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#but what if the character youre drawing has One Common Expression
aka-indulgence · 1 year
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Do you ever just
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quimichi · 3 months
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₊❏❜ ⋮ MEETING THEIR FAMILIES -HEARTSLABYUL VER.
warnings: bad treatment towards reader (Riddles part), bad writing :3
summary: You meet their families
characters: Heartslabyul x F!Reader
word count:
a/n: I originally planned to do all in one part but I decided not to since it's so so much and I'm currently having a writers block but I wanna make you guys happy so-its in parts :(
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Riddle
Riddle's mother is a strict woman, and she does not hide her dislike for you. She frowns the moment she sees you and crosses her arms. The situation is tense as she watches you, her gaze sharp and unblinking. She seems to be considering your motives with her son, but it is clear that she has a low opinion of you for some reason.
Riddle is nothing compared to her; he has no power, he's weak standing beside you. Yet, he stands proud, he loves you and no matter what his mother will say, his mind won't change. "Mother," he begins. She shoots a hard look at him. With that stare, she seems to say 'do. not. talk."
Riddle goes silent. He knows that if he does talk, it might ruin her approval...if that will ever happen. But you decided to speak up, nervously, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you! Riddle has told me so many lovely things of you!" you bow down, showcasing your respect. His mother's expression does not change. She seems to consider you for a while before speaking:
"Do you think yourself worthy of my son? Do you think you are a good match for him?"
It's clear that she is sizing you up, and her gaze is piercing.
"Yes." Riddle grabs your hand and gives it a tight squeeze. Showing you his support, no matter what he won't back out either, cause he knows whats coming. Your words only draw a frown from his mother. Her expression turns sour.
"I do not think you can give my son the life he deserves. You are too low class for a nobleman. It is clear why you would date him, but what do you have to offer us? It would disgrace his name and our family to wed a commoner. A magicless commoner!" She continues to size you up. She is relentless. Her frown only hardens with every passing moment.
"My son is a nobleman. He deserves a woman of nobility. Riddle dear, I know the perfect girl for you she-" "No!" His voice rings through the halls with booming thunder.
"How dare you," he shouts, his eyes like daggers. He looks as though every muscle is about to tense up so hard it'll burst. "She is good enough. She is worthy of my love. There is no one in this world who I will ever love and admire more! If you don't agree with this relationship then-!...Then I might just leave.
Riddle is standing protectively in front of you now. His heart is thrumming so hard he can feel each pulse. His last words were spoken unsure, timidly, but it's the truth.
"...Then do."
Trey
Trey's parents are thrilled to meet you. The moment they saw you at their doorstep, they took you into their family. They are gracious hosts, offering you food and drinks as soon as you step into the house. Everything is warm and welcoming. Not to mention the cake they baked for you!
The afternoon tea goes smoothly, with conversation flowing as easily as a river. "Again, thank you so much for the tea and cake! It was absolutely delicious!" "It was nothing," Trey's mother says as she refills your mug. She smiles warmly, keeping herself composed with effort. She has heard a lot about you, after all, and the impression she has received so far has been wonderful. Its hard for her to contain her pure excitement, she might explode. All her husband can do is calm her down with a hand on her shoulder, smiling both at you and his wife.
Trey doesn't dare say anything, his lips pressed shut in a smile as he watches from his place. He doesn't want to draw attention to himself, content to watch you and his parents interact.
"BROTHER!" You hear two voices yell from the hallway...seems his siblings arrived from school. Trey's young siblings finally make their grand entrance, their voices filling the room with an unexpected cacophony of excitement and joy. The scene is a chaotic one, but in a good way.
His younger brother runs up to you immediately, "Oh-Oh-! You're the pretty girl-!" Before you can question anything his sister also tunes in, "Ohhh-! She really does look as sweet as gum drops-!" "You two, shush immediately-! I'm so sorry-!" Trey's mother apologizes for the behavior of her youngest children, but you shake it off. How could you ever be upset about the honesty of those sweethearts. You definitely will have a word with Trey once you get back...
Cater
Cater never kept it a secret, how much he despises his sisters and mother sometimes. More than once he told you stories. But he has also told you that slowly, the relationship gets better...slowly.
Cater's mother is especially overbearing. She tries her best, but she seems almost incapable of not adding only their favorite sweets to the tablem. She is a bundle of nerves, and she often dotes on Cater. It's as if she finds comfort in treating him like a child, because he is so quiet and calm. Yeah, quite and calm, if only they knew who he truly was.
"Thank you so much for having me." a genuine smile sets on your lips as she pours tea into your cup. "We are so glad to have you," Cater's mother says with genuine warmth.
His sisters continue to prod you in both questions and comments, being too forceful and tactless at times. They think they're being endearing and curious, but don't quite realize that they're over stepping. Cater sits beside you, his eyes darting back and forth as the questions keep flowing. Hes annoyed, of course they will ask inappropriate questions and take the attention.
"Where was the first kiss?" "Ohhh my god did he use his tounge?" "Cater, your hair today looks frizzy." "You look cute but...that top with those jeans...i don't know. Cater you should really watch what your girlfriend wears!" "Yeah! Spend some money on her, damn." "Bad boyfriend."
The constant barrage of questions and comments from his sisters would make even the most stoic people wither. You are not one of those people - you are more patient than you ever realized. You smile through the barrage of words, answering most that you can, ignoring the rest. It hurts, some hurt. You get Cater now to 100%. Your calm demeanor and soft eyes would calm anyone's heart, but his sisters are a bit too persistent, their endless questioning seeming to have no end.
This goes on for some time, until Cater is visibly agitated. "Stop," he says under his breath. He is usually calm and collected, so it draws everyone's attention, even his mother's. "What?" One of his sisters finally asks, feigning innocence.
