#and its fun to look at those similarities and the patterns

[kaffeebaby]

wait pls expand on lalo being a yassified chuck!!!!!

Sure thing! Cut just for those who don't wanna read a post about Chuck and Lalo

I was mostly being a bit jokey about it, but I honestly think that Lalo and Chuck have a lot in common when it comes down to the details. It's really no coincidence that as soon as Chuck leaves the show, we're presented with Lalo, who ends up bullying Jimmy into the exact opposite direction Chuck was. They're both incredibly selfish, they're the main man in charge, and they both seem to act like they can't stand not getting their way. They're one-track minded and stubborn to reach their goals, even to the point of their own destruction. They both have this level of emotional coldness, like they feel nothing, even though they have quick tempers. Kinda like nothing matters, except for the stuff that they want to matter.

In my opinion, Lalo is much more extreme in this way, just due to the fact that he actually kills people and puts others' lives at risk without even thinking twice. When he sees Nacho run into the building that's about to be taken down by the DEA, Lalo is just amused and entirely neutral to whether Nacho is going to make it or not. He's happy when Nacho makes it back, but I doubt he'd have cared at all if he hadn't, even though it's a dangerous situation and Nacho is way too high up to be risked at all like that. It's a genuinely high-stakes moment and Lalo is just sitting there humming and whistling, which reminds me a lot of Walt right after Drew Sharpe was murdered tbh. And similarly, I think Chuck used Howard as Jimmy's punching bag for years in this way, completely ignoring any pain or stress it would have caused Howard because that's what Howard was "supposed to be" doing, exactly what Chuck told him to. They both have such callous natures when it comes to playing with other people's lives, right down to casually disrespecting others. Like, they both devalue everyone around them just by the casual nature of their refusal to give a shit about anyone else.

It makes sense that Lalo wouldn't really see the value of other people's lives, given the world he's always lived in, but I always saw the two of them as having similar levels of entitlement, pettiness, spitefulness, and callousness. But Lalo has a lot more likeable traits than Chuck does. He's cooler, he's more composed, the people around him treat him with utmost respect, he's suave and a funny character... Whereas Chuck is genuinely needy and annoying and nagging and "lame." Lalo is a hot guy with blood splattered on his face and Chuck is basically like if a crazy old cat lady was a guy obsessed with his charismatic younger brother that everyone else likes more. This is what I mean by "yassified," like he's more conventionally attractive and ideal even to straight guys, he's what they want to be like, even if his actions are usually considered more monstrous.

The only major difference other than personality traits is that Lalo willingly breaks the law and Chuck refuses to, meaning that all of Chuck's actions are more within reality to viewers, which I think makes him seem more like a real asshole and less like a badass evil cool guy. I think this is a major factor as to why people like Lalo but not Chuck. You can easily view yourself as Jimmy, being berated by a holier-than-thou asshole who thinks you're scum, but how easily can you picture yourself as Fred from Travel Wire, innocently trying to help some stranger and being murdered during your shift at your job that doesn't pay you enough? It's like a classic example of the idea that characters killing people is okay because fictional lives are made up, but characters being annoying is bad because the audience's annoyance is real. Lalo could gruesomely skin someone alive on screen, but people would still hate Chuck more because he's mean and annoying and sucks to the average viewer. It doesn't really matter that his actions never reach the moral lows that most people would agree Lalo's do. Lalo is kinda like the anti-Chuck in the sense that even if Chuck did something great, everyone kinda already made their mind up about him and would still hate him anyways. You know, the sort of behavior that the show advocates against via it happening to Jimmy his entire life.

I hope this makes sense and isn't too rambly lol. TLDR: Lalo is more conventionally ideal and Chuck has too few redeeming qualities, so even though they're both awful, people like Lalo more, thus making him "basically yassified Chuck"

#chuckposting #laloposting #my own writing #long post #not brave enough to put this in the main character tags #this is just my own view of them and maybe other people dont see any similarities #but i think every brba and bcs character has at least something in common #and its fun to look at those similarities and the patterns

[liquidstar]

i finally finished alternate outfit designs for my ocs :) well these five at least lol

ill put the individual frames under the cut!

#finn's ocs #i think tumblr sort of made the drawings a bit blurrier so its harder to see some details like saiphs scars or miras stretch marks... sad! #hopefully clicking on it solves that? #anyway i ended up doing the pjs after all bc i figured messy hair would be fun to do #and if i was going to put saiph in underpants anyway it would be funny to do like. the cartoon heart boxers but w fire lol #the formal looks were fun to do though. you can tell al's is like totally inspired by utena's look in aou #there are for sure through lines i wanted to keep w all their outfits like in general #aside from just keeping the same colors and general style #like mira always has like a cold shoulder look and tends to have somekind of asymmetry towards the bottom #except for her formal look for the latter #saiph always wears those wrist things no mater what. also he always has somekinda flame pattern #polaris either has snowflakes stars or compasses ofc. and if she has somekinda skirt the red will be Under it #bella has the same skull design on her bows. except for the pj look where now the skull itself is wearing a bow #and al has the stars on the strings and mismatched shoes #the most similar outfits are the summer/spring and winter/fall ones #those are pretty much default outfits so thats why #and their hairstyles in the winter/fall looks are like just slightly longer versions of their summer/spring styles #they dont really change hairstyles for the beach and pjs aside from the long haired characters pulling them up different #or putting them down for the pjs look. in bellas case #their formal look probably has the most difference in hairstyle. like theyre not just grown out or pulled back #theyre like actually styled different #these arent their final looks btw there are like completely different timeskip designs too but like #id have to use different bases for those probably. there would be changes LOL #but yeah :) #finn's art #forgor that one

[zedecksiew]

DECOLONISING D&D

In 2019, after seeing yet another round of alarmist discourse in Xwitter about how Dungeons & Dragons is FULL of COLONIALIST tropes and patterns, and needs to be revised, SCRUBBED of its PROBLEMATIC FILTH---I rage-tweeted this brainfart:

"Decolonising D&D"

I've seen this thread round the community, since. Humza K quotes it in Productive Scab-picking: On Oppressive Themes in Gaming. Prismatic Wasteland quotes it in Apolitical RPGs Don't Exist. Most recently, it was referenced in a 1999AD post about Western TTRPGs (an interesting discussion on its own merit; one that already has a counterpoint from Sandro / Fail Forward.)

If folks are still referring to it five years later, maybe I should give the thread a little more credit? Perhaps the fart miasma has crystalised into something concrete.

In the interest of record / saving this thought from the ephemerality of Xwitter, here is the text in full, properly paragraphed, and somewhat more cleanly expressed:

+++

"DECOLONISING D&D"

Firstly: saying "D&D is colonialist" is similar to saying: "the English language is colonialist".

If your method of decolonising RPGs is to abandon D&D---well, some folks abandon English; they don't want to work in the language of the coloniser. More power to them!

For those who want to continue using the "language" of D&D---

Going forth into the "wild hinterland" (as if this weren't somebody's homeland);

to "seek treasure" (as if this didn't belong to anybody);

and "slay monsters" (monsters to whom?)

Yeah. There's some problematic stuff here, and definitely these aspects should make more people uncomfortable.

But! I think it is an error to "decolonise D&D" by scrubbing such content from the game.

That feels like erasure; like an unwillingness to face history / context; like a way to appease one's own settler guilt.

Do you live in the West? Do you live in any Asian urban metropole? White or Person of Colour(tm)---you are already complicit in colonialist / capitalist (yes, of course they are inextricably linked) behaviour. (I can't speak for urban metropoles elsewhere, but I bet they are similar centres of extraction.)

Removing such patterns from the TTRPGs you play might let you feel better, at your game table. But won't change what you are.

I think it is more truthful and more useful NOT to avert one's eyes from D&D's colonialism.

The fact that going forth into the hinterland to seek treasure and slay monsters is a thing, and fucking fun, tells us valuable things about the shape and psychology of colonialism. Why conquistadors in the past did it; why liberal foreign policy, corporations, and post-colonial societies do it today.

Speaking personally:

I write stuff that evokes / deals with the context I'm in---Southeast Asia. An intrinsic part of that is looking at the ways colonial violence has happened to us---as well as the ways / reasons we now, supposedly free, perpetrate it on others.

A long chain of suffering. Heavy stuff.

I also write for people who want to have fun / kill monsters / pretend to be elves, of course. But for those people who want to consider serious stuff like colonialism: I offer no FIGHT THE POWER righteousness, no good feeling, no answers.

Only discomfort. Because the truth is uncomfortable.

Here's a screenshot of the Author's Note for Lorn Song of the Bachelor:

"Any text inspired by Southeast Asia has to reckon with colonialism ... This text presents a difficult situation; there are no easy solutions. "... If I offered a mechanical incentive for you to fight colonial invaders, you wouldn’t be making a moral decision, but a mercenary one. "The choice you face should echo ... the kind of calculus my grandparents faced."

I stand by that.

Also: might we be more precise and more careful about using the term "decolonising", please?

Here I quote Tuck and Yang's landmark and (sadly) still trenchant "Decolonization is not a metaphor":

"Decolonization brings about the repatriation of Indigenous land and life; it is not a metaphor for other things we want to do to improve our societies ..."

