was adorable.

In a particular men's clothing store, you had your demon of a lover try on many different styles and options that you picked out yourself. It was almost like a mini fashion show with how much you really made him wear - but the Upper Moon One could not complain one bit. Your smile itself never faltered and so his resisted doing the same. Seeing you so cheerful just made him want to make sure you never stopped, even if it meant embarrassing a big man like himself in public by wearing a few questionable items of clothing.

After your little fashion montage, you both exited the store once the less than approachable store manager seemed to become aggravated with how you only tried on things instead of buying them. Just as you were finishing letting out a small giggle in reaction to the chain of events that occurred, you eyed a particular shop that seemed to have colorful clouds on a stick. What were they? You had no idea.

`` Cotton candy, `` you heard a testosterone-heavy voice say. You knew all too well who it was so looking up at Kokushibou, you eyed his gaze, but to your surprise he was looking at the same colorful clouds you were also looking at. `` Lets try it then! ``

And with that, you grabbed his hand, intertwining your much smaller fingers with his and, and soon enough the both of you were now entering the store with bright eyes, even brighter than earlier. You looked around hurriedly, trying to see what others in the store were doing so you could understand what you are supposed to do with the cloud-looking objects. Kokushibou unfortunately looked just as confused as you, who eyed anyone else in the store until it finally hit him - and his senses for that matter.

`` Love, "cotton candy" is a food. You are supposed to eat it, `` he said in a calm manner, all the while pointing at a certain mother and her son indulging in the sweet smelling treat. `` Then I guess we are trying something new..~ ``

Pulling out your wallet, you walk up to the counter and swiftly paid for the sweet treats you yourself was definitely excited about trying. The sweet smell flooded your nose and it was becoming unbearable, so turning around, you are met with the shocking sight of Kokushibou already holding a [F/C] one and a purple one. He held an obvious smile on your face that really allowed you to appreciate how handsome he looked when he wore his emotions on his sleeve. `` You seem eager to try them, `` you teased while grabbing the stick that held up the cotton candy from him. 

`` How could I not? It smells wonderful. `` Now having your sweet treats in hand, you both exited the candy shop, now being back on the bustling street that had many pedestrians who looked just as happy as the next person. It was refreshing to say the least, being out with the one you love the most and being able to enjoy your time together. It felt utterly amazing.

`` Lets bite at the same time. 3, 2, 1- `` as soon as you hit one, Kokushibou pulled off a chunk of the cotton candy and placed it inside his mouth, allowing the once soft substance to melt on his taste buds and overflood his senses once more. He lets out a surprised hum of satisfaction and turned to you taking a rather large bite out of the cotton candy instead of pulling a piece off. Your eyes doubled in size at how it melted inside your mouth, the sugar taking over on your tongue, and so you also let out a hum. `` It is delicious! Let me try yours! ``

Lowering his arm, you grab a piece from Kokushibou's cotton candy and stuff it into your mouth as well, letting out another content hum that made your husband smile. `` Enjoying yourself? `` He teased.

`` Yes indeed I am!- ``

`` I can make you enjoy yourself in other ways. ``

Your eyes left from Kokushibou's to where the mysterious voice originated from. Looking wide eyed, you swallow a hard lump that clogged your esophagus as you tilt your head to the side, being obviously confused with what you just heard. `` Excuse me? ``

`` Aside from being sexy, what else do you do for a living? We might have the same profession. ``

At that point your eyes actually tripled in size at the boldness of this complete stranger. To even think someone would have the audacity and mindset to do such things really ticked you off, so letting out an obviously sarcastic laugh, you were about to say something until he spoke up once more. `` Come on beautiful there's no need to say anything. How about we go on a date here? ``

You felt sick to your stomach and before you could properly react, Kokushibou's hand grabbed your wrist and pulled you moderately behind his body, giving you his cotton candy afterwards. He was now standing in between you and the random stranger who damn near ruined your date. Kokushibou is both obviously tall and intimidating, and being 6'3 does have its perks - especially in situations like now. Although, he did have to lean down, just a bit, so he could properly speak to the douche bag. 

`` Are they bothering you, love? `` He spoke in that same aggressive tone that sent shivers down your spine with just how heavy and deep it was. You peaked from behind your lover's shoulder to really see what was going on, and to your surprise the male who was previously doing a horrible job and hitting on you now had his eyes damn near pop out of his socket. `` Yes, they are actually. ``

Kokushibou now changed his smiling expression to a more darker one, now having his 3 pairs of eyes open only for the double bag to see. He leaned forward and that caused for the stranger to step back, huffing out and crossing his arms. `` Who the hell are you? ``

`` This beautiful woman's husband, `` and that was all that came from his lips before Kokushibou took another step forward, and just like that the stranger is suddenly running in the other direction. It took every nerve and fibre in your being not to laugh at the situation that just unfolded and ended just like that, and so stepping out from behind your husband who hid his other two pairs of eyes once more, you look up at his expression once he is finally standing up tall and proud. `` Well thank you darling..~ ``

`` Do not say it in that tone or I will make you thankful for another thing in a few seconds, `` Kokushibou teased back while grabbing his cotton candy from your hand, going back to indulging in yet another piece as you two continued your walk down the bustling street.

`` You enjoyed that, didn't you? ``

`` How could I not? I had to tell him you are mine, and mine alone. ``

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Fun fact; I looked up pick-up lines to use🏃🏾‍♀️

#kokushibou #kny kokushibou #kokushibo x reader #kny imagines #kny x reader #demon slayer kokushibou #kny kokushibou fluff #kokushibou fluff

[arctimon]

The Big Hero 6/Pokemon Crossover We All Wish Would Happen

Over the past couple of weeks, members of the Big Hero 6 fandom have been drawing/making mock-ups of the team with their respective Pokemon partners.  Now, in total accordance with being late to every single trend ever, I will now do the same, but I won’t be backing it up with wondrous drawings.

Mostly because I can’t draw. Some of the members were really obvious, and some...weren’t.  Out of everyone, Hiro was actually the hardest one, and I actually am still not really sold on my choice.  That’s mostly because the specific Pokemon is not his schtick.  There’s not really a Robot Pokemon.  There are certain members that were tremendously easy.

And we’re going to start with one of them: Go Go. 1.) The picture I drew of Chibi Go Go and Cinderace (which I still have to finish, for the record) doesn’t actually depict the Pokemon I’d put with her.  Cinderace would be her second choice.  The first?

Falinks, the Formation Pokemon.

Genwunners may not know this one, because it’s from the newest Pokemon games, but it’s very symbolic of Go Go: there’s six of them, it’s pure Fighting-type, and it has a signature move in No Retreat, which is basically a Pokemon version of “Woman up!”.  It raises all of its stats in exchange for it not being able to escape from battle.

But Go Go never escapes from anything, so it’s appropriate.

Plus they have the discs as well. Cinderace would be her backup, mostly because of the speed and rabbit parellels for her roommate, who is up next.

2.) Honey Lemon actually had the most options for her, because she’s the cutesy one.  That means she can be handed literally any Fairy type and call it a day, but what fun would that be?

Especially because there’s another bunny Pokemon that she’d be with...and that’s Lopunny.

It doesn’t really delve into her superhero side because it’s a bunny and cute and furry and all that jazz, but imagine HL’s completelyf amazed face when she gets one.  The squeeing would be nonstop.

Her secondary would be a Fairy type, and something that would change colored flowers based on the mood: Flabebe.

3.) Wasabi was also entirely way too easy, and he gets, in my opinion, one of the coolest Pokemon that was introduced back in X and Y: Aegislash.

I can’t even think of a proper backup for him; Aegislash is just that good.  Plus, if worse came to worse, Wasabi could grab him and swing it around himself.  But not too much, because the Aegislash line have a thing about possessing people with their tassels. His backup is another blade-related one: Bisharp.

Dark/Steel, cool design, somehow got Laser Focus as a level-up move in the latest games.  Pretty much a no-brainer. 4.) Karmi is also an easy one, and her inspiration came from one of the occupants of her lab when Hiro came to offer his help in “City of Monsters”: Mr. Varicella Zoster.

What Pokemon is cute, semi-translucent, looks like something scientific, and is also a psychic powerhouse (you’re assuming Varicella Zoster is not)? You guessed it.

Reuniclus.  The Multiplying Pokemon. The origin of it is based off of cells and amoebas, which is a perfect thing for a very scientific person like Karmi.  And the imaginary story in my head has her getting her partner first through the mysterious means that the team has to investigate. Her back-up plays off of her other project: the tech rose.  And the only Grass/Steel Pokemon (Ferroseed/Ferrothorn) isn’t really much of a fit.  So we’ll play off of her wannabe superheroics with another plant-based masked powerhouse: Roserade.

What’s better than a bouquet that has flowers for fists?  Nothing. 5.) Fred is a mascot for a “living”, and I think it would be funny if his partner would be very similar to a mascot, and that would be Bewear.

No, it doesn’t have cool Fire/Ice-type moves, and it’s not a lizard, but it’s a pun name, and I think Fred would appreciate a Pokemon with a pun name. Plus, I couldn’t really find anything that had Fire, Ice, and was a lizard.

At least with Bewear you can chain-breed Ice Punch onto it from Cubchoo, thus making Cubchoo an even greater Pokemon than before. His backup is one of the Pokemon based off of kaiju: Tyranitar.

Do you think that Fred is actually a Pokemon guy, or is Hiro the Pokemon guy?  Methinks it would be a collaborative effort to try to get everyone else to know what the heck they’re talking about.

6.) You didn’t think I would forget about Baymax, would you?  Now, you’d think that with being a healthcare companion would make me want to go for the obvious choice.

Blissey. And...you’d be partially right. But Baymax can’t just sit on the sidelines and heal, even though that’s his...purpose. Nah, we gotta get something a little more...metal.

Melmetal, to be precise. He’s very Baymax-y in the anime when Ash has him, and plus he’s got a two-fist move in Double Iron Bash.

Oh, and we’ll just give Mini-Max Meltan for funzies. 7.) As I was writing this up, I scanned back through it and was like “Who am I forgetting?”.