"Enough," he says simply, but his tone is enough to get them to back off.
He takes a few breaths before giving his mother and sisters a smile. The situation diffuses, but you can sense that he is annoyed. "I just wanted to introduce you to my girlfriend, we didnt came here for an interview. Her outfit is perfect, and I'm NOT a bad boyfriend! I know I'm not..."
Ace
Ace's older brother is charming, witty, and well-liked by everyone. He teases his little brother without any cruelty, making lighthearted jokes at his expense. He is very protective of Ace, he just wants his little brother to be happy. And obviously he wants him to behave in this relationship too.
"He has spoken of you a lot," the older brother comments, his tone teasing. His brother wiggles his eyebrows towards him,  "A bit too much, it seems," Ace says, keeping his voice low, but you hear the annoyance.
"I can't help but hear all about you whenever he's calling me... how much he cares for you, how he's so lucky to have you..." his brother's tone is good-natured. He's just having fun, and hes so glad his brother found true happiness. "Ohh, what else did you say?" Ace can hear the teasing in your voice, no way you're going into this too. "Shut up-!" "Oh, you know," the older brother laughs. "He says you are the sweetest, most beautiful being in the whole wide world. You're an angle with the patience you have for him. He would do anything for you without a second thought. He swears he has never loved another as he has you."
"What a mushy little guy my brother can be," his older brother says, sounding amused.
Ace is turning red. His voice comes out slightly strained, cracking. "I-! I NEVER-! Shut up I never said anything like that, that's way to sappy!" "Mhmmmm, sure bro, sure" His older brother smiles, genuinely.
"I've never seen him so happy," he says, "He's truly a good guy, he just has some rough edges. I'm glad someone like you took their time to get to know him...Take care of him for me."
Deuce
His mother beams. "Oh! This is the one you've been telling me about? You've done well. She is a beauty!"
Deuce's face is tomato red. He is the picture of nervousness, his eyes darting about the room with his mouth clamped shut for fear that he will say too much or too little. His mother's enthusiastic and effusive approach is overwhelming him. He wants to sink into the floor, damning himself for telling his mother and grandmother about you so much. "We are so delighted to have you here. Please," his mother continues, offering you her seat. "Sit, sit! No need to stand around!"
She smiles widely at you as she gestures to a plush chair across from them. A low table separates you, and the three of you are arranged across from one another. Deuce's grandmother walks slowly behind his mother, bearing a tray of tea and pastries in her hands. Without a word, she sits down and quietly offers one of the small cakes to you.
She doesn't take her eyes away from you, smiling wide. You can't help but smile back at her, but before you can thank her she leans closer to Deuce mother. "Perfect aren't they? I knew someone wil eventually see that our Deuce is a catch." She wasn't as discreet as she thought she was, but you can only agree with her, Deuce is a catch.
"Thank you so much-!" "It's nothing, dear," she says, her voice soft as velvet. His mother breaks the silence, leaning forward in her seat. "Now then, tell us all about yourselves. We have heard plenty from our son, but we want to hear from you."
Deuce is paralyzed. He has nothing ready to say. His mouth is dry and his heart is pounding in his chest. Although he is more than happy both his most loved family members love you, he is still nervous. It's embarrassing! "Wait-!" His grandmother immediately stands up from her seat. She disappears and reappears with a thick photo album. She settles back down and opens it.
"Now, let me show you my handsome boy when he was young. I think this is a much better idea!"
Deuce's head falls back, someone kill him. His heart stops at the pictures of himself....fuck...he's naked....
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ahdriking · 1 year
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alwaysmoncheri · 2 months
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can i request the prompt, “i’m sorry, babe, are those flashcards?” and “i’m practicing.” for either james potter or remus lupin? i don’t know if you’re accepting requests for them. but either one or even another character. thank you! i adore your writing!
thank you for requesting, darling, i’m currently writing for everyone on my character list! you’re too sweet!
cw: fem!reader, shy!reader, crying, mentions of anxiety, established relationship, loads of kissing, comfort, james being a sweetheart, 1.8k words, includes a bonus scene
<3
at the moment, the thought of meeting james’ parents seems to be the only thing on your mind. you can’t focus on your final studies before the break for christmas begins, where you’ll be spending your first christmas at james’ house and meet his parents for the first time. your stomach churns at the thought of them not liking you. james always speaks so highly of them, so you conclude, if they don’t like you, then there must be something terribly wrong with you. so in preparation to your meeting you’ve written up flashcards of conversation topics based on things james has mentioned that his parents like. when james struts into the common room light in the night only to see you on the couch with your cards in hand, his eyebrows furrow together, silently questioning your actions.
“hey, lovely.” james greets, grabbing your attention away from the pile of cards in your lap. your gaze snaps up to meet his, feeling as though you’ve been caught, but your eyes soften when met with his sweet smile and dimples grazing his cheeks.
“oh, hi, jamie.” you respond quietly, returning your attention to your cards as james takes a seat beside you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and leaving a gentle kiss on your cheek. your heart flutters and you lean into the warmth of his body, relishing the closeness in the cold winter evening.
“can I ask what are you doing?” james asks, his tone soft, careful not to press if you’re uncomfortable. you smile, strain your neck in order to kiss his neck, and lift the cards out of your lap to show him.
“these are preparations for meeting your parents.” you whisper, your voice carrying throughout the silent common room. you flip through the cards, revealing each of the conversation topics that seem all too familiar to james.
“i’m sorry, honey, are those flashcards?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion, but a playful smile on his face nonetheless. when you nod, he can’t help but let out a soft chuckle that rumbles through his chest and into your side.
you shoot him a glare, “i’m practicing.”
“right, sorry, of course.” james holds up his hands in defence, a close-lipped smile on his face. unable to resist, you reach out and poke at his dimples.