+++

Further Reading

So this post isn't just me reheating a hot take, here are some touchstone writings from around the TTRPG community about colonialism as a subject and mode of play in games:

+

"Jim Corbett was called upon to hunt down another fifty maneaters over the course of the next 35 years. Together, those tigers had killed over 2000 people, for much the same reasons as the Champawat Tiger - injury, desperation, starvation, and habitat loss. Would you look at that. The root cause was British colonialism."

D&D Doesn't Understand What Monsters Are from Throne of Salt

+

"Another effect of having colonizers in my setting would be giving players the opportunity to drive them away from the islands, their home. This maybe just be for the catharsis. After all, isn’t catharsis a big part of why we play roleplaying games?"

I’m Adding Colonizers To My Setting from Goobernut's Blog

+

"When you have a slime boy and the other characters are a really fat lizard and one's playing Humpty Dumpty, it completely shatters the straight-faced serious authoritarian illusion of race, and replaces it with complete fucking nonsense. I love the idea of proliferating the number and types of "races" into absurdity, to the point where the entire logical structure of it collapses in on itself and race as a category ceases to become coherent or meaningful in any sense."

Interview with Ava Islam - Designer of the RPG Errant from Ava Islam / The Lost Bay

+

"Perhaps most critically, the fundamental basis of power is not land or even money but manpower. That’s what local rulers fight over, and what Chinese commercial networks export, in return for unique island products. It’s what the European colonists really need (even if it’s not what they most desire). There is rich loot to be grabbed in the form of spices, Spanish silver, Indian gold, sea cucumbers (the Chinese love ’em), perfumes, dyes, cloth etc. so there’s ample opportunity for piracy, trade and smuggling, but the key to long-term success – the key to independent survival – is nakedly and unquestionably uniting people."

Counter-colonial Heistcrawl: previous high scores from Richard's Dystopian Pokeverse

+

"They worked their own land—which they dispossessed from American Indians—or became small shop owners or opportunistic gold diggers or bounty hunters or itinerant ranchers. To me, substituting these situations for one ruled by industrial monopoly ignores that the Wild West is a perfect example of how capitalism operates outside of (or prior to) mass industry, instead being composed of self-employers and self-sustainers."

Fantastic Detours - Frontier Scum from Traverse Fantasy / Bones of Contention

+

"... using the Western framing and D&D's baked-in imperialist and capitalist structure to get people earnestly participating in the experience of forming imperial power structures and the early roots of regional capitalism ... The PCs aren't the drifters on the train or the townsfolk watching with apprehension - they're the railroad itself."

An Arrow for the General: Confronting D&D-as-Western in the Kalahari from A Most Majestic Fly Whisk

+++

#colonialism #theory #ttrpgs #d&d #politics #lorn song of the bachelor

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

🎭 masks & meaning 🎭

Thank you, TWST merch, for giving me a clearer view of the masquerade mask designs 😂 Here’s what I noticed…!

Individual Character Masks

Riddle’s mask resembles the collars that appear when he uses his unique magic, Off With Your Head! It is also a recurring motif on his dorm uniform; note that the crown is on the same side on the mask as it is on Riddle’s dorm uniform sprite. Additionally, his lapels and boots have the split heart design incorporated into them. The checkered pattern inside the hearts looks the same as the background of Heartslabyul school uniform cards, which makes sense, as Riddle is their leader.

Deuce’s mask has a spade on it, but it just so happens to look like an inverted heart. This may represent his allegiance to Heartslabyul. The checkered pattern on the bottom half of the mask denotes his status as a card soldier; the checkerboard pattern recurs on his dorm uniform’s right sleeve.

Ruggie’s mask has rough edges, with the black part resembling an animal’s mane (I’m going to assume it’s a hyena’s mane since that’s what Ruggie is, but it could also be a lion’s mane to allude to his dormitory). The lower part of the mask looks like it could be sharp fangs or claws. Finally, the zigzag pattern reminds me of a jester’s hat: the points end in circles, which could be the bells. This would suit Ruggie’s playful but mischevious nature.

Azul’s mask is very intricate, with many swirls and what looks to be white pearls or rhinestones. The design and color are indicative of octopus tentacles and the ink they spill, with the jewels placed to represent the suction cups running along the tentacles. (Fun fact: Azul’s masquerade suit has several tailcoats, which also resemble an octopus’s tentacles. His necklace resembles the seashell one that Ursula wears.)

Jamil’s mask is very obviously a viper (the snake appears to have a hood) curling around one eye, so close to one of his ears... almost like it could turn and whisper to him. The mask also has red diamonds in the viper’s skin and around the eye area, which could be a reference to the infamous “diamond in the rough” quote from Aladdin.

Epel’s mask has a particular shape to it that resembles an apple. It’s also notably more of the color of an apple, rather than the deep violet associated with Pomefiore. (Maybe this is meant to show that Epel is “not like the other boys” in his dorm?) Then, of course, we have white flowers on both sides of the mask, which are likely young apple blossoms.

Rook’s mask has a golden part which forms a bow and an arrow nocked into it. These are items that are associated with his character, as he is a huntsman. Interestingly, his mask also contains the pattern that appears in the background of school uniform Pomefiore cards (the scattered moons and stars). Perhaps this denotes his loyalty to Pomefiore--and, more importantly, to its queen.

Idia’s mask has far less color than those of his peers. This suits him, as both he and the dorm he represents have a gloomy atmosphere about them. (His masquerade suit is also mainly black, with blue as the accent color.) Those skeletal hands that form Idia’s mask may very well be the cold, merciless claws of Death itself, come to claim another soul... which, very understandably, ties in deeply with Idia’s guilt related to his past (see episode 6 of the main story, you’ll know what I mean). The geometric pattern on the fingers resembles the jackets of Ignihyde dorm uniforms, and the prongs that stick up at the top of the mask looks similar to the lower halves of the skull which holds his magical gem.

Malleus’s mask is also predominantly black (as are the masks of his vassals), which, again, is likely associated with dreariness (though in Diasomnia’s case, it may also be tied to mystery or olden times and a lack of change). We’ve got the spikes and the glorious outstretched dragon wings, which are the very same wings that appear on Maleficent’s throne in Sleeping Beauty. The green gem set in the center might as well be Malleus’s crown, representing all the power and the responsibility he holds--and the dragon scales hiding behind his bangs.

Silver’s mask is done up to resemble a rose, true to his princely demeanor. It’s cool that the stem of the flower curves beneath his eye!! There’s exactly three green gems dripping off of the stem, and all three of them seem to be on thorns. These three could represent the fairies in his life: Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek (half fairy). Why do I think this? Because there is also a fourth item on the stem that stands out and doesn’t have a gem on it: the leaf, the one pure human in the Diasomnia quartet, Silver. And it is the leaf, Silver, that opens up to the petals of the rose--like many fan theories speculate that Silver is the key to a happy ending (ie “he is the sword that slays the dragon”).

Sebek’s mask is, perhaps, the harshest of them all. It’s very angular and point, likely to resemble thorns, as the latticework of the mask itself looks like a network of tangled briar. (It makes sense; Sebek is the most openly abrasive and “pointed” of Diasomnia.) The lattice pattern actually works with the solid parts of the mask to form what vaguely looks like a thunderbolt shape (do you see it?), which is Sebek’s motif. His mask tapers into a single green gem that is bigger than any of the gems on Silver’s. That gem? It’s symbolic of the young master that he has sworn to protect and serve.

Shared Dorm Features

Heartslabyul’s additional elements are straight laced and no-nonsense, just like the stern Queen of Hearts. It’s a simple combo of two ribbons in solid colors (with one always being black). Maybe that’s a nod to the “black and white” nature of Riddle’s interpretation of the rules!

Savanaclaw boasts beads and tassels! The beads resemble the ones that its leader, Leona, wears in his dorm uniform. The tassels may seem a little out of place at first, but then you realize that tassels look like a lion’s tail—just like that of the King of Beasts.

Octavinelle’s ribbon is a little twisty and tapers into a point, like the tentacle of a shady deal maker like Azul or the Sea Witch. It has the same white dotted pattern as the actual mask, which, again, mimics suction cups on a tentacle. The holding stick has a segment (where the mask and the ribbon connect) that forms the shape of plumes of ink dispersing through the water. *NOTE: this may just be Azul’s design, not Octavinelle’s design. We don’t have either of the twins to compare. See the final bullet point for more details.

Scarabia’s ribbons are more slim than that of the other dorms; the more serpentine look may be to make the ribbons more closely resemble the Sorcerer of the Desert’s famous staff. The red diamonds also show up again, promising worth and feelings that may not be apparent at first glance—not unlike the twisted story of Kalim and Jamil.

Pomefiore’s ribbons are two very different ones; they’re both done up in bows—a more traditional look befitting of the oldest dorm at NRC—but in very different shades and widths. Notice that one ribbon seems to be inside the other! Perhaps one represents the conventional definition for beauty, and the other represents alternative definitions for beauty. Vil and the Beautiful Queen can have them both: outer beauty and the strong will and to passionately pursue it.

Ignihyde’s holding stick is the most unique shape of all the dorms. It looks less like a holding stick and more like a torch, lighting up the dark path to the Lord of the Underworld’s domain. The sleek look of the ribbon makes me think of a gaming console, especially with the little color it has and the blue dots, true to Ignihyde’s high-tech dorm. The only element I’m not too sure about are the black feathers! I probably just lack knowledge on Hercules and Greek mythology, but all I can think of is maybe it’s pegasus feathers??? *NOTE: this may just be Idia’s design, not Ignihyde’s design. We don’t have Ortho’s to compare. See the final bullet point for more details.