Oh nuts, Hiro is the one I was forgetting. So here’s the thing.  I actually really like the idea of giving him Magnezone, because of “lul magnetism” and all that.

And I was struggling to give him a back-up when I saw @baymaksu​ and his drawing of him and Riolu, and it just clicked for me.

Plus the mental image of Hiro manipulating Aura just like Ash gets me excited. So there it is.  My long, exhaustive post about Big Hero 6 and their Pokemon partners, based off my twenty some odd years of being a Pokemon trainer. I wonder if I should do the villains next.  Or maybe the Beta Team. Or both.

#big hero 6 #big hero 6 the series #hiro hamada #karmi #honey lemon #go go tomago #wasabi #fredzilla #baymax #minimax #pokemon #this took way too long for me to type #pokemon partners #wonder who obake would have #liv amara #di amara #chief cruz #megan cruz #evolution #varicella zoster

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Livedoor News Interview

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

The New Story That Continues the World of Inuyasha, Anime “Hanyō no Yashahime” Director x Producer Interview

With the Resolve to Reopen the Concluded “Inuyasha” World in Their Hearts. The Behind-the-Scenes Production of “Hanyō no Yashahime”

For 12 years from 1996-2008, “Inuyasha” (original creator: Takahashi Rumiko) which was serialized in “Weekly Shōnen Sunday” (Shogakukan) was a feudal fairy tale that depicted the heart of the battle between demons, humans, and half-demons for the Shikon Jewel.

Anime “Inuyasha” broadcasted from 2000-2004 followed “Inuyasha the Final Act” from 2009-2010, after the original work was concluded. It is a timeless masterpiece that is now loved around the world.

Continuing that world of “Inuyasha” is the new original anime, “Hanyō no Yashahime”, which began broadcast in October of 2020. Many Inuyasha fans were surprised at the shocking set up that the daughters of Sesshōmaru, a popular character in “Inuyasha”, would be the protagonists.

With everything from the production, background music, and cast performance having an Inuyasha flavor mixed in, being moved from seeing the new characters and the “Inuyasha” characters coming together on the TV screen, to the absolutely unclear mysterious developments, the hearts of fans around world have been grabbed once again.

Since broadcast began, despite having completed one cour (translator’s note: Cour = 3 months or 13 weeks/episodes), the full picture of the story still cannot be seen. We carried out an interview conversation with director Satō Teruo and producer Naka Toshikazu regarding the things of interest about the work up until now and ahead.

We Prepared a Device That Would Allow Inuyasha Fans to Enjoy (the show)

— One cour has passed since broadcast began. Are the responses reaching you?

Naka: The response is incredible. Especially on social media.

Satō: You’re right. I’m also on Twitter, so I get reactions from all over the world. I truly get a sense that it’s work that’s receiving a lot of attention.

When I look at comments on the official (Twitter) account, most of them are from overseas. Not only do I once again realize that “Inuyasha” boasts a worldwide popularity, I do my best while feeling the pressure of “Hanyō no Yashahime” being a work that inherits that world.

— Apparently the one who suggested the project was Suwa Michihiko of ytv Nextry, who was the producer for anime “Inuyasha” and “Detective Conan”. How did you two feel when you first heard about the project?

Naka: “We’re going to do a story that’s been neatly concluded once before again!? How!?” is what I felt at the beginning.

From the moment I first heard about it, I was still floating around what kind of story it would be. “I might make it a story about Sesshōmaru’s daughter.” was as far as I had gotten. I thought “If I’m not mistaken, if we make it like that, then there might be something to do”.

Satō: There were talks of “wanting to do it” for 2-3 years and Rumiko-sensei, Suwa-san, and the “Inuyasha” staff had mulled over the idea.

It’s just that not only was the story of “Inuyasha” itself was very neatly concluded, after “Since Then” (the special edition (chapter) depicting the after story) we had Rumiko-sensei tell us “There’s nothing left to do in “Inuyasha””.

There was a rather heavy responsibility in touching that and as an Inuyasha fan myself, it made me really think about “In order to create a new story out of a work that was neatly concluded, what sort of form does it need to take?”

I think Inuyasha fans would watch, so I felt that I wanted to release something that everyone would agree to as much as possible without breaking their (idea of) “Inuyasha”.

— In terms of the target audience for “Hanyō no Yashahime”, do you consider Inuyasha fans the main target? Or do you focus on the new audience that does not know “Inuyasha”?

Naka: For us, we want people to like the new characters so in that sense, we keep in mind the new people.

It’s just that a lot of time has passed since “Inuyasha” was broadcasted and I think among the people who watched “Inuyasha” back in the day are people who have become parents. I think watching it as two generations, parent and child (Mom and Dad who liked “Inuyasha” and the children who are touching it as a new work), is the most ideal.

Satō: The voice actresses who voice the three princesses (Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha), are from a generation that watched “Inuyasha” right when they were kids. They chit-chat while recording every week (laughs).

It would be great if the new target group could go back and watch “Inuyasha” because of “Hanyō no Yashahime” and think “There are demons that appeared in “Hanyō no Yashahime” too”. On the reverse side, I would like those who watched “Inuyasha” to enjoy “Hanyō no Yashahime” from the point of view of “It’s the demon from that time”.

For that reason, we inlayed different devices and components into the story.

Naka: We periodically put in devises that would make people who like Rumiko-sensei’s other works smile a little bit. Like the hoodlums who appeared in episode 2 or the monkey gag in episode 9.

— In other words, while still keeping in mind those who don’t know “Inuyasha”, you are of course creating a work that Inuyasha fans can enjoy as well.

Satō: Making sure we don’t destroy the image of “Inuyasha” characters is at the forefront of our minds, especially when we bring them out into the “Hanyō no Yashahime” world. This is so that people watching don’t think “That’s not the kind of character they were”.

Of course, when we bring them out, we always have Rumiko-sensei review the scenario. She’ll tell us “It should be fine if it’s like this” and apply that to the scenario which is how we’ve been doing it.

Naka: We’re careful so that when “Inuyasha” characters take the mound, they don’t eat into the spotlight of the new characters while also not losing their “status”.

— Among the fans, the way the broadcasting order of “Hanyō no Yashahime” to “Great Detective Conan” is similar to “Inuyasha” to “Conan” became a popular topic of conversation. Was that formation something Yomiuri TV-san was particular about?

Satō: The order is the same as when it was broadcasted during the golden hour of 19:00-20:00 (7-8pm on the 12-hour clock). We’re grateful that they’re nostalgic about it.

Naka: I don’t know if they were particular about it or not, but it was decided from the start that it would be broadcasted during that timeframe (before “Conan”). It’s possible that it just turned out that way, but from the production side, it felt “just like before” in the end.

Satō: It’s like (Yamaguchi) Kappei-san (role of Inuyasha and also Edogawa Conan/Phantom Theif Kid in “Great Detective Conan”) has 2 consecutive appearances (laughs).

Naka: Not only is the connection between the timeframe the same, but also when we heard that SixTONES would be doing the opening for the October cour, we thought the flow looked the same as “Inuyasha” since it would be a group from Jonny & Associates that would be singing (Editor’s note: In the past, V6 and Tackey & Tsubasa were in charge of the theme song for “Inuyasha”).

In the end, we’re also curious as to how the structure is the same as during “Inuyasha”.

A Character Cannot Come to Life Without Working Out the Fundamental Aspects

— Next, we will ask how story the of “Hanyō no Yashahime” was created. We just heard from Naka-san that “When I first heard about it “I might make it a story about Sesshōmaru’s daughter.” was how far I had gotten”, but were there any different ideas regarding the direction after that?

[Characters bios written following the question but I’m skipping it]

Naka: We proceeded with that intention as is.

It’s just that even if it’s a daughter, we couldn’t quite settle whether the daughter would be twins or an only child. We couldn’t decide until right on the line of “If we don’t decide what sort personality the character will have at this stage, we may have to relook things including the broadcast timing” (laughs).

Satō: We pretty much decided after directly talking to Rumiko-sensei.

— What did Rumiko-sensei tell you?

Naka: Regarding the character persona, she pointed out things such as “With only the setting, you don’t know why they speak that way” and “Why they dress like this doesn’t feel right to me”.

Especially with Towa, it took a long time for Rumiko-sensei to understand and agree to the part where “She dresses like a boy because she’s this kind of persona”. That’s where we struggled the most.

Satō: For Rumiko-sensei, apparently, she understood Setsuna and Moroha straight down like “So this is the kind of child she is”.

However, only with Towa did she say, “If you don’t clearly boil down and solidify how she will grow and what sort of foundation she’ll have, the story development will become blurred wouldn’t it”.

With that point, it was a lot of work deciding Towa’s character.

Naka: Not just the settings, but we had Sumisawa Katsuyuki-san (in charge of series composition for “Inuyasha” and now this work as well)  vigorously write the scripts for episodes 1 and 2 and show Rumiko-sensei “With this story flow, Towa will respond like this” and “We’ll use this language”.

With that, we put things in order in a “But, we probably don’t need this kind of language after all, right?” kind of way.

— It was explained in the story that Towa dresses like a boy because “It’s easier to fight in”, but is that one of the settings that was solidified like that?

Naka: Yes. The result of coming up with different reasons and many ideas was that we ended up settling on a conversely simple reason.

Satō: Rumiko-sensei casually said “Isn’t “it’s easier to fight in” good enough?” (laughs). We were turning up a lot of different rationalizations. (translator’s note: Not confident on this sentence) For example, “As a girl, there was something she didn’t like”.

But it also became “I don’t think that’s true” …… It made us realize it was fine to have something simple and straightforward.

— So Rumiko-sensei was involved with the character persona starting from the foundation.

Satō: I learned a lot from speaking with Rumiko-sensei as I was creating the characters. Rumiko-sensei’s way of thinking is very logical and upfront. For example, “Because (she’s) this kind of child, (she) behaves like this” or “(She) Won’t say something like this”.