“don’t make fun of me, james.” you grumble, and james’ laughs again, but this time because you’re touching his cheeks.
“i’m not,” james responds, before you turn away, tears seemingly pricking in your eyes. james’ expression instantly turns serious before he gently grabs your shoulders, turning you to face him again, “hey, sweetheart, i’m not.” he adds, his tone gentle and patient, aiming to prevent furthur tears.
you rub your tears away as james draws shapes on your shoulders, you sniffle slightly, “i’m sorry.” you respond, angry at yourself for being so sensitive.
“you don’t have anything to be sorry for, lovely.” james says reassuringly, reaching one hand up to grasp one of yours on your teary face, “you can cry.” he adds and that only seems to make you cry more. you lean forward and james brings you into his arms, your head connected to his chest, one of his hands at the back of your head and the other rubbing up and down your back. you wrap your arms around his waist and cry for a moment into his shirt. you’re so nervous for the meeting, the bundle of anxiety bubbles at your chest, and you release it in the form of tears and snot. when you finally calm yourself, focusing on the movement of james’ hands and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. james holds you until you’re comfortable enough to pull away. you hate how you must look right now, but james thinks you’re beautiful no matter what. when you look into his eyes, his expression is soft, encouraging you to tell him what’s going on but not pressuring. just patient, loving, and understanding.
after taking a deep breath, you speak, “I just want them to like me.”
“they will.” james responds, his words flowing with certainty. his hand comes up to cup your cheek, but you turn away.
“you don’t know that.” you argue, looking down at your lap, fiddling with the flashcards that lay there.
"yes, I do," james says, sure of himself, gently bringing your face up to meet his. "I love you, and that means they'll love you too. probably even more," he smiles, and when you meet his eyes, you know he's not lying. as if he would ever lie to you.
“really?” you ask, tilting your head with a pout.
“yeah, honey,” james responds, a soft chuckle falls from his lips and he runs his thumb along yours to soothe your pout away, “besides, what’s not to love about you?” he asks, bringing his face closer to yours, flashing you the smile that always seems to be on his face.
“so many things,” you mumble, rolling your eyes.
“like what?” james asks, feining seriousness. his hands fall to your sides and you realize what he’s about to do.
“james.” you say, flashing him a warning look, only to receive another wide grin, and a slight movement in his fingers along your sides, making you lunge forward.
“like what?” he asks, hands tickling yours sides. you squirm and a loud giggles escape your lips, echoing across the quiet common room, “tell me.”
“stop!” you breath out in between giggles, breathless and stomach hurting from too much laughing but that doesn’t deter james, “james, stop! you’re going to wake people up!”
“i’m not the one giggling,” he responds, before quickly pecking your lips and picking you up, which makes you squeal. his hands remain on your waist as he throws you over his shoulder, jogging the both of you up to the boys’ dorm room, gently throwing the both of you on his bed. by now, you’re both giggling and out of breath, you bodies tangled together on top of the sheets.
“you’re so annoying.” you finally say, but you smile tells a different story.
“I love you, too.” james teases, sloppily kissing both of your cheeks.
“I love you, more.” you reply, brushing a few fallen curls from james’ face.
he kisses you again, “not possible.”
bonus scene:
“deep breaths, lovely, you got this,” james whispers in your ear from behind, gently rubbing your shoulders as you approach his parent’s house, “i’ll be right there the whole time.” he adds and you nod your head before he kisses your temple. the two of you walk up to the door but before you can even get inside, james’ mother is opening the door with a bright smile, reminiscent of james’ on her face. she’s everything you’d except james’ mother to be, beautiful, soft, sweet.
“hi mum,” james greets, giving his mother a hug, which she gladly reciprocates.
"hi, sweetheart," his mother responds, sweetness falling from her lips like honey. when she lets go of your boyfriend, she turns to you, a welcoming smile and open arms. "hi, my dear, i’ve heard so much about you," she says, and you fall into her arms, the hug comforting and nice, soothing any nerves that were there before.
“you have?” you ask, sending a glance in james’ direction who stands there with a sheepish smile.
“of course,” mrs. potter replies, her gaze shifting between you and james, “as you know, james has a knack for talking.” she adds, making you laugh.
“oh, I know.” you reply and james rolls his eyes, feigning annoyance, but he’s actually really glad you already feel comfortable around his mom.
“well, come in,” mrs. potter gestures into the house, “our home is yours.”
“thank you, mrs. potter.” you say, and you let james grab your hand before leading you through the door, suitcases of belongings in your clutch.
“call me effie.” mrs. potter smiles, closing the door behind you.
“dear, is james here?” a voice echos through the room before a man, with similar features of james steps into around a corner and into the room. when he notices you, his eyes light up, and he looks towards james with a hopeful smile, “oh, hello, is this her?”
“this is, y/n, dad.” james nods, looking down at you with a smile.
“it is so lovely to finally meet you,” mr. potter says, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, before coming over to shake your hand and pat his son on the back, “I hope our son is treating you well.” he adds and james shoots his dad a look.
“he is.” you reply, placing the hand not holding his onto his arm, and james seems to like that, a proud smile spreading across his face.
mr. and mrs. potter share a knowing glance before mrs. potter interrupts the silence, “well, we should get dinner around and let you two unpack.” you and james nod, grabbing your suitcases, and with his hand on the small of your back, james leads you to the stairs.
“it’s lovely to finally meet you,” you call back to mr. and mrs. potter who stop and look at you with fond smiles, “thank you for letting me stay for the break.”