Diasomnia also has two ribbons (simple yet elegant, like the Thorn Witch), one light and one dark. It’s a dorm that is associated with mystery (the dark), which we will soon receive revelations for (the light), particularly with Malleus opening up to others and learning more about the world. And of course a spinning wheel, representative of a pastime that is sacred in Malleus’s kingdom, is incorporated into the design of the holding stick!

I noticed that the characters with SSRs (Azul, Idia, and Malleus) have fancier holding sticks than everyone else. Their holding sticks are entirely different shapes than the SRs and Rs do. In the case of Malleus (who has Sebek and Silver for comparison), his holding stick has additional details (a gem, plus a black pattern snaking up his ribbons, and a ball of thread where the holding stick connects with the mask).

#twst #twisted wonderland #Azul Ashengrotto #Idia Shroud #Malleus Draconia #notes from the writing raven #spoilers #outfit analysis #disney twisted wonderland #Deuce Spade #Ruggie Bucchi #Jamil Viper #Rook Hunt #Epel Felmier #Sebek Zigvolt #Silver

[amhrosina]

matt would love this especially if frank and reader got it for him for a special occasion or just for fun!!

Spelling Out 'I Love You'

(Frank Castle x Reader x Matt Murdock)

Summary: It's Matt's birthday, and you and Frank make sure the day is extra special for him.

(Warnings: this is the fluffiest of all fluff pieces i've ever written, someone better be writing matt a healthy and happy relationship in dd born again!!!!!!!, i will RIOT if he has to be a sad boy for three seasons again!!!!)

A/N: Do y'all realize how hard it is to find pictures of frank where he's both smiling and not bruised up all over his face??? Nearly impossible!!! Anyways, I have no idea what those braille cookies say in the pictures, so I hope it's not something insane or rude lol enjoy this short ficlet!

----------------------------------------------------------------

“Did you get it?”  

Frank’s excitement overwhelmed his ability to say hello, apparently. You scoffed, shoving the box into Frank’s hands before pulling your gloves, hat, and scarf off. It was unreasonably chilly for October in New York City, and you were already tired of the cold weather.  

“Of course, I got it,” you grumbled, pretending the adoring expression on Frank’s face wasn’t thawing your icy mood rather quickly. 

“And you checked the translation, right? It’s accurate?” He opened the lid, checking the contents of the box. 

“Yeah,” you replied, shrugging your coat off, “It’s accurate. I checked it myself before they added the final touches.” 

“It looks great.” Frank nodded, briefly meeting your gaze before turning back toward the brownies. “Do you think he’ll like it?” 

You stepped into Frank’s arms, snuggling into his warmth. His chin found its home on the top of your head as you closed your eyes and breathed in his scent.  

“I think he’ll love it.” You murmured, glancing toward the clock on the wall. “He’ll be home any minute now.” 

Sure enough, the familiar scuff of Matt’s shoes on the floor announced his arrival ten minutes later, and you and Frank struggled to act casual when he stepped into the kitchen.  

“Hey, birthday boy.” You smiled, grasping one of his outstretched hands. Frank quickly grabbed his other hand, gently pulling Matt to a halt in the doorway of the kitchen. 

“Hey, old man.” Frank grinned, and Matt rolled his eyes. 

“You’re older than me, Frank.” Matt remarked, doing his best to not look too concerned at the sudden rush of affection from you and Frank. All three of you were touchy people, but it was usually in subtler ways. “What’s all this?” 

You and Frank couldn’t contain your excitement, pulling him toward the counter where his surprise was waiting to be opened. Frank gently set Matt’s hand down on the box. 

“Open it.” He encouraged, looking between your amused gaze and Matt’s unmoving hand. 

Matt slowly lifted the lid of the box, instantly overwhelmed with the sweet scent of chocolate and sugar. He smiled broadly, tapping the side of the box with the tips of his fingers. 

“You guys got me brownies?”  

“Yeah, but that’s not all.”  

You gently lifted his hand again and pushed it toward the top of the brownies, where little chocolate balls were arranged in an all too familiar pattern. Matt’s confused frown morphed into shock when he realized what you and Frank had done. He ran his fingers over the message a few times, gasping when he got to the end. He did it again, swallowing down the rush of emotions that were making their way up his throat. 

Written in braille, across his favorite type of brownies, was the message: 

“Happy Birthday. We love you.”  

“Oh.” He breathed, blinking away tears before they could be shed. “Oh, that’s lovely.” 

“Do you like it?” You asked, glancing toward Frank, who had a similar, hopeful expression on his face. 

Matt swallowed thickly, then swallowed again, nodding.  

“I love it.” He murmured as a shy smile overtook his face. “I’ve never gotten braille baked goods before.” 

“It was Frank’s idea.” 

“Careful, Frank.” Matt teased. “People might start to think you’ve gone soft.”  

Frank chuckled, cradling Matt’s head. “Let them.” He murmured before pressing his lips to Matt’s in a soft kiss.  

When they pulled away, noticeable tears had gathered under Matt’s eyes. You were quick to kiss them away. 

“We love you, Matty.” You breathed.  

Frank asked, “Do you want to open your presents now or after?” 

“After what?” Matt tilted his head. “Wait, there are more presents?” 

“You didn’t think this was it, did you?” You asked, smiling. 

“This is plenty.” Matt chuckled. “After what?” He asked again. 

Frank’s gaze turned molten, and you were sure Matt could feel the tension shifting in the air. “C’mon.” He pulled Matt toward the bedroom, tugging you along too. 

“There’s more?” He asked again to no one in particular. 

You giggled. “There’s so much more, Matty. You’re in for a long night. 

Tag List (1/2):

@xleiaorgana @mukbee @dilfs5678 @kokoterainonago666 @blackwidownat2814 @callsign-mama @minervadashwood @emiemiemiii @h4rrys @messymissy @mylifeispainandiloveit @mossexe @fightmilk @spikedhe4rt @fictional-hooman @merleisapartygod @babyslyth @legocity2 @quackson03 @certifiedhunter @deliciousfestsalad @dumb-fawkin-bitch @americaarse @thatgirljayy @hiyabyeyababy @theesexystallion @scoliobean @myguiltypleasures21 @dnxgma @evyiione @gpenguin666 @desert-fern @day-dreaming-goddess @rayray787 @ginnysculture @soft-emo-enby @purple-amaranthe @alina02 @thedevilwearsblack @violet-19999 @shoxji @layazul @lazyxsquirrel @honeysucklepotter

#fratt #frank castle #matt murdock #frank castle x matt murdock #frank castle x reader #matt murdock x frank castle #matt murdock x reader #frank castle x matt murdock x reader #frank castle x reader x matt murdock #matt murdock x reader x frank castle #matt murdock x frank castle x reader #the punisher #daredevil #the punisher x daredevil #the punisher x reader #daredevil x reader #marvel #daredevil fluff #punisher fluff #frank castle fluff #matt murdock fluff

[connorsnothereeither]

were there any specific styles/cultures you took inspiration from when designing the telchin clothing styles?

Honestly the tricky answer is: a lot-

Initially, it was very much just like “okay does this shape and colour palette and design look cool? Sick” and just throwing thoughts at a wall.

When it came to defining those broader shapes/colours and adding things like specific cuts, details, patterns, etc, I sort of worked backwards to grab inspirations.

Ulysses initial/main outfit is honestly quite Medieval, European (but notably Norse/Scandinavian in its cut/style), albeit with a ridiculously plunging neckline for some reason lol-

(it was even a bit early on that every time one of the cast drew Ulysses, we’d make his neckline just a little bit sluttier)

HOWEVER the details on the collar and sleeves are directly lifted from ancient Greco-Roman designs, specifically influenced by the “Greek Key” or “Greek Meander” pattern which can be seen in pottery, jewellery and architecture all over the ancient Mediterranean!

Specific to Ulysses, his clothing has currently reached a fairly fairytale-esque “fantasy” stage, drawing a lot of early Renaissance and pirate-style influences with his little poet-shirt and sash, since he’s been on the Overworld so much, and is slowly growing to become a part of that culture and world, and I really wanted to show that in his clothing changes.

Honestly, a lot of the broader telchin clothing when I have sketched it up is very Greco-Roman, at least in the way I tend to depict it (that is my field of expertise, given my degree haha) but there’s honestly a lot of broader Mediterranean ties in as well. The army and their armour is designed to be very Ancient Macedonian, and a lot of the more casual clothing skew very Ancient Egyptian.

Canonically the Telchin clothing style also definitely develops rapidly over the course of the war with the drowned, mostly for practicality sake more than fashion (loose flowing fabrics aren’t doing anyone much good escaping the undead), leading to an almost 1950s/60s American aesthetic? Of course still mingled with the Greco-Roman patterns. Especially in the way the scientists are presented in lore/my art, they always had a very retro-60’s almost sci-fi scientist aesthetic. If I was to give it a fancy/proper-sounding name I think “Wartime-Americana Retro-Classicism” would be more or less it, potentially lmao-

(You can even sort of see similar shapes and patterns in that first reference image to Ulysses eventual design!)

There was of course always a flair of Victorian-Mad-Scientist too, because I have a bit of a brand and I can’t help myself. And given the blurring of science, alchemy and magic in Fable I think it definitely fits.