That’s why, people who view the work will see their foundation. In my head, I knew “If you don’t work out the fundamental aspects, the character won’t come to life” but I came to realize that once again.

In the anime, there were many people who put out ideas starting with Sumisawa-san, but I thought it must be a lot of work for Rumiko-sensei to create a manga while consulting with the editors.

We’re Mindful of the Composition that “Towa Sets the Story in Motion”

— With the characters solidified, did you receive any orders from Sumisawa-san as you planned the story?

Naka: With “Hanyō no Yashahime”, it started with Sumisawa-san first writing the scenario that would become the first manuscript.

In that regard, we discussed with him things such as “Keeping in mind of the development ahead, please pay attention to this part” or “Please put this device in”.

More precisely, there was a lot of discussion about Moroha’s position at the beginning. There was the fact that Moroha was the easiest character to move, but we wanted him to keep in mind as much as possible that she (Moroha) should show her concern for Towa and Setsuna in a way that ensures they’re at the forefront.

Satō: To the writer, Moroha is like a “Mini Inuyasha”. Hence there was a tendency to naturally center the story around her.

However, Sesshōmaru’s daughters, Towa and Setsuna, are the protagonists this time so we wanted (the writer) to keep that in mind.

Because Moroha is easy to understand with her character and Setsuna is a female version of Sesshōmaru, when their vectors become conspicuous, Towa appears overshadowed no matter what. “The protagonist getting overshadowed by those around them troupe.” is something that happens in original works.

That’s why we’re conscious of the composition of bringing Towa into the center and using her to move the story whenever possible. That’s the part we especially placed importance on when putting together the story.

— Next, please tell us the appeals of the three protagonists. Starting from Towa please.

Naka: Regarding Towa, she inherited Sesshōmaru’s silver hair, has a boyish outfit, and has an outward appearance that would make girls think she’s attractive.

However, her values are surprisingly modern, and she has a naiveness about her which Setsuna calls out within the story. I don’t think there have been many characters who have been balanced like this thus far.

Although, at the current phase, there’s a point that what the goal behind her actions is might still be a little weak.

Satō: Just as Naka-san said, Towa has a half-hearted kindness and naiveté; how that will change as she travels with Setsuna and Moroha. Please look forward to that growth as you watch the story.

I think there are people who get impatient seeing Towa’s current indecisiveness (laughs).

What will that kind of protagonist experience and how will her feelings change from that. It will make me happy if people think “Towa’s changed; she’s matured” at the end.

Naka: I think having lots of room for growth is what gives her that protagonist feel. Conversely, Setsuna is a relatively standard character. However, on the one hand, she does have a kind side.

Satō: She does show a little affection after all (laughs)

Earlier I said “a female version of Sesshōmaru” so I think her nonchalant kindness is the same as his. The vector of her character direction is easy to understand which is her appeal.

— It seems Setsuna coldly pushes Towa away, but also shows concern for her. Despite saying, “The curse of the Dream Butterfly doesn’t need to be broken”, she goes along with Towa’s search for the Dream Butterfly.

Satō: Just as the line “I can’t readily accept that” in episode 3 said, Setsuna cannot accept Towa as her sister.

However, I believe she understands Towa’s virtues as an individual. We would like everyone to pay attention to how Setsuna draws the line of “I can understand Towa’s good qualities, but I can’t acknowledge her as an older sister” and the point at which that line is crossed.

Will the day ever come where Setsuna will address Towa as “Towa nee-chan” ……

— It feels as though the distance between them is getting shorter, like when she almost went along with Towa’s high-five in episode 11.

Satō: Little by little. Within that, we would like for you to please look forward to how their feelings intersect when the time comes.

Naka: In that episode, it looks as though she gets along with Towa, but when Towa tried to lay her head on her lap, she didn’t allow it. I was watching with great interest like “So that’s where she draws the line” (laughs).

— Next, Moroha.

Naka: Moroha is pretty much just what you see (laughs)

Satō: She’s a hybrid of Inuyasha and Kagome. If her theatrical elocution is like Inuyasha’s, then her actions are understandable like Kagome’s.

In that sense, I think she’s a character that viewers can easily connect with. There’s also the fact that currently, all the gag lines are relatively being placed on Moroha (laughs).

Naka: In earlier episodes, her level of participation was high but lately she’s been in charge of punch lines (laughs). For example, when they didn’t take her to the battle in episode 10 or when she got caught up in Setsuna’s attack in episode 11.

Earlier, we discussed how “We were careful not center too much around Moroha” but it put us at a disadvantage as a result and I feel a little bad (laughs). However, Moroha will be taking charge in episode 16 next week (1/23/21) so please look forward to that.

Satō: Not only will Moroha play a very active role, but it is also an important episode that depicts the environment that she grew up in. Why she has to collect bounties and what kind of relationship she has with Jyūbee will be touched upon. If you watch that, I think you’ll come to understand her actions up until now like “So that’s why she was doing things like that”.

From a composition standpoint, episode 15 revealed Towa and Setsuna’s past, episode 16 will reveal Moroha’s backbone, and furthermore, the story of Setsuna’s childhood will come hereafter. If you watch that far, the full story of this will work will become clear for the most part.

The first cour was a period of planting seeds, but now going forward, the composition is set up so that the fruit of the tree will ripen and fall, so please continue to look forward to it.

The Casting of Miroku Was Entrusted to the Sound Director for “Inuyasha”

— Next, please tell us about the casting. On what points did you decide the cast group?

Satō: It was fundamentally decided through auditions. If we don’t progress the script to some extent, sound director Nagura Yasushi-san can’t determine the direction of the roles, so when the script amount had accumulated, we gathered up people who could picture the characters and carried out the auditions from there.

It was right about the time when the COVID crisis was escalating, so we worried if we could really start broadcasting in October.

Naka: The balance between the three was the deciding factor. After we narrowed it down from a number candidates, we took a “If this person did this character, then the balance would probably become like this” kind of view and decided from there.

Satō: There’s going to be a lot of dialogue between the three of them not matter what, so in order to avoid having similar voice tones and similar ways of speaking, we created the characters based on that assumption.

Towa’s thought process and actions are modern and Moroha acts on her emotions. Conversely, Setsuna is always calm and collected like Sesshōmaru and makes decisions after observing the entirety of the situation. Then she’ll look for the best solution and take action.

Because each of the characters has that kind of nature, we ordered Nagura-san to look for a balance that enables you to easily tell the three of them apart when they’re conversing.

– Did you not look at it from a standpoint that the voices should or should not sound similar to those of the parent generation like Sesshōmaru, Inuyasha, or Kagome?

Naka: That is a point that we were not at all concerned about. We proceeded with a viewpoint that the person should match the outward appearance, the actions within the story, and the nature of the character.

When balancing the three of them, balancing the twins seemed difficult, so from there we decided on Moroha first as her position takes a step back. We decided on Towa and Setsuna at the end after looking at the balance between them and considering Moroha for a second time.

— What were the key points in selecting the cast outside the three girls?

Naka: We left it up to Nagura-san. There were times when he asked for our review and opinions.

For example, there was an idea for Riku (CV: Fukuyama Jun) to have a more feminine voice. But when we spoke to director Satō, he said “A masculine image”, so we went with that direction.

— The Miroku that Yasumura Makoto-san, who replaced the late Tsujitani Kōji-san, played was a hot topic but did Nagura-san decide on that casting as well?

Satō: Regarding Yasumura-san, we asked Tsuruoka Yota, who was the sound director for “Inuyasha”, to decide. We thought that fit more under the category of “Inuyasha” rather than “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

Of course, I’m sure the viewers knew (the voice) was going to change, but we received a lot of feedback saying “It’s Miroku-sama!” and “It doesn’t feel out of place at all!” when episode 1 was broadcasted.

I was in Tsujitani-san’s care many times as a sound director prior to him playing Miroku. I was still a newbie producer back then but even when I met him after that at the “Inuyasha” set, he spoke to me like “Hello~”

I was producing while my heart was pounding hard. During testing, when I was panicking because I couldn’t match up the lip-syncing, he reached out to me like “We’ll do the syncing so it’s fine”. The figure of him reaching out to me so nicely is strong in my memory.

It was such a shame that he died so young. However, this time Yasumura-san, who was also his junior at the same agency, is working hard as his successor, and I think he was casted well.

Naka: Director Satō, you said “The air around Yasumura-san is completely different now compared to when I worked with him in other works”.

Satō: In episode 1, it seems he was really nervous having to record with the cast of “Inuyasha” who are high level seniors.

He was relaxed to some extent in episode 13 which was Miroku’s episode. He said to me “I’m sorry about before when I was extremely nervous” (laughs).

Creating Scenes in A Way That’s Distinct from the Popular (Methods)

— In order to make viewers feel that this is a work that inherits the world of “Inuyasha”, do you do any devising on the production side?

Satō: I would say scene creation. We don’t really get onboard with the popular trends. We split the cuts and show things the way they did in “Inuyasha” in order to smoothly give it that “Inuyasha” feel. I think it’s distinct from what’s popular nowadays.

This might be weird way of saying it, but it’s like we’re using an old-fashioned way of creating. By purposely doing things in a “Works from about 10 years ago felt like this” sort of way, it brings out that “Inuyasha” feel.

For other parts, Sumisawa-san directs the theatrical elocution and we have the same sound team from “Inuyasha” working, so no particular explanation is needed. In that aspect, they’re making it a lot easier for me (laughs).

For me, “Inuyasha” was the first work I did as a freelance producer. Not only was it a work that taught me the fundamentals of producing, but I also learned (how to make) storyboards from “Inuyasha”. In that sense, it’s a very memorable work.

— At the beginning, you said you “Put in devices that connect to “Inuyasha””, but between episode 9-12, demons that appeared in “Inuyasha” were continuously making appearances and it became a topic of discussion.

Naka: That section was the “devoured by Mōryōmaru” series. We had to speed through things in “Inuyasha the Final Act”, so I brought out those demons thinking “If we could just use the demons that we couldn’t properly show back then, even just a little”.