"anytime, sweetheart," mrs. potter replies before you turn the corner.
you and james head upstairs. he leads you to his room, his hand still on yours, only leaving once to open the door. his room is exactly how you'd picture it: soft lighting, warm and inviting, messy, with a few things put together. maybe the best part is that it smells like him—wood, leather, and a bit of cologne. it's perfect. the two of you take a moment to unpack a few of your things. james gives you a generous amount of space for your stuff, while cramming all of his into one place. you protest, but it's no use. james only wants to give you the best, so that's what he'll do. when the two of you finish unpacking, placing your toothbrushes in his bathroom, putting your clothes in his drawers, and random miscellaneous things all around the room, the space really feels like the both of yours, and that seems so special to you.
now, the two of you lay in his bed, taking a moment to yourselves before dinner. your head is on his chest, arms around his waist, while his hold you close. you revel in the silent rise and fall of his chest and the slow, steady pace of his heartbeat.
"your parents are really lovely," you finally speak, breaking the comfortable silence. you pull yourself up towards james' face so that you can speak eye to eye, and lean on your elbow, while your other hand runs through his hair.
"see, you were nervous for nothing," james hums, closing his eyes for a brief moment to relax into your touch before opening them again. "they love you."
your smile grows, and you remember james has yet to meet your parents. "remind me to tell you that when it's your turn."
<3
my masterlist . james potter masterlist . taglist
thank you for reading, my darling! remember to like! reblog! and comment! i’ll give you a smooch if you do, ily! send requests to my inbox!
tags: @annoyingmidgetwhowrites
alwaysmoncheri © ─ all rights reserved. please do not repost/translate/copy any of my work.
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wri0thesley · 1 year
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cw: fantasising, reader is afab, non-consensual . . . drawing??? haz said to me 'do you think welt would draw you if he had a crush on you? draw hentai of you?' and, alas. this occurred.
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"Mr Yang?" Your voice is a soft little thing; Welt barely hears it over the sound of his pencil scratching on the paper. Eyes focused on the lines as they take shape. You pause after calling, and timidly knock twice on the door of the cabin. "May I open the door?"
"Mm?" He calls, still not moving his eyes from the paper before him. "Is something wrong?" He's so close to finishing this one; just a few more lines, a little shading here, a shine to the strings of arousal dripping down your thighs from where you're being stretched open on his cock--
You take that as assent. His door creaks open slowly - and there you are, in the flesh.
It's then that he realises exactly what he's doing, and panics.
His sketch is right there, on his desk - you, in all of your beautiful glory, lovingly rendered down to the last detail. That wouldn't be so bad, he supposes, if it were just a portrait; a snatched moment of one of your smiles. Heaven knows you've seen him draw the others - both seriously, for practise, and in little caricatures that make you laugh and shift closer to him until he can smell your perfume sticking to your skin and his cock twitches in his trousers in interest.
He tries to shove it to one side as you walk towards him, unsure if he heard you the first time. You're saying something about Himeko and the Express's next stop.
Welt's movements are too clumsy. Beneath this sketch are others of you - ones he would never work on in common areas. You, mouth open, tears beading in your eyes as your mouth struggles to hold his length. Him, you in his lap, hands running all over you - some dialogue or other about 'being happy to instruct', you calling him 'Mr Yang' . . .
He never wanted to be caught like this. He hadn't meant to! But every image of you that he conjured was so delicious, his imagination overactive, and before he'd even realised it he'd amassed a portfolio of . . . He doesn't even know what to call it. Hentai? Erotica? Self-indulgent fantasy art?
He sweeps most of it into a pile as you stop by his desk and give him a smile so sweet that it makes his teeth ache - but the final sketch, the one he's been working on today, doesn't quite make it. It floats down to the ground as Welt's heart plummets into his chest, and you - lovely you, so helpful, so eager to win Welt's favour (that eagerness has been displayed time and time again in his art) - bend down to retrieve it.
You sneak a glance at what he's been working on, expecting to see some fun robot design (you know he likes robot characters), perhaps a sketch from life of the other passengers, a few simplified Pom Poms like Welt has been character designing for a children's cartoon.
A part of you hopes you see a sketch of yourself. Every time Welt draws you with a smile on his face and his voice soft, you melt inside - and seeing the way Welt sees you, sometimes you even feel beautiful.
You have your mouth all open ready to give a heartfelt compliment when you notice what it is on the paper, and your mouth goes dry.
This is certainly a drawing of you.
This is a drawing of you utterly bare save for a pair of thigh high stockings digging in to your legs, being vigorously and thoroughly fucked by a man who is just out of frame.
"I . . ." You don't know what to do, your hand still holding the sketch. You're trembling, but your mouth has opened just a little, your pupils blown wide. He can see your pulse point fluttering wildly in your throat, and not for the first time he thinks about his lips brushing over it. Teeth worrying into the soft skin of your neck. Biting you, kissing you, sucking his marks into you-- "Do you want me to c-come back later? I'm sure Himeko wouldn't mind postponing the meeting, if you're busy--"
Your voice cracks on the words, your eyes once more flickering down to the sketch. Every curve of you has been drawn with such precision. The curve of your bare ass, the way that the hand of the out of view man sinks into the plush curve of your hip, lines denoting the way your skin indents under the fingertips.
How long has Welt looked at you, to be able to recreate you from memory so easily? He's wrong about how you keep yourself down there, missed out a few markings of your inner thighs and chest that he's never had reason to see . . . but everything else?
Welt looks at you; eyes behind his glasses flashing. You've always thought him handsome. He looks at you now and notices the way you tremble on the edge of not quite knowing what to do, at war with your own desires. The stars outside the cabin play prettily on your face, reflected in your eyes - and oh, it is hard for him not to think of how you'd look on his bed, face turned towards the great expanse of space. Stars in your eyes and his cock inside of you and your body trembling and shaking under his ministrations.
You notice something else in the sketch; the other hand, on your head to pull you back and onto the man's cock . . . gloved. Much like Welt's own.