It’s a shame Tumblr only lets me upload 10 images per post on mobile because I have A BUNCH of reference images for all of these stages of the Ulysses/broader telchin clothing design lol, but sadly I can’t include them here :(

But I hope this was somewhat useful/interesting!! I’ve had so much fun coming up with this kind of stuff over the course of Fable s3 for the telchin and I’m very grateful to Ocie and Metta for kind of just letting me go ham on a bunch of aspects like this lol-

#fable smp #fablesmp #fablesmp ulysses #fable smp telchin #character design #world building

[clovenhoofedjester]

jellicle lineups; part 3/4

LETS GO PEOPLE!! LETS GO !! sorry for taking so long to get around to this one !

demeter | 🔒 🍰 🌇

DEETER

ive seen a lot of complaints about demeters design being toned down over the years so i decided to bring some of the bolder design choices back for mine. mullet demeter is REAL now ! honestly i couldve done more w/ their makeup but shhh its ok....

i tried to push the gold in their design by making the eyeshadow really obvious and giving them gold lips. enjoy their lacy dress too... i tried to design something which they could dance comfortably in

demeters newer 3 words (nervous, sensual, secretive) mean everything to me. love them so much. i think theyd be 29 in human years

bombalurina | 🌹 🍓 🛼

so i totally based her hair on that concept art for drag queen bomba. the bob is too cute ! i had a blast doing her design for the most part. i struggled w that makeup and the color of her dress but its ok.

i also tried to give her something she could dance in—just like. imagine the length of the dress a little shorter. im not going back and fixing it

i based her color palette/patterns directly on her concept art because tbh, i dont love blond/ginger bomba ! so black/white/red hair bomba it is

i think she would be 27 in human years

hysperia | 🪴 ⌚ 🍡

this is my version of exotica, renamed hysperia, because i do not love her og name. its not fun. the name hysperia is taken from an ensemble kitten character from the og london production

i also based her design on a multitude of things, asides from her 2 costumes in 98—like some nbq/greycat designs since i feel like that design not becoming a common ensemble character was a waste. A WASTE I TELL YOU! ive also based her fur length on warsaw victoria because oh my godddd that design is so good. peak

her neck bow is a nod to the 2019 movie... the macavity girls w/ those bow collars. they were onto something there

she would have a much more prominent role than the few times she cameo'd in 98, still retaining the elegant/shy personality she shows in the film. shed be 29 in human years

cassandra | 🪐 ♠️ 🥯

i originally made her makeup a lot closer to her replica designs but decided to go for something a little different based on a makeup look i saw on pinterest LOL. so like. enjoy her slight earthy gothic vibes. i also didnt struggled too much on her outfit since i came into this knowing that i wanted her to be wearing something formfitting and bejeweled. a little circus-y too

more people have got to play up her disdainfulness. she'd be 26 in human years

alonzo | 🎹 🍢 🎳

once again, another design pretty similar to his standard replica one. i just tried to make the black patch on his face a little greyer and with some white detailing. because tbh every alonzo with white mascara makes me go crazy its so cute

i also tried to make his head fur/bangs a little distinctive—inspired by a random pic from a production i dont know the name of

enjoy his little cute fit too. pinklonzo. pastelonzo

that one gif of him pantomiming eating a playing card IS canon to me. he'd be 28 in human years

munkustrap | 📼 🥧🎙

verrrry similar to standard replica munks makeup-wise ! however, fur wise.... say hi to mulletstrap. to manestrap. 2 me he is tuggers brother so he gets that. i have no justification for the mullet other than idk, looks good, is funny, and the oslo 1985 production was right to give him one. also he and demeter can match now

i do like when theyre seen as something of a prince... so say hi to the gothenburg and opera populaire-esque epaulettes. theyre cayoot. they also get warsaw munks Big Pant Vibes

give this man a break. hed be 30 in human years

macavity | 🔥 🥂 🎯

he was actually one of the first cats i made design notes for when i started hyperfixating on this musical like.... two months ago. i really tried to mix elements from a bunch of different designs 4 him.... and sorry yall hes a deut brother too. im predictable

the manginess, mane, more ginger-y head fur, tugger-ness and the mouth markings from the 2016 revival... the big big hair, white fur and general makeup from his replica design... and the stylings of il sistina mac with the fitted coat. he also gets unique eyelashes like tugger—this time white instead of gold. he also gets that ominous magic cat eye shading

i think he would act a lot like 2019 mac... suave. but also not as dorky and desperate as he is in that movie LOL. he'd be 33 in human years

ONLY ONE MORE LEFT..... THE OLDIES........ MAYBE... I MIGHT MAKE DESIGNS FOR SOME OF THE SWINGS TOO LOL

#cats the musical #cats musical #sfw furry #character design #chibi #my art #demeter #bombalurina #hysperia #exotica #cassandra #alonzo #munkustrap #macavity

[raining-anonymously]

okay deltarune fandom! i haven’t posted to or gone through these tags in a while, but in light of recent events (me deciding to replay the games just in time for the newsletter), i have some things to share concerning our friends The Weather.

ID in alt text, and aforementioned “things to share” under the cut.

this message tells us some interesting information about the Weather. for those who don’t know, i believe the Weather were first introduced during the spamton sweepstakes under the link https://deltarune.com/weather/. the page functions similarly to lancer’s. despite having no information on these new characters—other than that they’ll probably appear in the next couple chapters, are called “The Weather,” and always stick together—the deltarune fandom immediately latched onto them, because that’s what we do.

and now, after the newsletter? we have names. do we know which name goes to which sprite….? not really. but there’s something interesting about what those names are.

when i first looked at the names Lanino and Elnina, one of my first thoughts was that they sounded gendered. in english and in romance languages, names ending in -o are often thought to be masculine, whereas names ending in -a are interpreted as feminine. not a common name convention in undertale and deltarune, where most names end in constants or “-ee” sounds, and obviously not an absolute rule — for example, chara is not feminine-presenting, but its name still ends in -a. still, many english-speakers, as well as speakers of romance languages and any other similar languages i’m not thinking of, will see “lanino” and “elnina” and assume masculinity and femininity respectively.

at this point, i was still thinking of romance languages because i’m autistic about words, and noticed that the endings of the names are very similar to the spanish words for boy and girl: niño and niña. then i noticed the beginnings of the names, “la” and “el,” are the spanish words for “the.” funny thing, though? “la” is feminine and “él” is masculine.

so… they’re mixing and matching gendered terms!!!? bigender weather real!!!!!! post over!!!!

…except it’s NOT over. put linguistics aside—it’s time for some environmental science.

this graphic (which has an ID in alt text) is a lot of information, so i’m going to break it down: the earth experiences something called El Niño–Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. it’s a climate phenomenon that consists of two main phases: El Niño and La Niña. each one of these phases is a global event that can last years, and leads to changes in wind patterns, sea surface temperatures, and extreme weather events. it affects everything—how dry the land is in certain places, how many fish can be found in the ocean, etc.

to differentiate between the two, most simply: el niño is the warm phase, and la niña is the cooling phase.

why does this matter, you ask? because el niño and la niña climate events are largely inverse and opposites. that’s a simplification, but it does lend us some potential insight into the weather’s devoted and apparently monogamous relationship dynamic. or it would, if they hadn’t mixed up their names… but hey, that’s food for thought too!! could it be that the weather is so devoted to each other that they blended together? maybe that’s why their color palettes are the same—they balance each other out!

either way, i’m quite excited to do battle with them in the next year or so. they’re going to have such fun bullet patterns, i just know it… i hope they heal each other with photorealistic milk. or something weather-related, idk.

anyway. BIGENDER WEATHER REAL!!! post over!

#elnina #lanino #weather duo #deltarune #the weather deltarune #utdr #safe utdr #annoying dog #safeutdr #deltarune theory #the weather always sticks together #the weather always sticks together! #deltarune chapter 3 #deltarune chapter 4 #utdr newsletter #deltarune analysis #undertale newsletter #elnina and lanino #lanino and elnina #lanino deltarune #elnina deltarune #the weather #i had a beta so we don’t die like berdly

[marsprincess889]

NAKSHATRAS AS GODDESSES

3/27

🔪KRITTIKA🔥

DISCLAIMER: This is based solely on my research and the patterns that I saw. I can't promise that I'm gonna be sure in all the coorelations, but I'm going to attribute each nakshatra a goddess that I think fits it the closest. If you're dissapointed, to make up for it, I'm going to list some other deities in the end that I think also fit the nakshatra. Don't come for me if you think I'm wrong, be respectful in the comments if you think so and have fun 🤍

This was easy and almost immidiate. The associations between this goddess and Krittika are so apparent I didn't hesitate for a second. Look out for other deities similar to her in the end.

Brigid

Pantheon: Celtic (Irish)

Name meaning: "the exalted one", "strength"

Associations: fire, spring, poetry and inspiration, healing and herbalism, smithcraft, agriculture, cattle and sheep.

Symbols: Brigid's cross, holy wells, eternal flame.

Brigid is one of the most highly- revered and widely worshipped Celtic goddesses. She'a triple goddess, representing the maiden, the mother and the crone. As a Maiden, she rules over poetry, music and ispiration. As a Mother, she's presiding over healing. As a Crone, she's the goddess of fire and smithcraft.