Satō: After fall for Meiōjū, we only had the scene of Mōryōmaru taking the armored shell (laughs)

Naka: We explain that ���The demon that appeared this time is actually in “Inuyasha”” on the official Twitter account. It would be wonderful if there are people who take an interest in “Inuyasha” after watching “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

Satō: I think there’s also a wonderful world laid out in that work, so we would certainly love for you to watch “Inuyasha” while enjoying “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

Picking Out Noteworthy Episodes and Explaining Them!

— From here, we will have you look back on episodes that have already aired. We have picked out a number of impressionable episodes, so please tell us some secret (behind the) production stories, memorable recordings, and scenes that left a lasting impression on you.

Episode 1: Inuyasha Since Then

Satō: It was like a “class reunion” (laughs). Although, we couldn’t have everyone record together due to the COVID crisis.

We had everyone take turns recording but they were all was greeting each other like “Oh my god~!” as they passed by one another. Likewise, it was a teamwork that went without saying.

Jaken (played by Chō-san) was adlibbing a lot and that situation made me really think “This is “Inuyasha””.

The first episode was mainly “Inuyasha” basically, but at the very beginning and end, we had the story connect to episode 7 of “Hanyō no Yashahime”. In that sense, the episode was pretty much full “Inuyasha”.

Naka: While we had director Satō do the storyboard and production, I saw the storyboard and felt “Ah, it’s “Inuyasha”. It will be okay”. Like feeling relieved (laughs)

Satō: When 10 years goes by, the producers from back then aren’t around anymore. The people I worked with are now at the director level. Explaining something like the rules of “Inuyasha” from square one to the new people is a hassle, so I was like “I’ll do this myself” (laughs).

The surprising thing is, we had the same group of people from 20 year ago with chief animation director Hishinuma Yoshihito (in charge of character design in “Inuyasha”. In this work, he oversees animation character design) and the animators from back then. It felt as though “Ah, nothing’s changed”.

I remember working while saying “Back then, I never thought we would do something like this 20 years later”.

Episode 2: The Three Princesses

Satō: You could say this episode was episode 1 for “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

Due to the COVID crisis, we couldn’t have the three princesses record together and it made me realize how important it was for everyone to record together. Even though it’s a conversation, when you have one person record first and the other person responding while listening (the recording), it changes the mood and rhythm.

Nagura-san tried to match up schedules so that the three princesses could record together as much as possible, but in the end, we couldn’t record with everyone. In a sense, episode 2 was very memorable to me in that it left the impression of “So we’re going to have to record like this from now on”.

I think all the works that started airing in the fall were in the same situation, not just “Hanyō no Yashahime”. Since we were recording in chunks, it became necessary to pay even more attention than before to ensure that we didn’t forget to record anything.

I’m grateful to everyone involved that we somehow managed to air every week, despite these difficult times.

Naka: The first demon that appears in episode 2, is a point where we kept “Inuyasha” in mind as we pulled Mistress Three Eyes from Mistress Centipede.

I think it was an episode where we appealed that “We’re aware of the “Rumik World”” by putting in the hoodlums mentioned earlier and Towa’s gag face.

Even though the original “Inuyasha” leaned a little more to the serious side, I think Rumiko-sensei’s taste of allowing a little bit of leeway while not shaking off just that (aspect) is there.

This time as well, including the broadcast time, there were views from inside stating that they didn’t want to make (the episode) too serious. However, director Satō had already added that kind of relaxedness even before that was directly said. He splendidly created that balance that wasn’t too serious.

Episode 7: The Apple Meeting

Satō: Riku, who appears in episode 7, is a character we aimed to have revitalize the story by plopping in a new character just when the story was about to get stuck in a rut. Rumiko-sensei also uses this technique; for example, Kōga and Mugen no Byakuya in “Inuyasha”.

I spoke with Sumisawa-san at the beginning, expressing my desire to introduce a new character to revitalize the story before viewers could start thinking “We’re going to just keep watching this journey?” as they watch the three princesses progress on their journey. He’s a keyman who stirs up the story.

Plus, the three Yashahimes are girls, so there was also the idea of having a romantic component like with Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kikyō. Although he ended up having the feel of a pick-up artist as a result of trying to add that component in (laughs).

Naka: Episode 7 is an episode that connects to episode 1. We intended to put in the device of connecting episode 1 to another episode when we organized it, but after watching episode 7 I thought “It connected pretty well”.

I think it was nicely organized as it turned into a spoiler episode where you found out why Towa was there and what Setsuna and Moroha were doing while Yotsume was telling the old tale.

Satō: Going forward, Riku will gradually involve himself with Towa, and we wanted to show why that is over a number of episodes.

I think you’ll understand to some extent in episode 15, but he’s a character that you don’t know which side he swings to (friend or foe?), so he’s a character to look forward to in that sense.

Episode 13: The Delicious Feudal Monk

Satō: It was a parent child episode with Miroku and Hisui (CV: Urao Takehiro) that we added with the desire to develop Hisui. He is the son of Miroku and Sango (CV: Kuwashima Houko) and I think everyone was wondering what Miroku was currently doing, so we thought it would be nice to introduce what Miroku was up to here and depict the parent-child relationship.

Naka: It’s an episode where Hisui finally plays an active role. It was a feeling of sorry to have completely kept you waiting in the first cour. I am glad we were able to give him an active role to some extent. Moroha ended up going somewhere else though (laughs)

Finally, Setsuna stole the show at the end when her true power was released. I think it brings out Miroku and other “Inuyasha” characters in a good manner while still having highlights for “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

Episode 14: The Mastermind Who Burned the Forest

Satō: This is the episode where the truth behind the fire that attacked young Towa and Setsuna is revealed. It’s a real binding episode you could say, and I think it’s a story that could be put in a modern setting.

Also, from this story, the distance between Towa and Setsuna that we talked about earlier will somewhat destroy a line, I think. There’s Towa who shows her anger towards Homura, the one who tore them (the twins) apart, and Setsuna who has some thoughts from seeing that.

If you can feel that, I think how you view episode 15 will change.

Naka: I thought Towa’s comparison to a smartphone at the beginning was a little off as she doesn’t understand the concept of jealousy (laughs).

Also, something that I thought was strange after rewatching episode 14 was how the gardener and the cook were fine with working in such a dangerous place (laughs). I thought it was amazing even though they’re just regular humans.

Demons and humans unexpectedly coexist in this world. In a sense, you could say it’s very open-minded for a demon. Demons were depicted in all sorts of places in “Inuyasha” too, so it was an episode that made me realize once again that it’s this kind of world.

Episode 15: Lunar Eclipse, The Sorrowful Parting of Fate

Satō: Why did Towa and Setsuna have to grow up separated (from their parents) when they were young? This is the episode that answers that and depicts the continuation of the brief flashback in episode 8.

Why Sesshōmaru and Kirinmaru confronted Inuyasha and Kagome becomes clear. With this, I think you can start to understand Sesshōmaru’s actions.

Naka: This episode was a little different. To begin with, we thought that patrons would be happy to see Inuyasha and the others at the end of the first cour, so we organized it so that the past would be discussed at this timing.

It’s just that it felt completely independent from the main story and Riku just suddenly narrates it, so I’m sure viewers were surprised. Riku was in there as like the navigator.

The three Yashahimes don’t particularly know this, and this episode was purely for the viewers. It would be great if everyone looks forward to what’s to come while keeping this in mind.

— Thank you very much. Lastly, please give a message to our readers who are looking forward to what’s coming up ahead.

Naka: Cour 1 has just ended and we have entered cour 2, so from here on you will learn the things that you wanted to know. Please see for yourself how Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha will grow as you look forward to the mysteries being unraveled.

Satō: After episode 15, “what each character must do” will continuously become clear, and it will become a story that pursues that. On top of that, it would make me really happy if you could enjoy watching what will happen to the three (girls).

#yashahime #hanyou no yashahime #yashahime: princess half demon #translation

[raeynbowboi]

Building an Embodiment of the Fairytale Princess (2.0)

This is nothing new. I’ve done this build before, which I’ll link right [here]. The post did really well, and people seemed to love the concept. However, since then, Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything have both come out, bringing with them not only new subclasses, but new features, spells, mechanics, and elements that I couldn’t take into consideration the first time around. So, I decided that rather than just adding a tag on post like I did before, I’d just remake the build with the new features being taken into consideration. Like before, the focus of the build is to create an embodiment of the generic fairytale princess and not any one particular character. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Like before, we’ll be choosing Variant Human for our race of choice. We’ll channel Sleeping Beauty to be gifted by the fey with blessings of Beauty, Grace, and Song for +1 CHA, +1 DEX, and Performance proficiency. We also get a bonus feat, and thanks to Tasha’s, we can now take Fey Blessed for +1 CHA. However, if she doesn’t cast with Charisma, then substitute those CHA bonuses with Wisdom instead.

The generic fairytale princess is a maid of purest heart, so we’re Lawful Good. But for your more rebellious princesses, Neutral Good or Chaotic Good are also valid.

Background is obviously Noble for proficiency with History and Persuasion.

CLASSES & SUBCLASSES

BARD

This one seems pretty obvious. Bards love to sing and dance, like your stereotypical princess. Because Charisma is their top stat, and they have expertise, it can make them great negotiators, and allow them to excel in dialogue interactions.

GLAMOUR

This college is very fitting for a fairytale princess, as it is focused on making oneself as beautiful and charming as the Fairest of Them All.

LORE 

Lore bards share information, whether they tell stories, recite plays, share philosophy, or spread juicy gossip, the Lore Bard gets more magical secrets, and added expertise to make your princess an even bigger Mary Sue. In actual medieval history, princesses often learned to play instruments and sing, recite prayers or poems, or tell stories to visiting guests, and it was considered a part of her education and duty to do so.

CLERIC

While not every princess is a devout religious girl, their stories tend to be set in the medieval period when a good princess would have been expected to be chaste and pious. So on that front, worshiping a good deity would be befitting of such a character.