"I-is this supposed to be . . ." Your words shake and shudder, not only from nervousness but from a sudden bolt of arousal that makes your knees feel weak. "Me?"
Us?, goes the unvoiced second question.
"Close the door," he says, his voice somehow managing to be even. "I'm sorry, my dear. This was . . . horribly inappropriate of me. I'll be out in a moment."
He wonders if you'll ask Himeko to let you off at the Express's next stop, not wanting to be alone with him - or if you'll give in to the feelings warring within you. Your eyes flash. Teeth bite into your bottom lip.
"Is this what you think I'd look like?" You ask him, eventually, in no more than a whisper. You're still looking down at the sketch.
The longer you look at it, the more you can see the passion that he's put into it. The lines denoting the movement of his hips - the peek of his shirt cuffs at the wrist, his cane half-in frame. The puff of breath coming from where you can just see the silhouette of his mouth.
The meticulous attention to detail in your face - your mouth perfectly shaped, your hair exact. Every mole and every freckle and every scar visible in your everyday clothes has a match on the you that Welt has so lovingly rendered. This is a man who has studied you. Learnt you by heart.
"No," Welt says. "I think you'd be prettier."
You swallow. You look up from the sketch.
". . . Do you want to see for real?"
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hana-no-seiiki · 1 year
Note
I saw that you need ideas, so how about a yandere from the Neons? I mean, I would like to see more content from them since they represent the elements in Honkai star rail, by the way, sorry if you don't understand, my English is bad... I leave you a little drawing of a masculine makima (it has nothing to do with it, but as a gift ) xd Also, I don't know if I'm the only one, but Nanook makes me handsome >///<
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(Sorry, I had already finished it but the work was stained hahaha and I did it again)
Yus the Aeons are so cool looking!! You really feel like they’re actual gods of the universe, especially since you don’t see them first hand (at least for now). Also Masculine Makima reminds me of Karma Akabane lol. I’ll draw it in my style, and add it here as an extra for you ♥️
Hb we mash those two topics up together actually?
warnings: mild yandere themes. mild spoilers for csm. major canon divergence. reader takes the shape of a masc/amab character but it isnt their original form.
status: unedited. updated art.
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YANDERE! AEONS + VARIOUS! HSR x AEON OF FEAR/CONTROL! READER
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You have no memory of your conception, only that you started existing for what felt like an eternity.
You represented fear and despair, but unlike IX whose mere presence drove humanity into insanity, or the rest of your fellow aeon’s godlike status amongst the world,
you walked around as a normal, ordinary human being.
As normal as an Aeon can get anyways.
In your current lifetime, you took the shape of Himeko’s “brother”, planting fake memories into her mind and being the one that urged her to travel the stars. While she was the navigator, you took the role of conductor before creating Pompom to supplant you.
Welt always knew you weren’t just a regular person. Your eyes always felt distant, so far off that not even a century’s worth of trail blazing would allow him to come close. As such he mostly kept cordial relations with you.
The youngsters of the bunch on the other hand, never seemed to realize the sheer magnanimity of the danger you held and always hung around you.
Particularly that Caelus. The newest addition to the crew. The stellaron within him always pulsed in some sort of giddiness and excitement whenever you were around. The boy couldn’t help but be a nervous wreck when he was around you. Stuttering and stumbling was a common occurrence whenever you so decide as to just breathe at his direction.
You knew what those Stellarons are, their nature, their purpose, the way they were created. In fact if you wanted to, you could have taken the Astral Express straight to the source of it all, your partner: Nanook.
However that would have ruined the fun of it all. So you chose to let them have their little adventures before the final confrontation.
Also because you signed a contract to not meddle with Nanook’s business in exchange for your freedom. But that was another story to tell.
“Why . . . why do you continue this farce? This utterly worthless play?”
IX’s voice rang within your ears and no one else’s. You were the only being it ever gave the time of day to. You imagine it to be the reason why insanity slowly built itself within the recesses of your head.
“You may see the entire universe as worthless . . . but I,” You breath hitched. You looked around your room. Time was frozen. Everything turned grey. You weren’t afraid of the others in the express hearing you, just that the following words you were about to spout out felt like bile on your mouth. “I suppose I’m still a bit like them in a way. I wish to see the world without its evils.”
“And destroying them. That is my first step.” You summon an orb of golden light. Stellarons. The creation of the very thing that made you loath all evil. Including yourself. You will eradicate these and then Nanook yourself. One day.
“Is that why you send those hunters out?”
“Perhaps.” The orb within your hands get covered in chains, quickly getting crushed within the metal like substance as it soon disappeared.
“Do as you wish. Just do not bother me like that imbecile.”
“I promise. I will be much worse than Yaoshi.”
IX remained silent for several seconds, no doubt regretting its decision of associating with you before adding, “. . . And do not die.”
“That one I cannot guarantee.”
Your room’s color returns, time continues. Signaling the end of two Aeons’ encounter.
Nanook, the Aeon that threatened to eradicate all that you love. All so they could have your soul once more. Within your gilded cage. Within your original body that lied dormant.
The Destruction will no longer be a path. That is a guarantee you write upon the stars when your Trail Blazing lifetime eventually comes to a close.
The stage is set, your actors ready.
All you needed was the cue.
Your gloved hand arose, pointing towards the express’s windows in the shape of a gun.
“Bang.”
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thishazbinamistake · 5 months
Note
Howdy!
I am here to talk about Viv's horrible character designs.
From an animator perspective, they suck.
Here's why
1. The characters have way too much detail
For animation, more lines equal more work. You're going to be drawing them over and over, and it just creates more stress and work for the animators.
For example, I took one of the most egregious designs in HB (Beelzebub) and simplified it to be animation friendly.
(Can't send it here but I'll probably make a post about it or something.)
2. There's too much of 1 color
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RED??