Frequently depicted with fiery red hair, she is no simple goddess, also ruling over waters and serenity. She's a protector of women and children, presiding over childbirth and motherhood. Also frequengly depicted with lambs and sheep (krittika's yoni animal) and swans. She's closely connected to agriculture and farm animals.

Brigid, also being connected to wells and rivers, has many landmarks in Ireland with a body of water. The most famous one is a well in Kildare, Ireland. Water from that well is said to have healing properties.

Her father was Dagda (good, great god), leader of the Irish tribe Tuatha Dé Danann ("people of goddess Danu"), which consisted of Irish deities who lived there before the ancestors of the modern Irish had arrived. Dagda was a wise man, an all-father and a Druid. Brigid married Bres, another member of that tribe and together they had three children. One of them, Ruadán, died and Brigid mourned him with profound and painful sadness. She's very devoted to protecting children and this might be a reason why.

In honor of her, there's a sacred fire lit in Kildare and is guarded by the Sisters of St. Brigid. There has been a fire in Kildare since the time Brigid was worshipped. It has been put out several times, but has been re-lit and is still burning. This suggests that the worship of Brigid has endured as she she survived and was made a Catholic saint when Christianity came to Europe.

I want to talk about why I chose her for Krittika while comparing her to very similar goddesses.

First one is the Roman Vesta. Virgins were chosen to keep the fire of vesta burning and it was said that if even one of them gave their virginity, the fire would burn out. In those instances when fire burned out by itself, the poor Vestal Virgins were to blame. Vesta is also the Roman Equivalent of the Greek Hestia, both being goddesses of the hearth, fire and home.

Krittika is the nakshatra that burns impurities through being precise and cutting away all that is not nessecary, hence a sharp object and a flame being its symbols. Bridging the signs of Aries and Taurus, it's often fiery and passionate but also feminine and nurturing.

An Indian deity ruling over Krittika is Agni_ God of fire. An Indian goddess that is coorelated to Krittika (and also Purva Phalguni) is Tripura Sundari, meaning "the most beautiful in three worlds". This three world- triple goddess coorelation is apparent to me, besides the obvious fire associations, as well as nurturing, fertility and agriculture.

In the lunar mansion of Krittika, there's a constellation called the Pleiades, often called "the seven sisters". This is another confirmation of Krittika's very feminine nature, despite also representing the birth of the cosmic man and being very fiery and passionate in general.

Some other deities that I'd coorelate with Krittika:

Hestia- another virginal goddess of fire, also associated with home and hearth

Tripura Sundari- Indian goddess, "the most beautiful in the worlds"

Vesta- Roman goddess of fire and virgins

Bel- Celtic sun and fire god, also associated with healing, thunder and purification.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed reading about Brigid. This is a very condensed post but I said pretty much everything I wanted to say. I hope you understood Brigid's energy and made the coorelation between her and Krittika. If you're Krittika, even if you're not, COMMENT, like and reblog. Love u, take care ❤🔥

#krittika #krittika nakshatra #nakshatras #vedic astrology #astrology #astrology observations #vedic astrology observations #brigid #celtic mythology #irish mythology #ireland #celtic #goddess #goddess brigid

[owlpellet]

If not for the 3 paged book, what details on the image itself gave it away?

Let's look at it! For those who missed it, this is the image in question:

we already have a bad habit of disconnecting this sort of over the top high fantasy work from its creators (Angus McBride, Dave Mattingly, etc), which makes it easy to pass around in a memetic manner and kind of forget it's art in the first place. We tend to think of it almost as clipart, something generic, thomas kincade for people who play d&d. this makes it easily replicable and ripe for misuse, because people are less likely to seek out the source for something that already feels familiar and ubiquitous-- surely this is just public domain stuff, right?

Well, of course not. These days its easier than ever to just slap in a prompt that gives you something ALMOST familiar but not able to be meaningfully reverse searched, and that's how you end up with the current crisis on print sites and sellers like craggyscorner dot com, from where this image comes.

So how can you tell the familiar from the outright false? Some of the other images on the site this is from have better examples, but I'll stick with this one. Here are a few things to spot!

1.) I'll get the meaty, weird hand out of the way first. Hands aren't a reliable tell every time, but the fucked-up little thumb makes this one nice and obvious for us.

2.) There is hair randomly visible despite his being hooded; the ripples of the fabric and the hair also seem to merge.

3.) The columns do not match in pattern or width, nor do the capitals on them make any sense. The brickwork also follows no pattern-- mistakes not made by someone of this ostensible rendering skill.

4.) His knees extend way, way far out from his body and he appears to have three of them.

5.) This is a big one: AI struggles with defining edges on things, and often contours edges of background items to warp and match ones in the foreground-- think of how edited instagram photos warp bricks behind the subject. The visual is similar to that. This can be seen to a lesser degree in many places on the image, such as the book by the hand, or the bricks along his backside.

6.) Escher architecture. Again, not a professional mistake.

7.) ?????? He does not appear to have feet. The image politely fudges itself behind the text.

8.) Lastly, the robes are just a mess. AI doesn't really understand seams, or layers, or really how clothes work at all, which is how he ends up with what appears to be two hoods and a chiffon wrap around his waist. The folds and shadows are busy enough to be believable at a glance but they hide that nothing appears to look.... correct.

Also just for fun I tried to do my most charitable drawover of his anatomy. Yeah.

Can you spot more problems? You probably can.

[hoony2k]

ONE AND ONLY

Synopsis: enha and their Indonesian soulmate.

PAIRING: OT7

GENRE: fluff, established relationship

WARNINGS: none, maybe inaccurate translations?

WORD COUNT: 700+

NOTE: if something is incorrect then I sorrie didn't mean it. Tbh I had to research before writing and though I'm not exactly satisfied, I hope it's what you wanted. I divided the paragraghs because they looked chunky...though I'm not sure if it's better it looks odd to me hmm.

requested masterlist

★ HEESEUNG

he would be no stranger to the cultural differences in your relationship but rather than focusing on those, he'd divert his attention to the mutual aspects- even if they were small. "Wow, you like rice? I like rice too, that's so crazy". Focusing on the similarities would help make him feel close to you. This is ultimately how Heeseung moulds himself to compliment you and learn your thinking pattern. He's able to know more about you, able to predict your reactions and instincts and he believes it brings you two closer as he understands you.

★ JAY

overused but undeniably the truth because Jay's love language is acts of service! Have you seen how peaceful that man looks when he cooks? The joy that graces his face when he watches people eat his cooking? The only difference is that this time, Jay would be cooking dishes for your cuisine.

He'd casually ask you about a favourite dish and try to perfect it behind your back, cooking it repetitively and using enha as taste testers. They might not know how it's supposed to taste but can give him a basic overview. Don't be surprised when you come home and can smell your childhood memories because he's prepared food and set the table for dinner.

★ JAKE

as much as he loves to be introduced to your favourite meals, he's a picky eater, very sceptical when he sees something unfamiliar on the plate. But he would be more open to trying out sweet treats or your cooking because that can never go wrong. Like Sunghoon, he doesn't make your interracial aspect the personality of your relationship. He does use random Indonesian words he googled in conversations. "Have you eaten yet?" The rare times he ignores his gramma laws just to see your shocked face. Sometimes even memorises long phrases to impress you and is so willing to learn the language so he can impress your parents as well.

★ SUNGHOON

He's a paradox of being unaffected by your identity and associating everything Indonesian with you. Most of the time he's very nonchalant about it because why would the topic of ethnicity even be brought up in a conversation? But then, as your relationship progresses, Sunghoon notices small things that differentiate the two of you. Rather than being discouraged, he chooses to see it as an opportunity to be closer to you, to become your second home.

When random Indonesian words slip out, he'll remember them and later try to mimic them with wobbly hesitant pronunciation which makes you giggle at his efforts. The guy who would learn the language so its easier for you to communicate but at an emotional level…he feels speaking the same tongue would bring more understanding in the relationship.

★ SUNOO

He loves to watch Indonesian dramas and movies with you. It gets so serious for him because if you're busy, he'll watch them alone and give you uncalled-for spoilers, and you're like, "Were we going to finish it together??" And hes like, "Not my fault. Joe called me," and you're like, "Why are you on a first-name basis with him?" No response. He'll indulge in Indonesian news so much that each time he's on his phone, you know he's reading the latest scoop. Loves giving you updates and easily finishes your watch list before you because he's excited to discover more.

★ JUNGWON

He's always googling facts about Indonesia. But not because he's curious at a macro level, no he becomes obsessed with learning about the tiny details and customs that exist in cities you haven't even travelled to. It turns into a fun hobby for him.

And he loves to bring them up in normal conversations- usually because he thinks you'd be aware of them, so while you do the general topography of your country, Jungwon digs deeper. He asks you if you've ever been to Nias Island and you're like "No I haven't". And when Jungwon smiles at you, you expect him to say something romantic like 'lets's visit it together someday" and not the history of the island along with its location in the chain of islands.

★ NIKI 

He'll google normal conversation phrases and memorise them so he can write them in your diary for you to discover later. Sometimes, when he's confident, he'll go, "Did you makan?" And you smile, "Tidak saya tidak punya," and he just stands there with an awkward, polite smile because he has no clue what you replied with. His efforts are thoughtful and sweet, either way. He wears a silver necklace of your initials because he can, and he begs you to bring back souvenirs when you take a trip back home. He will not go with you until he's 100% confident in the language. Also loves watching vlogs and messages you food recipes so he can make them with you.