LIFE

The fairytale princess raises up those they care about, and nothing is more supportive and helpful than keeping your friends on their feet. The Life Cleric turns your princess into a kind soul who weeps for her friends and patches them up after the battle, turning your princess into a useful ally against the wicked witches and dangerous dragons.

LIGHT

Not all Fairytale Princesses are passive or support players. Those who lean toward Light are the princesses who stand as the Big Good of their story and battle the forces of Darkness with the power of the Light. Of the three Cleric options that fit the archetype, this is the best option for being a powerhouse in combat.

PEACE

Don’t get me wrong, I still hate this domain for wearing the skin of the Love Domain we were supposed to get, and you can absolutely still play it that way. How this domain went from Love to Togetherness to Pacifism is beyond me, but it’s a fairly strong subclass. The classic princess archetype is supposed to be gentle and kind, fitting for one who worships a god of mercy and forgiveness. It’s a value often toted as the strongest characterization of the early Disney princesses.

DRUID

My first time building the fairytale princess, I ignored Druid as an option because the wildshaping didn’t really make sense for a fairytale princess, but a lot of the Bardic Magical Secrets were used to steal Druid spells. However, thanks to the optional rules from Tasha’s, Druids can now use their Wildshape to summon fey that take on the shapes of animals instead of turning into the animals themselves, which makes Druid far more viable, as summoning animals is very in-character for a fairytale princess.

DREAMS 

The Circle of Dreams has heavy Fey associations with references to the Summer Court ruled by Titania. It also is strongly focused on healing, and has a very Fairy Tale flavor to it. It’s an especially great option if you want to invoke Sleeping Beauty, as you can cloak your party while you sleep and send messages to people through your dreams.

SHEPHERD

The fairytale princess is strongly associated with animal buddies, and nothing makes better use of that than the Shepherd Druid, which focuses on amassing an army of critters. What’s more, the Unicorn Totem is very fitting, not only because Unicorns only approach maidens with pure hearts, but Shepherds of the Unicorn Totem get empowered healing.

SORCERER

The sorcerer is born with a spark of something special in them, and a lot of fantasy royalty have magical powers that other people in their world lack.

DIVINE SOUL

The princess doesn’t literally have to be the descendant of the gods, as the original name for the subclass was more about being favored by the gods. Still, if you want to lean into the idea of the princess as the Big Good against the Big Bad, then having her be born with the spark of the gods inside her makes for a neat characterization.

WILD MAGIC 

With the new Sorcerer Shards as I’ve come to call them, we were introduced to the Feywild Shard, which was heavily geared toward Wild Magic Sorcerers, which seems to be WoTC’s way of saying that Wild Magic Sorcerers are the fey-linked sorcerous origin, so I’m including it because of our fey connection. 

WARLOCK

This is the only class where there’s exactly one good option, but it’s one that works surprisingly well.

ARCHFEY 

As a Warlock with a Pact of the Chain, your fairytale princess can choose to Find Familiar any cute little animal companion, or a Sprite to be your Fairy Godmother. Or rather, you can sign a pact with your Fairy Godmother, and use your Chain Pact to summon one of her emissaries to help you. The Archfey patron themselves can act as your Fairygodther, granting you and your party boons and aid where they need it.

WARLOCK INVOCATIONS

Agonizing Blast Armor of Shadows Beast Speech Eldritch Mind Eldritch Sight Gift of the Ever-Living Ones Shroud of Shadow Voice of the Chain Master

CHARISMA vs WISDOM

The big split in how you build your princess falls down the line between these two camps. The wise princess works better as a Druid/Cleric, while a charming princess is more of a Bardlock. For me personally, as much as the Cleruid fits the fairytale princess, the stereotype of the princess is usually that she is gullible, naïve, and overly trusting. Insight is a wisdom check, and something the classic princess archetype is usually bad at. Granted, Animal Handling is also Wisdom, but the Bard’s expertise can overrule a low Wisdom score. Think of it like a clash between Princess Zelda from the Legend of Zelda vs Princess Peach from Mario. Princess Zelda is wise and is much more focused on leadership and protecting her kingdom. Peach is more about the pretty dresses and having servants help her. They’re two very different camps on the princess archetype. Ultimately, which one you choose will depend on the type of princess you wish to invoke. The Classic Damsel or the Wise Matriarch.

SIDEKICKS

A new feature added in Tasha’s, sidekicks are secondary characters that can help the party and are basically simplified character builds with fewer bells and whistles. There are three main camps:

Expert. Experts are clever and knowledgeable, be they minstrels, librarians, pickpockets, merchants, or assassins. They can pick proficiency with DEX, INT, or CHA saving throws, and can be proficient or an expert with any five skills of your choice, and humanoids also gain proficiency with light armor, simple weapons, and two tools of your choice.

Spellcaster. Trained in the secrets of the Arcane, be they a priest, a fortuneteller, or a magical creature. They can choose proficiency with INT, WIS, or CHA checks, and can be proficient in Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, or Religion. They choose a roll to determine their spell list: Mage (Wizard), Healer (Cleric, Druid) or Prodigy (Bard, Warlock). The sidekick has access to the spell list of the classes their role aligns with, as well as casting with that stat.

Warrior. trained fighters, be they a soldier, a city guard, a trained animal, or a hired sword. They can pick proficiency with STR, DEX, or CON saving throws, and their skill options are Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival. Warriors can pick a fighting style: either Offensive to add +2 to attack and damage rolls, or Defender to impose disadvantage on hitting creatures other than them while within 5 feet of the princess.

Generic Princess Sidekicks

Humanoid Guard Warrior (bodyguard) Humanoid Commoner Expert (handmaiden, governess, etc.) Humanoid Magewright Spellcaster (court mage, or advisor) Any Beast-type Warrior (animal companion)

Fairytale Inspired Sidekicks

Seven Dwarves - Dwarf Warrior Fairy Godmother - Sprite or Pixie Spellcaster Prince Charming - Humanoid Noble Warrior Wicked Witch - Barovian Witch Spellcaster Beast - Gnoll, Jackalwere, Orc, or Troglodyte Warrior Puss in Boots - Awakened Cat or Tabaxi Warrior The Frog Prince - Awakened Frog or Grung Warrior Three Little Pigs - Awakened Pig Expert, Spellcaster, & Warrior Big Bad Wolf - Wolf Warrior or Awakened Wolf Expert Robin Hood - Redbrand Ruffian or Bandit Expert Djinn of the Lamp - Dust, Ice, or Magma Mephit Spellcaster Pinocchio - Giant Stone Statue Warrior White Rabbit - Awakened Rabbit Expert Cheshire Cat - Awakened Cat Expert or Spellcaster

There is no actual limit to the number of sidekicks your character can have, so in theory, your fairytale princess could have an entire posse of talking animals hanging out and helping her.

Skills, Spells, and Features

As a Variant Human, we got Performance proficiency alongside our Fey Touched feat, and as a Noble, we have proficiency with Persuasion and History. For everything else, we’re just looking to be a standard Fairytale Princess. So we should look to be proficient with: Animal Handling, Arcana, Religion, Nature, or Medicine.

BASIC FAIRIES

Dancing Lights Faerie Fire Healing Spirits Spirit Guardians Summon Fey Conjure Woodland Beings Conjure Fey

BASIC PRINCESS THINGS

Animal Friendship Command Heroism Speak With Animals Animal Messenger Calm Emotions Find Steed Warding Bond Zone of Truth Conjure Animals Mord’s Magnificent Mansion

SNOW WHITE

Armor of Agathys Mirror Image Beacon of Hope Aura of Purity Heroes’ Feast

CINDERELLA

Fabricate Creation True Polymorph Wish

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Sleep Phantasmal Killer Dream Wall of Thorns Dream of the Blue Veil

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Charm Person Shatter Suggestion Tidal Wave Compulsion Control Water Dominate Person Maelstrom Control Weather Tsunami Storm of Vengeance

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Charm Monster Unseen Servant Tiny Servant Animate Objects Awaken Hold Monster Summon Fiend

Last time I built the fairytale princess, I gave her exactly 1 build. 18 levels of glamour bard and 2 levels of Archfey Warlock. But recently I’ve begun to instead put more stock in leaving builds open, showing instead the options that a player has to choose from. So, for this update, I’m not pushing for a specific build. I’ve laid out the appropriate spells, and the types of princesses that a player can strive to emulate with their spell lists. Consider this more of a guide to help you decide how you want to play your fairytale princess.

#fairytale princess #fairytale #princess #disney princess #disney princesses #disney #walt disney co #snow white #cinderella #sleeping beauty #little mermaid #the little mermaid #ariel #aurora #beauty and the beast #belle #La Belle et la Bête #la belle et la bete #dungeons & dragons #dnd #5th edition #Dungeons and Dragons #dnd 5e #dnd 5th edition #Fifth Edition #5e #dnd fifth edition #fairy #fairy tale #fey

[rangergirl3]

It’s October!

In the “plus” column, we have:

Whumptober (Oh yes, it’s here!)

My birthday - the 15th! :D Wheee!! Can’t believe I’ll turn - gasp - 33 this year?! :D :D lol honestly I am quite pleased to have made it this far <3 <3 <3

and!

Halloween (aka not sure if my kiddo wants to go as a: ballerina, doctor, teacher, cowgirl, Ladybug Girl, Pinkalicious, fairy, pirate, or princess.) In order to best prepare her costume, I shall: Sit back. Watch as she proceeds to don every. Single. dress-up. article of clothing she owns. Applaud in delight. And then hand her a Halloween bucket and enjoy going out trick or treating with her being absolutely everything, all at once. :D :D I might…be a ghost? Idk. I do have a bow and arrow. Perhaps I shall attempt to go as my name, Rangergirl. :D :D Oooh. That could be fun. :D

In other breaking news, this is also me, writing/brainstorming for this month:

But, on the other hand, I do sort of have to brace myself for an unpleasant family-of-origin-task which is coming up next week. Namely, interacting face-to-face with both of my parents, which is not fun, at all. But:

1) I’m keeping my boundaries in place. Namely, I will be the one to initiate any type of physical contact whatsoever. Which is important, as I do not feel safe around them, ever, but at least I can keep them at more than arms length this way.