Especially since they're in a primarily red background, they don't stand out AT ALL.
Like how am I supposed to see them if they blend in to the background??
3. I have no idea what half of them are supposed to be
Charlie is based off a doll?
Alastor is based off of a deer?
Katie Killjoy is based off of a praying mantis?
Angel Dust is based off of a spider?
Beelzebub is supposed to be well... Beelzebub?
When designing characters, they need to be clear on what they're supposed to be! And no, explaining it on Twitter does not count.
4. The animation reference sheets are garbage
No wonder there's so much animation errors. There's no facial expression sheets, lip sync guide, nothing. It's just a 4 angle turnaround sheet where the character is in complex poses all the time.
If you Google Lackadaisy's animation reference sheets and then look at HB's, it's like night and day.
I'm more than willing to send some examples (along with the edit I did) if you want
So yeah, what are your thoughts?
These are all great points! I think you summed up the main problems very well, but I'll elaborate on each of them. I'm no expert at character design or animation by any means, but I'll do my best to explain my points!
First of all, like you said, the character designs are way too complicated. Anyone who knows even the slightest amount about animation knows you want to simplify and streamline your designs as much as possible to make it easier on the animators. Vivzie is way too obsessed with her Deviantart OC lookin'-ass character designs to actually do this, even though it would seriously help to make the animation process way faster and easier. Beelzebub is seriously the best (or worst?) example of this.
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I feel so bad for the poor souls who had to animate this. There are just way too many moving parts here, from her multiple arms, her wings, her markings, to her freaking lava lamp hair and tail?? It's just awful. And so many of Viv's designs suffer this problem, I could go on and on.
Like, I think it actually is a nice looking design, as a still image. Maybe not for the demon Beelzebub, but as a general furry OC, I think she's cute. But that's beside the point. I would love to see your redesign of her!
Next, the RED. So, most of the characters we see in Helluva Boss are red-skinned imps, which has been a common depiction of demons for centuries. One big problem I have is that there's little contrast in these designs. Let's look at our three main imps.
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Aside from some white and yellow highlights, they're all mostly red and black. Their color palettes aren't distinct in the slightest! And, I mean, come on. Red accessories against what's almost the exact same shade of red skin? Really? It just doesn't look good. A little contrast here and there goes a long way, like... maybe make Moxxie's bowtie blue? Or Blitz's pendant green? I don't know, anything to help each character stand out, and help give them more visual intrigue.
It doesn't help that most of the backgrounds are primarily shades of red, too. Here's a few screenshots I found that really show this problem.
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Look at all that fucking red. Like you said, there's such little color variation that the characters blend into the background. Now, to be fair, I did specifically choose these screenshots because I think they really highlight the problem, but this really is what so much of the show looks like. Granted, we do have a bit more variety in the different rings of Hell, each with their own main color, but this is still too much red, considering how much the color comprises the main characters' designs.
Next, like you said, Vivzie is really bad at making characters actually look like the things they're supposed to look like. Let's take Alastor as an example!
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Oh boy! More red and black. So, Alastor here is supposed to be a deer. What's the first physical characteristic that comes to mind when you think of a deer?
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Yeah, those big, impressive antlers! So... where are his? Oh, they're those tiny little forks on his head that are almost entirely obscured by his stupid emo hair. Like, come on! Giving him bigger antlers would have made him look so much cooler and more intimidating, and it would have been a great focal point for his design! It's such a missed opportunity. (I know he has bigger antlers in his scarier "demon" form, but you still could have made these a little more impressive.) And don't even get me started on those ears... they look more like fox ears or something. Like you said, a good design shouldn't need to be explained through supplementary material. We should be able to tell what a character is supposed to be just from looking at them!
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Another great example is Angel Dust, who, despite being a spider, lacks so many distinct features we associate with spiders! He only has six legs instead of eight, he doesn't have pedipalps or chelicerae, and he also lacks that big old spider booty, which I think is such a missed opportunity, considering he is supposed to be in the sex industry. He isn't even remotely shaped like a spider, he looks more like a fuzzy stick bug or something.
Part of me feels like Viv is too afraid to make her characters look unique, so she just goes with the same, skinny humanoid design for just about everything. It's such a shame, because I really do think she is a talented artist who can make some really interesting designs. But then again, she also gave us Beelzebub, so... maybe not.
As for the reference sheets, maybe I wasn't looking hard enough but I couldn't find any official ones for the main characters, so if you could send those my way I would appreciate it! Though it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they were bad. I did look up Lackadaisy's and found them pretty easily and...
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This is so freaking comprehensive and detailed, it's incredible! Look at all those poses and facial expressions!
Comparing Vivzie's works to Tracy's feels kind of unfair, since Tracy has been working on Lackadaisy for 17 years, and it really shows. This is leaps and bounds above Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel in quality. Rocky's design is tight; it's detailed, but not overly complicated. There isn't an obnoxious overuse of highly saturated colors, and there's such nice contrast between his fur, his eyes, suit, and tie, making his design very nice to look at. You can also tell so much about his personality and the world he lives in just from his appearance. It's such a good design, and Rocky is just one example from Lackadaisy! All of Tracy's designs are memorable and stand out from one another, unlike so many of Vivzie's characters, whose designs honestly feel interchangable.
So much thought and care has gone into Lackadaisy, and I seriously cannot wait for the full series, as well as all the other amazing indie animated series that have been coming out recently. It's sad that Helluva Boss is seen as the pinnacle of indie animation, when there are so many other series out there that are just.. better! Lackadaisy, obviously, but we've also got Digital Circus, Murder Drones, Monkey Wrench, and so many others that deserve way more appreciation than what Helluva Boss receives. And that's just from an art direction standpoint, we aren't even talking about writing. That's a whole other can of worms.