Thank you for reading!

Please do not translate/copy/edit.

#enha x reader #k-labels #enhypen scenarios #enhypen x reader #enhypen #enhypen drabbles #enhypen fluff #enhypen fics #enhypen reactions #enha scenarios #enha imagines #enha fluff #enha reactions #heeseung x reader #heeseung fluff #heeseung imagines #jay fluff #park jay imagines #park jay x reader #park jongseong #jake sim x reader #jake sim fluff #jaeyun x reader #jaeyun fluff #jaeyun imagines #sunghoon scenarios #sunghoon imagines #sunghoon fluff #sunghoon reactions #sunghoon x reader

[ladyluscinia]

I don't disagree that fandom ran further with the concept of fuckeries, but I would say that 1x04 is an important spiritual successor to the concept that felt like it was going to be significant. The first demonstration we got of how good Ed and Stede could be together was the lighthouse escape, which I would definitely count as a fuckery. It's a clever, creative victory that doesn't require violence, and it seemed to sate Ed's s1 stated appetite for drama/excitement/fun without triggering him.

Continuing from here... I mean I personally agree with you, but that's also mainly what I was talking about with fandom giving the idea more importance and interest than canon did.

I think a lot of people - myself included - drew that connection from 1x04's proto-fuckery to getting a name for it (and its potential role as a raid alternative) in 1x06 to Stede becoming a true student in 1x10. More detailed examples went for looping in 1x02 and/or 1x05 to show Stede leaning toward trickery over force.

The point isn't that the fandom (basically all of us, not a few outliers) was wrong to run with this - I think it was brilliant, actually, and a big part of why I even cared about writing meta about the pirate society of a romcom - but that the canon of S2 didn't pick the idea back up at all in a way that indicates it was never going anywhere. The pattern we spotted in S1 was apparently not the interesting comedic alternate to action/adventure swashbuckling, but something (significantly more boring tbh) that served to buoy our underdog Stede along without dying until he was far enough in his pirate journey to swing a sword successfully.

Is the lighthouse escape the first demonstration in a larger pattern of how Ed and Stede will work together in the future? Where their mutual tendencies toward creative solutions and dissatisfaction with abusive and violent pirate culture can find a new, more fun way of life?

Or is it a, yes, clever and creative escape they come up with together, but one that only has those specific traits because they are in an impossible situation where they can't fight their way out - narratively because the ship is stranded and crewed by useless pirates, and meta-narratively because they need Stede to contribute as an equal instead of just getting rescued (that was for last episode) and he can't do that in a fight yet?

We thought that the lighthouse plan was supposed to connect to 1x06 and 1x10, but I think it might have only been meant to serve as a fix to Ed's fog and full moon plan (i.e. making an impossible escape).

They just looked similar because all the various wins and conflicts of S1 were shaped around Stede's character journey, but the part of that journey where he can't jump into the fray and kill the mooks too as a real pirate ended with 1x10. Which is why they don't come up with a brilliant way to slip out of the Republic without a fight in 2x08. Stede doesn't need the genre crutch anymore. He is a swashbuckling hero now, and he and Ed can kill people side by side.

You know, once the trauma-based reasons they might not do so are healed by "something something... love maybe?"

#i am significantly less interested in this canon than i was in the one where i thought being silly tricksters would be the norm #and i think it shows a critical failure to consider that maybe the silly tone of S1 was what differentiated it from other pirate media #but i do think s2 going more action/adventure recontextualizes several bits of s1 - including this one #(also tbh bad writing not following up with character work) #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd critical #< i don't think the last one was but this one definitely throws more shade #ofmd meta #ofmd 2x08 #ofmd 1x04 #stede bonnet ofmd #blackbeard ofmd #ofmd piracy #genre #ladyluscinia #ask #anon

[jinkookspencil]

sleepwear that’d drive bts crazy

description: what you’d wear to bed that'd drive the members crazy, sexy lingerie excluded because obviously i’d see most of them loving different forms of lingerie - this is a more domestic version, but still includes sexiness. they’d go crazy the first time they see you like this but it’ll never get old to them…..

author's note: a quick ot7 post in honor of the busan concert but i have wips that are almost done!

namjooon

why do i imagine that namjoon would love girly girly nightgowns on his s/o

get a dainty little nightgown in pink or white that highlights your boobs

and this man is a goner

he’ll go crazy for simple things like his tees too

he’d only like sets if its girly or somehow sexy: like camis paired with short shorts

or better yet a playsuit

but he himself would be surprised at how much he’d love a regular girlie nightgown 

seokjin

seokjin would like two things

nightgowns - feminine but not too girly and frilly like namjoon would like

something simple, cotton, and soft that only very very lightly highlights your curves, with a cute pattern like little hearts or snowflakes 

OR

pyjama sets, of course

ones that resemble his, like button-downs

or those with cropped t-shirt tops and a cute design or funny pun on them

but especially, his pyjamas

yoongi

i think yoongi is the least one to be affected simply by sleepwear

but if anything would have an impact on him

it’s simply underwear

even everyday, simple underwear!

i can see this being a rare thing though, like his s/o would  usually go to bed in sets

but on a rare occasion when yoongis s/o would only wear underwear to bed…. 

he will get so flustered

hoseok

hobi would love those huuuuuge oversized t-shirts / nightgowns that look like huge t-shirts

the type you’d find in primark / target / etc for cheap

with an obnoxiously large or even badly designed design or pattern all over it

or those old, faded tees you'd use for sleeping

with nothing underneath

he doesn’t know why he loves it so much

one day you’ll roll out of bed and just put on biker shorts underneath - for a very quick coffee or grocery run - and the sight will make hobi say “wow”

jimin

absolutely nothing

you’d be used to sleeping naked next to jimin after you both had fun 

but if it’s just a normal, cozy night in and you get into bed naked? just for the sake of sleeping naked?

yeah you won’t sleep

jimin will giggle

“are you going to put something on?” / “why would I? you’ve seen my body, plus it’s hot. goodnight jimin” :) / “what the fuck do you mean ‘goodnight’? get over here.”

taehyung

similar to his kim brothers

taehyung would love girly/feminine pyjama sets and nighties, but unlike the ones namjoon or seokjin would love

tae would love silky, satin, delicate nightgowns - more slips than nightgowns really, and pyjama sets of the same fabrics

with lace at the neckline and at the sleeves 

but the type that’s still made for sleeping rather than lingerie meant to be taken off

complete with matching robe

BUT he’d also love it if you wore long sleeved, button-down pajama set

in either those same silky fabrics or a cozy, thick fleecy fabric or flannel, for him to cozy up to - there’s no in between

get one of those silky, button-down sets embroidered with your initials and tae would go even crazier

jungkook

a classic graphic tee and undies combo would do it for jungkook

It doesn’t matter what type

it could be one of your tees, one of his

your normal undies, women’s boy shorts/boxers, or even a pair of his underwear

It’s just the combo of graphic tee + undies that does it for him

especially in the autumn / winter when you pair that with knee-length socks

as soon as the air turns colder that’s one of the first things jungkook will get excited for

do not expect to sleep when you wear knee-length socks for the first time….

or it’ll be that classic combo but the other way around: just a bra on top, and long pyjama bottoms - with a funky pattern or even a marvel/batman pattern 

if that’s the case, he’ll nuzzle into you the entire night in that outfit, and will playfully unhook your bra when you least expect it

#bts reaction #bts reactions #ot7 reactions #bts scenario #bts fic #bts fluff #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #namjoon fanfic #namjoon reaction #jin scenario #namjoon scenarios #jin scenarios #seokjin scenarios #seokjin fanfic #ot7 #yoongi fanfic #yoongi scenarios #yoongi fic #ot7 fic #hobi scenarios #hobi scenario #jimin scenarios #jimin reactions #taehyung reactions #taehyung scenarios #jungkook scenario #jungkook scenarios #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fic

[astralexpressarchives]

Bird Symbolism on the Xianzhou

This all started with a question I asked my friend: "Well, have you ever seen a bird on the Xianzhou?"

Birds have played a major role in my very autistic investigations of Xianzhou lore. My intuition just knew that they were important so I started cataloguing every instance of birds appearing on the Xianzhou. I'll start with the more common appearances and then delve into the more obscure ones.

I would also like to preface this by saying I am not a bird scientist nor am I particularly interested in birds outside of the context of HSR. I simply noticed there were some repeating patterns and really wanted to make note of them.

So here's all the times I've seen a bird on the Xianzhou.

The Boring Ones

Sky-faring Commission/Starskiff Bird Symbol

This bird shows up all over the Xianzhou on buildings and signage. It is used on the signs indicating starskiffs but honestly can show up anywhere. Large associations with the sky-faring commission. Highly likely it is inspired by the white bird later in the post.

Jing Yuan's Finches

Another really obvious one as most people are familiar with his finches. As far as I know, they only appear in relation to Jing Yuan and don't seem to have any meaning outside of sheer vibes.

Before Dawn Lightcone:

"Do not make this decision lightly, general... Think about how you will be remembered in history..." The general of the Cloud Knights listens to his subordinates' words with eyes half-closed. "History will make its own judgment, but I have no interest in my legacy." "If I succeed, history will state that I am currently supremely confident in my masterful strategy." "But if I fail, then history will state that I am currently neglecting my duties in wanton pleasure, preferring finches over my people." A finch jumps down from his shoulder, and he extends his hand to catch the small creature. "I have simply made my own decision."