2) It will be a very, very short interaction, and my hubby (aka best friend) will be with me every second. Like, I will literally not be alone with either of my parents for any reason, whatsoever. The better to avoid attempts at emotional subversion, petty comments, etc. (or at least to limit my exposure to them).

3) I’m putting together a playlist to help me remember that this is, overall, a very tiny portion of time, and that I am a kickass awesome resilient person, and my family of origin are dumb butts for not treating me with respect. Included are: ‘Finish Line’ by Skillet, ‘Hero’ by NerdOut, and ‘Never Going Back’ by The Score. :D

4) I’ll only be out of my regular, sanity-reassuring routine for a few short days, but…eh. I will be interacting with two of the people who were consistently terrible to me throughout my formative years. Put simply, I do not like the cone of shame. (Pixar movie reference there). And like, I won’t tolerate asinine behavior, but…it’s going to be sort of difficult, going back to the general area where that mindset of ‘You’re a bad daughter!’ was so ingrained into my pyche.

5) On the plus side, I can…um…show my hubby the Starbucks I used to hang out at when I was in highschool…? Because I had no friends and it was where I would spend time either reading or crafting when waiting to get picked up from after school stuff, and even though it was in the heart of a crazy downtown location, due to the house I lived in being too crowded/stressful/dangerous, I just…felt so much better there in Starbucks. If you got there early enough, you could scoootch a table and a chair into a small corner in the back and just people watch, which was nice. High point of my school years, right there. <3

And for the finale of this post, please have a gif of the one, the only, the INCREDIBLE Marisha Ray for just - you know. Being her. And doing all that awesome ‘dope monk shit’ as her character in Campaign 2 of Critical Role.

Please know that I love you all, my wonderful friends, and I am thinking of you! <3 Also hoping to interact more once this crazy-making family-of-origin-stuff is out of the way <3

#Long post #whumptober mentioned #I have a notebook with two pages of ideas #Yessss

[legendofzelda4life]

I saw your post about wanting to get into mcyt stuff and I didn't think I could fit all of it into a reply so here we go:

It depends on what type of content you're interested in. Hermitcraft is pretty lighthearted and doesn't have much lore, it's mostly for if you want to see people make cool builds/redstone contraptions, pull pranks on each other, and other do other shenanigans. It's on it's 9th season but you really don't have to watch the previous seasons, you can just jump right into it. Also season 9 started not too long ago so it's easy to get caught up on the current stuff rn. It's available in 15-50 minute (depending on who you watch) episodes on youtube.

Third Life is a series that finished awhile ago where all the players have three lives and live within a world border, which means there's conflict over resources, lots of factions, etc. Very roleplay heavy and if you like lore then that's one I'd highly recommend. (it also had a sequel series "Last Life" which was a fresh start for everyone, added in a couple more mcyters, and changed up the rules to make it interesting.) Also available on youtube in thirty-ish minute episodes.

Then there's the Dream SMP, which I don't know how to categorize it as far as lighthearted/serious because it's really both. There's some streams where it's constant jokes and nothing is taken too seriously, and other streams that focus solely on the plotline and have some gut wrenching lines. Also the tone of the series really depends on who's pov you watch, because a horror storyline from one pov can be a comedy storyline from another pov. It's on it's fourth season right now, which is a lot of content to get through before you're caught up, but tbh when I joined the fandom I really enjoyed watching through all the old videos and streams to get caught up, and there's really no rush to catch up quickly besides trying to avoid spoilers. The Dream SMP members don't make a lot of youtube videos about the events of the server (it's all livestreamed on twitch) so the best way to get caught up is either the Dream SMP notable events playlist by Fairy Rave, or Blueberry TV's videos.

There's also Empires SMP, (which full disclosure I only watched a couple episodes of, but it took over my dash for awhile so I know a bit about it) but it's has a fair bit of lore (some POVS are more roleplay focused than others) and basically everyone has their own empire that they rule, and there's a crown and if one of the members obtains the crown then they can make a rule that everyone's supposed to follow (though how many people actually follow it really comes down to how well that person can actually enforce it.) There's some other rules about how that works, and one person can't typically defend the crown for long. There's a couple different storylines, some of them involve magic and a demon named Xornoth, others are more about characters backstories and relationships. Empires SMP finished awhile ago, but I think they're planning on doing a season 2 with new characters. It's available on Youtube in 10-30 minute episodes.

There's also Afterlife SMP, which is still ongoing. I don't know a lot about it other than it's modded with the Origins pack, which means everyone has different powers (some people can fly, teleport, are super tall or super tiny, etc) and different weaknesses (takes damage from water, can't be near light, etc.) and every time someone dies they have to reroll their origin and become something entirely new. After they die 10 times, they're out of the series. I know there's some roleplaying on the server but I don't know much about it. It's also available on Youtube in 10-20ish minute episodes.

There's also a lot of other minecraft smps that I didn't cover because I don't know anything about them, but these are some of the most popular ones I've seen on mcytblr.

Holy shit that's a lot lmao

I think I'll try and start with Dream SMP because that's what I see most but like all the rest sound so cool

Also sorry for taking so long to respond to this, I've had to read it bit by bit because I've been out all day lol

#mcyt #this is a lot of info i didn't know #also this was so nicely structured until i clicked answer #big sad

[rotworld]

Voice and Style

an anon asked:

Do you have any tips for learning how to write in a different writing style?

and honestly i just went off the rails lmfao this is a long post, but hopefully it's useful. i wasn't 100% sure what you meant by style, but i assume you mean more along the lines of "voice" than the difference between like narrative, persuasive, etc. but let me know if you meant something else! what i'm going to do is 1) talk about voice in writing, 2) author voice vs character voice and examples, and 3) actually answer the question. i promise 1 and 2 are relevant to get to 3!

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to start we need to break down what "voice" is. this is a term that gets thrown around a lot when people talk about writing, and i've heard people get a little heated about it lol but i'll give my take at least. there are actually two kinds of voice: the writer's voice, and character voice. we'll start by focusing on the former.

describing an author's voice is tricky, because it's largely subjective. some parts of it are concrete and easy to analyze, while others are down to the author's personality, perspective, and life experience. while it is something that you continue to hone as you gain experience, it isn't something you can measure or "rank" comparatively. so...what the hell is it lol

if we boil it down to the simplest components, here's what i think goes into voice: tone, syntax, word choice, and perspective. this isn't all that voice is, but these are the fundamental building blocks, and the way you use them is a mix of personal preference/affinity, your level of experience as a writer, and who you are outside of writing.

->tone is often described as the "attitude" of your writing, the mood you evoke with a combination of the other components. in "twelve moments in the life of an artist," david sedaris recounts his struggles with an attempt at an art career and a meth addiction, simultaneously. the subject matter is difficult and emotionally distressing, but because it's sedaris writing it, it's fucking hilarious. it's funny because of the tone, the ridiculous statements he makes, the witty observations and the flippant way he describes things. someone else could write the same story and make it a dramatic tragedy, but sedaris' tone is one of humor.

->syntax is the way a writer constructs their sentences. i know this sounds boring lol but it can play a huge role in a writer's voice. when do you use long and complex sentences versus short and simple ones? do you use repetition, and for what purpose? when do you use active or passive voice? for example, "the monster bit him" vs "he was bitten by the monster." these sentences mean the same thing but have a subtle difference in where the focus is. these might seem like small, insignificant details, but they can drastically change how a work sounds. the rhythm of your writing also ties into syntax.

->word choice is just how it sounds: what words do you use when you write? are you more of a "purple prose" type who likes flowery, detailed descriptions, or are you more sparse and "beige?" do you use certain phrases of colloquialisms?

->perspective is straightforward, too. do you like or have a tendency for 1st, 2nd or 3rd person? there's some variation in 3rd person, too, like omniscient 3rd or close 3rd. i think a writer's strength and preference in this, as well as when they deviate, also contributes to their voice.

but what about character voice? this is kind of similar, but limited to specific characters and how you portray them. it includes their dialogue and word choice but also their perspective or worldview, their opinions, and their personality expressed by their interactions. it's the kind of thing that differentiates characters speaking even without a speech tag to label them. there might be really extreme differences between character voices and the author's voice, depending on the character.

i always feel kind of narcissistic using my own work as an example lmao but i think changeling is a good example, since each passage is super focused on a particular character and their perspective. in first person, or close 3rd like this, a character voice can come out in narration. huntress sounds like this:

The hunt ends. Her catch, meager. Still, she will not waste it. Wolf Mother travels far to see the meat put to good use.

She walks the crossroads, strange paths through the strange world. Sniffs out the road she needs and steps through thick fog. Darkness gives way to orange autumn haze. Eternal harvest season. Blackened corn rots on the stalk. Machinery rusts in the fields. Bloated animal bodies decay in old barns. It is sad and stifling, the stench of forgotten things. And there—the farmer’s son. Lopsided boy. He stands on his porch, wiping blood and grime from his hammer. Distrustful, he watches Wolf Mother. Above, a slow-turning weathervane creaks.

her sentences are often short and choppy. the unusual syntax (the hunt ends. her catch, meager) gives it a feeling like a feral stream of consciousness. rotten corn, machine rust and bodies decaying are visceral, smelly descriptions because her sense of smell is especially strong and she relies on it to interact with the world. in contrast, ghostface sounds like this:

He’s hanging around Haddonfield when She comes calling, because he doesn’t have a realm of his own. Oh, no, no, no, of course it’s not a problem. He doesn’t mind at all, honest! It’s just, you know, he’s real good at this whole ritualistic murder thing. Got a knack for it, you might say. He was something of a professional before he ever got brought on board with an impressive résumé spanning most of the continental United States—not that he’s bragging, of course. He’s just experienced, motivated, highly-organized, versatile, and frankly, overqualified.

this is almost conversational. he's "hanging around," he's "got a knack for it," like the way you talk to a friend. his narration has a very informal and emotive vocabulary. he talks about his skill at murdering people like he's at a job interview, and he's extremely arrogant. my hope, as the author, is that all of this comes across and you get a strong sense of these characters just from brief passages.