All of that being said, it's obvious that a ton of love and hard work went into Helluva Boss, and I hold absolutely nothing against the animators and artists at Spindlehorse. These poor design choices are a hallmark of Vivzie's art style, and they're simply working with what they've got. There is such wasted potential here because it feels like Vivzie is too afraid to step outside her comfort zone and design something that isn't a brightly colored, sharp-toothed twink, or skinny anthro wolf girl.
Anyways, that about wraps up my thoughts. Thanks for the ask, this was fun to delve into! And again, I'd be very interested in seeing you post your redesigns! 👀
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amerricanartwork · 5 months
Note
I saw your lilypad art post, and I got curious: why do you enjoy lilypad? it's not a common RW ship, so I'd be interesting to hear what about it you enjoy!
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Hear me out, guys... I must explain myself before I get onto the Lilypad essay.
I made that original comment because, at the time, I wanted to just get the aforementioned headcanons out as soon as possible. Understand, my reluctance wasn't because I didn't want to talk about Lilypad, but rather the exact opposite: I had so many feelings about it, yet had put so little effort into expressing them in a coherent, presentable format that I just knew it'd distract me for the next week or two if I let it rent too much space in my conscious thoughts. But now that little comment has left me with several people asking me to share those thoughts, and, both thankfully and unfortunately, I simply can't resist indulging in thoughts about the characters I love—!
Keep in mind, I haven’t finished Saint campaign yet, and even then I’ve found like less than half the broadcasts in Spearmaster campaign yet, so there’s likely some extra canon info I may be missing that could add to or change some of what I say here. I also apologize if some of what I write here seems really out-of-character. I try not to let my passion for my little headcanons and scenarios make me disregard the canon, but even so, I might slip and think up some weird things occasionally. Nonetheless, I feel like I’ve got enough of the picture to start confidently enjoying this ship, so I’ll talk about it anyway! 
As always, feel free to add to these ideas if you can! Without further delay, enjoy this 3381-word essay, with a few initial headcanons sprinkled in, on why I adore Lilypad!
Oh, and just in case, if you couldn’t already tell, major Hunter campaign spoilers below.
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Quetzalli on Loving Lilypad
I’m gonna start this out with a preface: I can generally find the appeal in a lot of different ships and the art other fans make for them, but for me to ship something enough to actively draw it and make my own headcanons about it and such (outside of, perhaps, gifts for other people), it usually has to contain a variety of “ship tropes” that I personally fancy. Many of my most-favorite ship tropes tend to be the ones that aren’t just cute, but that carry narrative significance and seem poetic in some way, usually because they can facilitate character arcs in the involved characters. The more of these a ship has, or the more ship tropes I can portray it with without it seeming too out-of-character, and the more I like those specific tropes, the better. This principle is a major reason why I’ve gravitated towards Artimand as my main slugcat ship, but for now, I’m going to focus on which of these I see in Lilypad — in canon content, other fan-portrayals, and my personal headcanons — that, as opposed to other iterator ships, has currently won me over.
I’m gonna describe the main general things I like seeing in this ship. Some of them are more due to fandom portrayals than what’s in the canon, but they all play a big role in my current love for Lilypad. 
Synergy
I’ll begin with how I really appreciate just how much synergy Looks to the Moon and No Significant Harassment are shown to have, at least in fan content! I always like seeing pairings where the characters aren’t just romantic, but also work really well together as a team or even just as friends. After all, just because the characters may be romantically in love doesn’t mean they must only show it in explicitly romantic ways. To me, Lilypad strikes me as a relationship where Sig and Moon would make an amazing team in many aspects of their lives, whether it's collaborating on projects, sharing their interests, or trying to maintain order in the rest of their group. And their compliment is just really sweet to me, though I’ll get to that later.
A Shoulder to Lean On/The Lady
One of my favorite ship tropes is “character with a lot of weight on their shoulder who finally gets to lift it off and be ‘normal’ for once when around the other”. I’ve always found it sweet when characters like this, especially ones who are normally very selfless, finally get a chance to indulge and enjoy themselves for once! And once again, this is another thing I imagine in Artimand too, and you could project this onto Trafficlights given Suns’s implied high status, but I think it works especially with Lilypad, given Moon’s role as group senior means she objectively has a lot to manage all the time with no permanent escape from it. Even beyond the whole Five Pebbles rot drama, Moon probably had a lot on her plate just in terms of maintaining order between the rest of the group and setting a good example to the younger generations, especially as the group expanded over time, not to mention trying to find the solution herself. Combine this with how I picture her to be the kind of person who cares a lot about her image as a “proper” and  “dignified” leader, and someone who often sacrifices her own desires to promote the group’s welfare, I just find it really soft for her to have someone to lean on, metaphorically (and in a worm-off-the-string scenario, literally), and who better to go to than her best teammate, who knows the power of a good laugh and will stop at nothing to have fun with those he loves? Not to mention, since I headcanon Sig as slightly younger than Moon (2nd gen, specifically), I just find it rather cute in an ironic sense that the older, more serious Moon is soft around the younger, far more chaotic Sig, especially as Moon would go through the realization that she actually kinda likes this little troublemaker! 
This also comes back to something I mentioned in the tags of that beepsnort post, which is that one of my other favorite ship tropes is “guy who loves/is good at making people laugh x girl who has a REALLY weird/embarrassing laugh”, and that just works so well with Lilypad! It’s admittedly a very headcanon-based thing for me, but given how I’ve already explained my perception of Moon as very proper and serious, I imagine one of the best ways Sig takes the weight off her shoulders is by being the only person who can consistently make her laugh so hard! And with the beepsnort headcanon it’s even cuter, because of course Moon would be super embarrassed every time she even so much as gives a half-chuckle at one of his jokes, because Sig is relentless when it comes to getting the giggles out of her, and he won’t stop until she’s rolling and shaking on the floor of her chamber, her beepy-snorts filling the room! My GODDD I love this trope so much, and for beings who are inherently such workaholics, I think getting to genuinely relax and have fun for a bit, once she gets over the initial shock and embarrassment, would be something Moon would really come to value.