Yukong's Kestral

Similar to the bird that appears on Yanqing, Yukong's Kestral is a symbol that is connected to her beloved Caiyi.

Past and Future Lightcone:

The wings of the paper kite in her hands were broken, brutally reminding her of her beloved's tragic passing. She kneeled next to the fire of war, eyes full of sorrow. "If you are the only one left to do this, then our sacrifice would..." Gunfire raged on, painting the sky red without dampening its majesty. She looked up at the sky, eyes full of fury.

Edit: Qingque and Phoenix

These aren't related to anything as far as I can tell but there is also this bird that appears on Qingque's outfit.

There's also a phoenix that shows up in the Palace of Astrum and again in the Seven Arbiter Generals myriad. It may be something related to the history of the Xianzhou (the planet they came from in particular) because it appears on each of those panels outlining the backstory.

The Fun Ones

Yanqing's Swallow

Now starting to get into the territory of birds that are actually pretty interesting to the lore. The swallow is a bird that is literally everywhere on Yanqing. The painting is found near the Petrichor Inn. - this is significant because the Petrichor Inn has strong associations with the Vidyadhara. The also appear on the handle of his sword and in his splashart.

River Flows in Spring Lightcone:

The young boy took a short break from his sword practice. The sunlight was baking his already heated neck. He slowly got into the water, whose coldness touched his bare feet. When the bell chimes and birds tweet, even the people far away would know that springtime had arrived.

The Water Birds

Repeated appearance of birds made of water both in relation to Yanqing and found in cages in the Vidyadhara section of the Xianzhou. I believe these are some kind of spirit birds similar to the water creatures that swim through the Scalegorge Waterscape and Dan Heng's own azure dragon. These are probably similar to the Oceanids of Genshin Impact where they actually contain souls that take whatever shape they want in the water - probably the souls of dead Vidyadhara if I had to guess. Why are they being caged and sold around the Xianzhou in Vidyadhara areas? I have literally no idea at this point.

Yanqing has these ice swallows appear during his attacks. There's a recurring theme of swords containing souls in Xianxia stories which is also loosely connected to the concept of Blade's sword graveyard in the Hellscape. I think Yanqing's ice birds are somehow souls similar to the water birds caged around the Xianzhou.

The uber weird part about all of this is how at the end of Yanqing's ultimate you see this image. In the background of the image are the mountains associated strongly with the Vidyadhara and Dan Heng in particular.

I don't know what this means for Yanqing right now but he is an expy of a pre-existing character from Honkai Impact 3rd: Ma Yanqing. They probably have some plan for him that isn't immediately apparent right now but I would like to point out that his grandmaster, Jingliu, is also heavily associated with the mountain moon realm and can also summon a sword made of water/ice. This does not appear to be a technique known by anyone else and Jingliu herself needed to defeat the abomination in order to acquire her singular ice sword.

The Crane

Appearing initially only on Dan Feng's clothing, the crane has made a comeback in the new Cloud Knights Martial Doctrine, On Swords myriad trailer. They are significant because the also appear among the mountain realm and the moon. Notice the association Jingliu, Yanqing, and Dan Heng in particular.

The Black Bird

So not all the birds in this picture are distinctly black but their colour is ambiguous and they are similarly shaped so I'm lumping them together. They all appear in association with the mountain area - Blade's sword graveyard is also in the mountain area. The top right picture is from Dan Heng's first fansong.

The White Bird

Not sure what species of bird this is supposed to be but there's a white bird that appears repeatedly in association with the mountain realm. More specifically, it appears among the clouds and may freely travel from the Scalegorge to the Mountains through the hole in the clouds. Bottom left is from Blade's fansong. I think these birds may represent souls and the dead in the same way that Blade's spiderlilies and swords do.

There's also this bird above the realm-keeping commission that I'm unsure how to categorize because of it's unique shape but it's also among the mountains and moon.

Edit: Dan Shu's Bird

This one is actually important for the spirit bird concept. In the Longevous Disciple relic set she tells us of a story that inspires her:

According to the legend, a certain delvemaster saved her partner by placing their soul into a bird, granting them immortality. However, she eventually could not resist the call of the avian and also transformed into a bird, flying alongside them. Over time, the delvemaster became confused and lost her true form, becoming a half-feathered, half-human monster. When her subjects stormed the palace and pierced her with blazing spears and arrows, the two birds sang a final mournful song and turned to ashes together. She loved this story so much that she took the essence and marrow of birds and transformed them in the alchemical furnace, then had someone weave these materials into a luxurious feather coat. She could not see just how beautiful the coat was, but nonetheless enjoyed walking around the house while wearing it — it was meant to be seen by a person who no longer existed. As the garb fluttered, she always felt that a bird-like soul was flying and passing through her hands and shoulders, ever-present.

It's not clear how much of the legend is actually true but it could be inspired by the spirit birds.

I think I've said just about everything that I wanted to say. I'm curious if anyone else has any thoughts on the birds. I've listed most of them but there are one or two paintings I left out from fear of repetition.

I have a lot of additional Thoughts about the birds but I'll leave that for another post.

#honkai star rail #hsr #jing yuan #yanqing #yukong #dan heng #blade #xianzhou #jingliu #hsr lore #vidyadhara #qingque #dan shu

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Blisheag

We've got another bird this week, but it looks like people are having fun with it, so let's see what came out of it.

As usual, if you're not sure what this is about, you can see previous material at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting and follow stuff as it's posted at the tag maniculum bestiaryposting.

The entry our artists are working from this week can be seen here:

Roughly chronological order under the cut, &c. &c., you know how this works.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) notes that the translation choosing to say "bill" instead of "beak" makes them think of ducks, and furthermore how that seems a bit odd that we have these two very similar terms, acknowledge that some birds have beaks and some have bills, and then don't really think about it. That's a pretty interesting point -- I'm tempted to take some time to look up whether there is a defined difference, but I have a post to write and other Tasks waiting in the wings, so please, if you know what that's about, let us know. The line that the Blisheag is an enemy to snakes naturally brought the secretary bird to mind, so here we see it trampling a snake with its talons. (Some of our other artists also made the connection to secretary birds and their practice of stomping snakes -- it's interesting to me that this is apparently a part of Tumblr's collective consciousness.) Also, the coloration is based on the American black duck, which Silverhart describes as "quite a handsome duck", and I have to say the color pattern is pretty nice.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) has also gone for large talons for stomping snakes, and in the absence of any specific physical details, decided to have some fun with it. I like the choice to give it a turkey-like body and tail combined with a long neck like a flamingo. Sweetlyfez also included the detail in the entry that the Blisheag loses its feathers while diligently incubating its nest, giving it a bald neck and head. I think the effect is kind of charming -- it kind of evokes a flamingo, but since that's bald skin rather than pink feathers, it would probably look closer to a vulture in person.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has given us a whole group (they helpfully inform us that the collective noun is a "lance") of Blisheags attentively listening to a crow who is perched on a stump. I really like this interpretation of them following crows as guides -- like it's not just an instinctive behavior but they're actively in collaboration with the crows somehow and take verbal direction from them. Something really clever here that's easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for -- which is why you should make a practice of reading Cheapsweets's linked posts, as they tend to include detailed explanations -- is how they've interpreted the details that describe the Blisheags making creaking & clashing noises and following the crows like an army. Look at those varied head shapes on the different Blisheag subspecies: they're patterned after different styles of knights' helmets. Also, I'd like to thank Cheapsweets for providing their own alt text, and acknowledge that I of course noticed the Stylized Trees.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) has as usual done some delightful medieval stylization in this week's art. (And provided their own alt text, thank you.) Something I think is really clever here is how she's interpreted "enemies of snakes" as combined with "fly across the sea" -- obviously, when they're migrating, they have to deal with being menaced by sea serpents. Brilliant. As for the actual birds, we see them following crows of course, and apparently in the absence of physical description, Coolest-capybara decided to pattern them after a depiction of a bird in an old church window; if you want to see the window, you should check out the linked post. It's a good bird design, I think.

@pomrania (link to post here) also thought "secretary bird" and decided to run with it. They mention going a bit Seussian in design, and I think it really works. (Also apparently the crow is patterned after the "Crow Time" comics, which Cheapsweets also namechecked, so I suppose I should go look at those at some point.) Aside from the delightfully whimsical look of the bird in general, I think the really clever part of the design is those little round bumps on the end of its beak. They also noted the description of the Blisheag making noise by clashing its bill, and decided to give it a bill that's adapted to making noise -- they describe it as a "roseate spoonbill crossed with a tambourine". I love it.

@strixcattus (link to post here) notes the lack of specific detail but has drawn this ibis-esque bird with a very good curved beak. The gold here is in the description Strixcattus provides to remedy the "lack of detail" problem, which includes more on the nesting practices alluded to in the entry and an explanation of how it hunts snakes -- since, of course, it is the enemy of snakes, as we know. Again, you need to go read all of the worldbuilding naturalist posts Strixcattus has done for this exercise; they're delightful and very well thought out. Also, I think this drawing is the closest to the real bird, so let's go ahead and transition to...