finally, we can go back to the original question lol how do you write in a different "style?" i think you have to analyze different styles and voices, and figure out what you're going for. do you want to write something dreamy and surreal, or more dry and sarcastic? what tone are you going for, and how can your usage of word choice, syntax and perspective help you attain it?

i'm giving you homework lmao track down your favorite book and try analyzing the author's voice. take some notes on the tone, and if it contrasts the subject matter or genre (is it cynical? is it nostalgic? is it a lighthearted, fairy tale-esque fantasy or a more somber, gothic one?). also pay attention to the word choice. how vivid or descriptive is the prose? does it evoke certain imagery or themes? (in kraken by china mieville, a story about a giant squid that goes missing from a museum and the chaos that follows, he uses a lot of water and squid metaphors.) use the elements of voice listed above as a checklist of things to look for. if there's a certain writer you want to emulate or take inspiration from, studying their work like this could help a lot.

one last thing: since we talked so much about voice, i want to ask why you want to change your style. you can ignore this part if you want lol this is just a pep talk and something i think is good to mention. if you want to focus on differentiating character voices, or trying out a new style for fun, that's awesome! you can and should experiment with style, but remember that your voice as a writer is something unique to you. it's not something that you have to fundamentally change. we can all learn from other writers and hone or refine our style, but i think who we are on a personal level affects our affinity for certain stylistic choices that form our voice.

for example, on a scale of purple to beige, i lean pretty lavender lmao but i'm not ashamed of that! i was influenced a lot by writers who have a (capital R) Romantic flair to their prose, so i like flowery language and descriptions of nature. if it gets too purple and "in the way" of the story, then sure, i might need to trim down certain passages. but my affinity and tendencies aren't something i'm going to get rid of altogether, rather something i'll practice so they're super polished. once you identify your voice, i think you should embrace it and roll with it.

#rotpeach answers #rot on writing #i apologize in advance for the length of this post #but i thought this was a super good question and it really made me think! #disclaimer i have little to no formal education on the subject but i feel pretty confident about what i wrote here lol

[reversemoon255]

(This is the final of a three-part series chronicling the development and ideas behind “Dungeons ‘n’ Dragonites,” a Pokémon DnD campaign. This last entry will be about the final string of encounters, some of the later ideas for story elements, and a deep dive into the overarching themes of the campaign’s Starters. Speaking of, the fantastic art of them, along with many of the other original Pokémon seen here, was done by @extyrannomon on Twitter, and I highly suggest you check them out.)

Dungeons ‘n’ Dragonites - Phase 3: Fauxchemine

Like the Queen Durant, the Steelix/Glacix fight would have been a transitory battle between phases of the campaign, taking place right before the Starters were about to evolve for the final time. Glacix was an idea I came up with early in development. As Rock, Steel, and Ice have a relationship throughout Pokémon, having Onix evolve into a specially tanky Ice-Type rather than the physically tanky Steelix made sense. This was also a design I put a lot of work into the actual proportions, like stretching its face vertically as Onix is circular, and Steelix is horizontally stretched. Also, as Steelix has two long spikes on every other segment, Glacix has four smaller spikes in the same pattern.

Glacix was also the first of the four penultimate boss encounters before the close of the campaign, each representing one of the four sacred beasts of Chinese mythology. I thought it would be a pattern that players could recognize and possibly plan ahead for. Glacix was always planned as the Phase 2-to-3 transitory boss, but I actually had roughly prototyped the other three before I realized Glacix fit into role of the Azure Dragon (which I was missing).

The second of the bosses, representing both the Black Tortoise and Rare Variants, was a Dire Torterra. The idea was this Torterra was symbiotic, housing a Sudowoodo instead of a tree, and hiding its identity was a shiny Altaria capable of Mega Evolving thanks to the Key Stone that had replaced one of Torterra’s stone spikes. This was a rough concept, and I’m sure it would have changed drastically by the time the players would actually encounter it.

Third, representing both the White Tiger and Ultra Beasts, was Shora (from Shodo and Tora, the Japanese words for calligraphy and tiger). A pure white tiger that paints floating, metal stripes above its body with its brush-like tail. This was an idea I was very happy with, though I lacked the artistic abilities to render it effectively. If I remember correctly, the markings above its shoulder were based on the Kanji for Tiger. I also hadn’t settled on an ability for it, which was key for depicting Ultra Beasts in this campaign.

And the last of the penultimate bosses was Phanic, being a second Ultra Beast and representing the Vermilion Phoenix. Sadly, I had little planned for this guy apart from some concept designs, like the rest of them. I was working on these as the campaign was starting, and didn’t pursue finishing them after its premature conclusion.

Phanic (from Phoenix and Panic) is actually an Ostrich. If you picture a phoenix, you typically imagine great plumes of feathers around the head, wings, and tail, which are all things Ostriches specifically lack, and I wanted to subvert that typical depiction. I liked the idea that when it was startled, it would scatter its feathers resulting in an exclamation point forming using the spot on its face. It was supposed to seem unassuming compared to the many larger and more imposing bosses, though just as dangerous. Also, it was Electric-Type because it is frequently “shocked” *Ba-dum-tish.*

=====

Let’s talk about our players. One of the backstory elements our Grass Trainer, Ethan, had was that his parents’ restaurant was struck by lightning and destroyed some time before he went to school, and saw a Pokémon at that time. This left him with a fear of lightning (ironically picking an Electric-Type Starter). With this knowledge, and as I was using Ultra Beasts, I altered his backstory slightly so that it was caused by a Xurkitree, and would eventually encounter one during the campaign with his victory over it (probably with a lot of Wisdom Saves) curing his phobia.

Johnny, our Fire Trainer, had a goal of becoming an entertainer, but was vague about what kind. I had an idea for a “Streamer” Trainer Class he could run into. Someone who uses their Rotom Phone to live stream battles and get reactions and advice from their chat. (Let’s face it, if Pokémon were real, this would totally be a thing.) There was also DJ Tomomitsu, who runs Stelopy City’s Trainer Radio, and was a Gym Leader. The idea was to present a bunch of different Pokémon-based entertainment ideas and professions and have him decide which ideas he liked and wanted to pursue.

While our other players were aiming for careers, Orion, our Water Trainer, was more interested in exploring his relationship with his family. His father in particular; both he and his wife being high-ranking executives for Silph Co., and raising their children to also be successful. However, Orion had always wanted to be a Trainer, and it was his parents that prevented him from adventuring. I had it that his father was so against the idea was because he, too, was a Trainer in his youth. But not a successful one, failing many more times than he succeeded, and didn’t want his son to suffer the same disappointments as he did. His partner was Rhyperior, btw.

Lastly was our Fairy Trainer, Arthur. He wanted to be a Gym Leader, and cited specific interest in the Galar League. He also mentioned in his back story that his father was belligerent and against the idea. While the Leaders of the Galar League are entertainers by profession, if you look at the list of Gym Leaders and Kahunas in US equivalent regions, almost all of them have a profession and run Gyms on the side:

(Restaurant Owner, Museum Curator, Artist, Model, Business Tycoon, Pilot, Actor, Teacher, Rock Star, Mayor, Shop Owner, Police Officer; 12/15)

It felt like a hobby, rather than a career, and I ran with this idea as it seemed like Arthur and his obsession with the Galar League hadn’t noticed this fact (nor had his player), but his father had and was pushing him into a sports-based career (one that is usually lucrative and has off-seasons) so he could have a well-paying job and time on the side for his interests, similar to Orion’s father.

Though, no DM can control their players, and even by the end of our fist session I could tell I would have to change some things. It’s just good to have some idea of where to lead everyone, and adjust as you go.

=====

There’s one more Pokémon I want to talk about before we get to the Starters.

This is Necrotiti (Combining Necro with the Egyptian God Nefertiti), an evolution of Cofagrigus, evolving if it’s holding an item called the “Ceremonial Jar” (literally a jar filled with Yamask’s human intestines). It was meant to evolve from the Yamask they could catch during their museum field trip. The reason it exists is... silly. It’s another instances where I wanted to surprise my players, and giving the “Gardevoir Treatment” to what I consider the creepiest Pokémon was funny (which I feel is a reason I cite a lot). And I was really happy with this design, which is why it got commissioned.

A lot of the original ideas I had for this campaign were meant to either surprise or creep out my players. Everyone I was playing with knew Pokémon very well, so I had this fear that if I presented them with a standard adventure they would either become bored or be able to easily predict where things were going. Having a Pokémon adventure within a single city, having it be more a mystery than a collect-a-thon, and using new Pokémon were all ways I came up with to keep interest high and have them guessing as to what would happen next.

Back to Necrotiti, despite having a sarcophagus Pokémon, we didn’t get a mummy. I wanted to make the body effeminate without being overly so, which is why her body is very geometrical in specific areas. For the mask, I went with a typical Egyptian Nubian motif mixed with some of the overall design elements and basic lines from Yamask, and the colors and patterns from Cofagrigus. But despite how much I like it, I don’t know if I would have used it. It didn’t match the Mutant Evolution concept, with its only similarity being that it’s a rare occurrence.

Onto the Starters: Epipesis has evolved into Drachenura (from Dragon, Lichen, and Meganeura). Grass Starters are typically based on extinct animals, and Flymph’s line is based on a Meganeura (an ancient species of giant dragonfly). Apart from some bulking out and additional colors, the lichen sacks in its tail are now yellow, as the plant matter has evolved with it. It supplies it with so much energy that it has to constantly move while the sun’s up to burn it off. Its tail tip is also based on the X-15, the fastest aircraft to date, as it was designed to be the fastest Grass-Type.

Steared has evolved into Auradiat (from Aura, Auroch, and Radiate). Now a Fire/Ice-Type, it’s based on an extinct species of cattle found around the time of the Ice Age. Its ability to absorb energy with its horns has become so powerful that they have frozen over. When I was originally designing it, I was actually trying to base it on the phrase “Irish Bull” (meaning a paradoxical statement), but as I kept working on it, it became more and more Minotaur-like, so I kept the Fire/Ice-Typing and dropped the more abstract elements. As I did, I actually made it more bull and less Minotaur since all Fire Starters are bipedal, and I wanted to try and avoid that.