... the Aberdeen Bestiary version. (Note: this time around I straight-up forgot what bird this was supposed to be when I sat down to do this post, but luckily I made a spreadsheet back when I started this that I was able to reference.)

Yep, those are definitely storks. Pretty recognizable depiction, I'd say. Frog looks oddly happy with being caught here.

The migration habits of storks are actually something that comes up in other medieval texts. Pretty sure they're just guessing with "Asia" here; medieval Europeans didn't really know where storks went. The version I like best is in the tradition that includes the Old English Wonders of the East, wherein we are informed that storks are only birds when they summer in Europe -- when they're back home for the winter, they take humanoid form. Really. The text in the Wonders of the East is as follows (translation mine):

There are men born who are 15 feet tall, & they have white bodies & two noses on one head. Their knees are very red, their noses long, and their hair black. When they wish to give birth, they travel on ships to India, and there bring their kin into the world.

Doesn't sound like it's talking about storks? There's a reason for that. The Wonders of the East is actually a great example of Manuscript Telephone. Ann Elizabeth Knock, in her dissertation "Wonders of the East: a synoptic edition of the Letter of Pharasmanes and the Old English and Old Picard translations" (which you can get a PDF version of at this link here), gives us the following view of the original version:

Men are born there with long legs. They are very tall, 12 or 15 feet. They [or, in some versions, just their arms] are white. Their faces are divided. They have red feet. The head is round; they have long noses and black shoulders. At a certain time, they transform into birds. As birds, they breed in [an area familiar to the reader of the Letter]; you call them storks.

The Wonders of the East lost the stork aspect in transmission -- the next entry in the Wonders starts with "There is a land in Gaul called Ciconia", which is the end of the above version being accidentally attached to the next bit and reinterpreted. Ciconia is Latin for "stork", and the version the scribe was copying from probably named Gaul as the area where they went to breed.

(Similarly, traveling on ships in the Wonders of the East is probably a confusion of navis 'ship' and avis 'bird'.)

For more on the Wonders of the East, we did a three-part episode on it back in March 2021, and I later wrote up a summary of the differences between the text we used and Knock's reconstructions at this link here. (Very much summarized, Knock's work is lengthy & detailed & a surprisingly good read for an absolute doorstopper of a dissertation.)

#maniculum bestiaryposting #blisheag

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

RotTMNT Headcanons

Biology Headcanons

They still have their original turtle eyes! We just cant see them because the art style lol

They're (canonically?) warm blooded

Reptiles take a lot longer to heal than mammals, which is a trait that carried over after the mutation. When they were little they would get a lot of infections (its hard wrangling 4 children under ten, Splinter had a hard time keeping every single cut clean). They own a lot of bandages (specifically fun cartoon band aids) because they have to wear them for much longer periods.

They! Make! Turtle! Sounds! And they picked up some rat sounds from Splinter! Splinter knows what all the turtle sounds mean, but never makes any himself. The first time April heard the turtle sounds she demanded they teach her. She cant make them exactly so she'll make a similar enough sound and they'll joke that she's just got a thick accent

Like most reptiles they will continue to grow throughout their lives! Thats why future!Leo was so big

They've eaten plenty of questionable things growing up. And still will if bribed with enough money. One of the reasons they love Run of the Mill so much is they serve Yokai food aka food with some gross stuff (ex. that pizza with eyes the twins ate when they took April)

Splinter has no idea how old they actually are. Neither does Draxum he didnt exactly care what day his subjects were hatched he just needed them to be juveniles. They were mutated 13 years ago so in reality they are all (mentally?) 13. Splinter needed to put someone in charge while he was gone and the reasoning was because "he's the oldest" because how do you argue with that? And then eventually the kids asked who the second oldest was and Splinter panicked and just went in height order. He randomly picked birthdays and accidentally made Leo 20 days older than Donnie

Splinter's DNA is the reason they're such good ninjas. Somehow. I dont see how thats genetic but yep thats the reason. They pick up moves really fast, so growing up on Lou Jitsu movies and having easy access to youtube allowed them to learn moves visually. Splinter also gave them all a crash course on fighting before he ever let them start going off on their own

Growing up

Splinter named them after colors! Growing up he had to color code everything to avoid "but its mine" disputes. It took him a while to figure that out so they actually didnt have names for that time.

April was the one who started the twin debate. At the time (she was idk 10?) she didnt understand how two siblings born in the same year could not be twins.

Raph and his duty of older brother is essential for the family, but the most substantial role is held by Donnie. Splinter is the father but Donnie is the true provider. Before Donnie got old enough to play around with fixing things the family lived a very different life. Donnie is the reason they have a tv, working kitchen appliances, clean water despite living in a sewer, electric lighting and heating. He's the only one who regularly brings money in and organizes things like online shipping or grocery delivery (thank you internet!). Donnie looks at something and sees something entirely out of the box, and then makes it a reality. Leo found the area that became the lair, but Donnie is the one who made those concrete tubes a functional home. And he did it all just to see if he could. Splinter didnt think he could do it, but it kept the boys entertained all day so he let them have at it. Splinter feels guilty so much has fallen on Donnie's shoulders over the years, but he is so grateful that Donnie turned out to be so smart

General

All the brothers are really smart, just in different capacities. Donnie prefers engineering and computer science but also picks up other science subjects fast. Leo's is harder to see, it manifests more in quick thinking, puzzles, and people skills. He's also really good at math. Mikey is good at seeing patterns, in both objects and relationships. Raph is in emotional intelligence, particularly internally.

When Cassandra said "my friends call me 'Casey'" she meant that only to Splinter, and the rest still had to earn the right to call her "Casey"

Raph and Casey (Sr) somehow become best friends. No one expected it.

Donnie has scars on his shell, but most of them are from minor everyday things and not true fights. Raph has the most scars due to his tendency to use himself as a shield to protect his brothers

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey all feel like they didnt earn their spot on the team. Leo because he feels he doesnt offer much (canon), Donnie because if he cant make tech he thinks hes useless (canon), and Mikey because he's the youngest and his brothers are therefore forced to include him (headcanon)

At one point Mikey tricked Splinter and Big Mama into going on a date

Draxum and Donnie got stuck in a situation that forced them to bond. They both pretend nothing has changed but it has

Not only does Leo come to Sr Hueso to complain about his life like Hueso's a bartender (canon), but so do all the brothers. Sr Hueso keeps reminding them he's not a therapist

Their s2 finale outfits (gif up top) become everyone's mission outfits

Medic Leo Medic Leo Medic Leo

All the boys love the joey pouch (its basically a incubator and theyre reptiles). April finds it disgusting (its a very hot and tight space made of flaps of skin and you cant move without lots of effort)

At one point the boys all try to get jobs. Raph tries the Hidden City but gets run out by the police again. Mikey somehow talks Sr Hueso into giving him a job. Donnie attempts to work for Big Mama but in disguise. Leo somehow ends up helping Draxum out in the high school kitchen. None of them last the week. Raph doesnt make a day, Mikey gets into a argument with a chef on day four and quits "on principle", Donnie got discovered on day 2 but out of nostalgia's sake (being her exbf's son) Big Mama let him stay on but it got uncomfortable fast so he bailed also on day 4, Leo finds out he's outlasted all his brothers and goes in on day 5 solely to steal some ice cream bars and then told Draxum he quits when he was already on his way out

Theres a running joke that Piebald is always there but the boys keep forgetting about her. They dont know if her and dad are messing with them again or she actually was there and they just dont notice ("i mean... she can turn invisible. She could have been there")

Post-Movie

Casey Jr lives with them! April and Casey Sr are at college and living in dorms. Plus, he's not quite ready for full emersion into a society thats never had the apocalypse

Growing up Leo had become a father figure to Casey Jr, a person who could do no wrong. After the movie that illusion is clearly shattered, but he still looks up to Leo and the others. Leo has now taken a role closer to Big Brother (someone who can be flawed) than Parental Figure. Leo on the other hand has fully embraced being a role model for Casey Jr and has basically become Raph whenever Casey Jr is around

Casey Sr takes her job as Casey Jr's mom very seriously. She's not the same as future!Casey Sr, obviously, but Casey Jr enjoys spending time with her anyways. If anyone asks they say they're cousins and as a inside joke Casey Jr calls her "mom"

Casey Sr drilled proper etiquette into her son. The boys are working hard to break that ("Master Michelangelo-" "woah buddy, you can just call me 'Mikey'. 'Master Michelangelo' is way too long and too many syllables")

Raph's got scars from being krangified (from when it ripped into his body and from when he ripped it out of his body). He's got some vision problems in his right eye now

Donnie's also got scars from being forcefully ripped out of the control console

Casey Jr is a avid pupil of Nap When You Can and falls asleep everywhere. Showing him a movie? Asleep. Dinner's gonna take another 15 minutes? He's already drooling on the couch. Leo's taking to long to get his gear on? Catnap on the kitchen table. As the new baby of the family everyone carries him to bed instead of waking him up

Mikey begins spending more time over at Draxum's now, learning about mystic powers

Leo being forced to leave Raph behind really left its mark on him. Watching Leo sacrifice himself really left its mark on everyone else. Its not surprising to wake up in middle of the night because someone came in to check on you after a nightmare

#hinacu tmnt #rottmnt #rise leonardo #rise donatello #rise raphael #rise michelangelo #rise april #cassandra jones #rise splinter #baron draxum #casey jones jr