Knaval has evolved into Chivalazuli (from Chivalier, the French word for knight, and Lapis Lazuli). This was probably my favorite example of features naturally changing as it evolves, with the antenna growing longer and the shield and lance growing harder (going from carapace, to stone, to crystal). Some of the things you might not have noticed at first glace were his forelegs becoming sub-arms on his chest, him gaining the lobster nose and it becoming a face guard, and how his eyes recess into his head. Also, almost every Starter is symmetrical (apart from patterns), with the only exception being Torterra, so I designed it to be asymmetrical throughout.

And Uteteo has evolved into Makutah (from the Aztec naming scheme used for their Gods of wealth and abundance and Utahraptor). He’s Fairy/Flying, with the gold adornments that first appeared on Uteteo now on his head and arms, giving him a more bird-like appearance. The idea was to have him naturally evolve from a Dinosaur into a bird, with the leg bands making them look more like talons, and the face mask giving him a beak. Also, he starts out with the singular sickle toe raptors are known for, and gets a new one every evolution, ending with a full set.

The thing that sets these Starters apart from ones you’d find in the games is that these are designed to be a team. As such, there are a few themes they all share to help reinforce that. (This ignores Utaw, but) All the Starters, throughout their evolutions, have a distinct yellow detail on their heads (eyes, nose ring, and antenna). Furthermore, once they reach their final stages, they share colors between them, with Drachenura having red on its extremities, Auradiat having blue neck fur, and Chivalazuli having flecks of green in its gemstone. And on top of that, they also all have two overarching themes. First is they all represent different time periods, with Drachenura being pre-humans (Precambrian), Auradiat being prehistoric humans (Ice Age), and Chivalazuli being more modern (Medieval Period). Secondly they all represent DnD, with a Dragon(fly), Auradiat filling the role of a minotaur and its connection to a labyrinth/dungeon, and the adventurous knight who traverses them.

There’s also reasoning behind their types, as all three’s secondary Types are also strong against their usual counterpart (Grass and Electric are both strong against Water, Fire and Ice against Grass, and Water and Rock against Fire). Furthermore, Electric, Ice, and Rock are all strong against Flying, which is the reason behind Makutah’s Type (a joke against the player who joined late).

Makutah does fit into these themes, but more loosely as it was created later. Utaw and Uteteo lack the yellow facial details (though they do have yellow eyes), only really achieving this during their final evolution. He also doesn’t share any colors, as Fairy is outside the usual threesome. It does somewhat fit into the themes of the others, but not as cleanly. Utaw, being a Dinosaur, is still pre-humans, but closer to them than Flymph is, and having Aztec themes puts him past Medieval and closer to the Renaissance in terms of human history, but is very close compared to the other time gaps. Also, the gold was partly to fit him into the DnD theme, representing treasure.

=====

One of the first things the players were told at the beginning of the campaign, and was reinforced throughout, was that Pokémon from outside the Wellou Region were mysteriously popping up all over the place, with the Ultra Beasts being the most extreme example. As to the cause, there were a number of red herrings. Silph Co. employees could occasionally be seen in areas where UBs were with strange equipment, Tomomitsu could occasionally be found before something would show up, and there were a few other strange characters like the Regional Champion or Silph Co.’s president. The only definite thing they would know was that there was a strange, creepy, grey Charizard that would occasionally appear when they took something down.

However, it would eventually be revealed that the above were only trying to understand what was going on, and prevent the appearances of such dangerous Pokémon, like our heroes. And as a massive Ultra Wormhole appears above the city, they come face-to-face with the true mastermind. Not an evil team, or a lone conqueror. Merely a single, twisted Pokémon. And our heroes have interfered with its fun long enough.

“You stare up at the now familiar form of the grey Charizard, which stares back with unblinking, dead eyes... Its mouth stretches wide, wide enough to swallow you whole, and a hand appears. And another. And another. Four skeletal hands pry its maw open from the inside, stretching it until its skin falls down to settle on its hips. What looks down on you now, with a single, glowing eye, is a monstrous form made of bone and rotting flesh. And witnessing the four of you before it, it lets out a high-pitched, chilling laugh...

“‘Fofofofofo...’“

Fauxchemine. A sadistic Ultra Beast capable of warping time and space to its will. All the disturbances throughout the town, all the strange creatures that have appeared, all the monsters sent to terrorize our heroes; all the result of its twisted sense of fun, and the consequences of getting in the way of it.

So there’s a running joke among my friends that we all “hate” Charizard. Not actually, but it’s always pushed in marketing with new forms and such, even though its popularity has been dropping steadily over the years. As such, I thought it would be somewhat cathartic to have the big bad they have to beat up at the end be related to Charizard. ‘Chemine’s skeletal nature comes from trying to cinematicly picture the encounter in my mind, with the eerie image of the mouth stretching open from the dialogue earlier. With bone white and rotten greens, the skin wasn’t meant to reflect Charizard as a shiny, but rather with all its color drained from it, as it’s more a puppeted skin than an actual part of the Pokémon. And as many Pokémon draw inspiration from Kaiju, ‘Chemine does, too, specifically calling back to an Ultra-Kaiju named Greeza with space warping abilities.

It’s Steel/Dragon with Thick Fat. When planning encounters, especially this late into the game, Auradiat made things tough since its offensive Typing is insane, and that combination made it resistant to all of the Starter Types except Fairy. This was supposed to be the toughest fight in the campaign, so I wanted to build a Pokémon that would be difficult to deal damage to. A swift Pokémon able to warp around the field, summoning Ultra Beasts or other versions of Charizard as adds or for specific attacks, I wanted this to be memorably difficult.

Oh, and the name? It’s meant to rhythmically sound like “Pokémon,” with the ‘faux’ symbolizing its disguise, and the ‘mine’ representing its personality. Everything in this world is its to play with.

But that giant Ultra Wormhole wasn’t just for show. Part-way through Phase 2 our players were sucked through a Wormhole themselves, both they and Fauxchemine bearing witness to a titanic creature as they did, and upon its defeat, it is let loose upon the city:

Standing over 100ft tall is Wreknarogg (from wreck, to destroy, Níðhöggr, a massive world-ending creature from Norse mythology, and Ragnarok, the end of the world). A massive symbiotic group of four Pokémon from a dead world, the whale-squid Bayleige, the parasitic Serrasite, and the barnacle Rhizocano. This was actually the first symbiotic Pokémon I designed, and its creation sparked the others like Shiinotic and Torterra so this wouldn’t be the first time our players encountered one.

Whales are the largest creatures on Earth, so using one as the base for a kaiju-sized Pokémon fit. It also helped that the prototype designs for the Cloverfield monster were based on a whale, so I had something to go on. Secondly, I really like a lot of the eldritch design philosophy, and a lot of those are based on sea creatures, which is where the combined squid elements came from. Also, when I was prototyping the design and trying to make it creepier, a friend suggested having a parasite coming out of its blowhole, which is what sparked the creation of Serrasite and Rhizocano (as whale’s are known to have such parasites in real life).

This was a design very inspired by the world it was supposed to inhabit. Coming from a desert world where they are the only living things remaining, they symbiotically support each other to stave off their own inevitable death, with Bayleige able to create rain with its ability and Rhizocano able to make artificial sunlight to feed Serrasite. Serrasite then gives energy to Bayleige to allow it to keep moving, and Rhizocano takes energy from Bayleige. It’s an incomplete system where energy is slowly lost over time.

Stage 2 of the final boss wasn’t supposed to be as intense as the last one. A gimmick for this fight was, at the start of every round, I was going to roll a D100, and an event would happen. They would be things like their friends showing up with healing items, trainers they knew joining the battle, wild Pokémon they’d befriended getting in pot shots, etc. It was meant to be a fun, celebratory, “you’re at the end of the campaign” fight rather than an intense one off the back of another. I was even considering having everyone use their full parties.

But after it’s defeated, a thick, dark haze enshrouds everyone. With their allies gone, and left with just their Starters, our players are alone in a dark void. I did say there were four Pokémon earlier...

And the final encounter is Wreknarogg (Core). The Pokémon who brought the three titans together, and controls them while siphoning off some of their energy to survive. Similar to Phanic, this was another unassuming Pokémon. Designed to resemble a virus while calling back to aspects from mythical Pokémon like Jirachi or Manaphy. I understand it might not feel as climactic as there wasn’t any set-up compared to ‘Chemine, who was shown throughout, or the previous Wreknarogg, who was foreshadowed, but I wanted a 3-stage boss fight, and this felt like a good way of concluding it.

While stage 1 was supposed to be difficult, and stage 2 was meant to be fun and call back to the long journey, stage 3 was an un-losable, cinematic fight with a somewhat somber tone to it. It was the final fight, the end of it all, and there’s a certain level of sadness that comes with that in accordance with the jubilation of completion. It was also meant to see how much everyone had grown; how would they handle this encounter? Fight it? Catch it? Persuade it? Maybe I haven’t listened to enough DnD finalés, but in how many can you beat the final boss by being nice to it and calming it down?

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And that’s the end. There would be some sort of epilogue, picking up with our characters some months or years later, but that’s not something I could write without witnessing the actions of the players. I was debating having everything that came from an Ultra Wormhole be sucked back in after Fauxchemine’s defeat, including the Starters (pull a Digimon Tamers), but as Wreknarogg came from a dead world I thought that a little cruel.

And to end things how I usually do; Overall, despite not getting off the ground, I was very happy with this project. I’m the type to pick up and drop projects frequently, and the fact that I stuck with and continued to work on it for months was something I was really proud of. It was also a great learning experience on many levels. And who knows; maybe I might do something like this again in the future...?

#Pokemon #Dungeons and Dragons #DnD #dnd homebrew #Onix #Steelix #Torterra #Sudowoodo #Altaria #Yamask #Cofagrigus #Charizard #Whale #Ultra Beast