Inverses Attract/The Tramp
I’ve mentioned it in my last Artimand headcanons post, but one of my absolute all-time favorite ship tropes is the classic “opposites attract”, although I prefer the name “inverses attract”. As I like to portray it, the trope not only involves characters who are opposites personality-wise, but those being opposites of the same core aspect, and ultimately helping balance each other out by offering the other half of the equation to each other (hence the name “inverses”). The trope I just wrote about above is how Sig helps Moon to relax and have fun, but as I try to do with all ships, how does it work the other way too? Well, I really like to imagine Sig learning to be more openly serious and dedicated! Don’t get me wrong, Sig is a hard worker (it’s pretty much the nature of all iterators), but given he seems to pretty strongly reject the quest for the Triple Affirmative, I imagine the next problem would be in him finding a new purpose to strive for. And what better new purpose than in standing by and protecting the group senior he thinks he just might wanna be more than friends with?
It already works because Moon, of course, would work to keep Sig in check and make sure he doesn’t go too overboard with his shenanigans. But just imagine how inspired he’d grow over time seeing Moon work so hard to keep the group together and keep them striving for their purpose, even if he doesn’t agree with it. I imagine it’s why Sig’s methods are still rather controlled rather than purely chaotic, and there’s a reason to his rebellion. Thanks to Moon, rather than slaving away at a seemingly impossible solution until his mind collapses with his structure, he’ll use his talents to, at the very least, keep the local group together as long as possible, because even if they’ll all be gone one day, that doesn’t mean they have to go alone!
It’s why I’m also labeling these two tropes together as “the Lady and the Tramp”, yet another ship dynamic that gets me every time! It’s a specific instance of “inverses attract” where the noble, proper lady finds a taste of freedom and courage from the dangerously charming tramp, who from her finds a new sense of purpose and honor! And in my opinion, Lilypad is most definitely the best opportunity for this dynamic among Rain World ships!
The Fated Couple
Slow-burn couples seem to be pretty popular in many fandoms, but what about a really slow-burn? There’s something just so romantic to me about the idea that Moon and Sig, from the moment they met, have always just clicked so perfectly, and have been by each other’s side so constantly ever since, to the point it seems practically inevitable to everyone (except them of course) that they’ll eventually get together romantically. Of course, there are two main roadblocks to their romance being 1.) their whole objective and purpose for being created is kind-of fundamentally opposed to strong attachments like love (I mean, if Karma 3 is Companionship, wouldn’t romantic love be considered the worst example of that?), and 2.) even if they did reject this purpose, being massive immovable structures with the only humanoid part stuck deep inside a box, a budding romance seemingly couldn’t really go anywhere anyway. In fact, because of these roadblocks much of my Lilypad imaginings take place in the ever-popular “worm-off-the-string” scenario, especially since the next couple of reasons for why I like the ship play a lot into the themes I like to incorporate in this story concept. 
However, these issues towards such a romance are also what make it so sweet in the end! Just think of Moon, alone in her chamber, beginning to worry about how she’s actually kinda sorta, maybe, hypothetically, possibly, just a little bit starting to like the carefree and charismatic Gen 2 in the local group as even more than just a work partner and a dear friend, but oh no, that’s indulging in a Karmic Sin, and as group senior she can’t just throw away their purpose like that and set such a bad example to the rest! What’s she gonna do?? And then on the other side, Sig puzzling in his chamber, pining so hard for the group senior yet seemingly unable to confess, because, even disregarding Karma 3 and the fact that giant immobile calculators aren’t about to be snuggling any time soon, why would someone as perfect and powerful as her want someone like him, so dismissive of their core purpose and unorthodox in his methods? Is there even a point in having these feelings at all, when they might very well end up simply fading to dust along with the rest of his structure?
Maybe, they both think, it’d be better to just keep these feelings to themselves and quietly love from a distance. That is, until…
Moon’s Collapse and the Slag Reset Keys
The fourth reason is, of course, the most steeped in canon. It goes back a bit to the “shoulder to lean on” concept, but even aside from that, there is something just so romantic about this on both sides.
Firstly, from Moon’s perspective. There’s no doubt that the collapse must have been very traumatic for Looks to the Moon physically, but I like to think about just how much it’d affect her emotionally, too. I mean, being so painfully destroyed by your own brother, with seemingly nothing that can be done to stop it and no one to help you? And then consider how lonely it must have been in her final moments. The only comfort she does get is from Spearmaster’s visit, and even then she sends him off to go deliver her final words, which has still got to be really depressing. And finally, think about how betrayed she must have felt, trying so hard throughout her operation to help her citizens and the local group and be kind to everyone, only to have it be repaid like this, forced to collapse in on herself, being buried under her own body, unfathomable pain all around, and with not a soul to help her.
So then, think about just how shocking and heartwarming (literally, if you think about it) it must be when that lovable Gen 2, always so playful and carefree normally, is the one to give her a second chance and being her back when all hope seems lost, and using such a unique delivery method no less! I mean COME ON, Sig literally brought her back to life, how could one NOT fall in love with someone who did that for them? It links back to the “shoulder to lean on” idea, in that, for once, someone finally looked out for Moon and gave back to her for all the kindness she gave to the world. Think about this as the moment she truly realizes she’s in love with No Significant Harassment, and how tragic it’d be knowing now, it’s too late to say it. But, even so, if he’s willing to go this far to make sure she’s okay, then maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance her love at least wasn’t alone.
Now, my thoughts about this from No Significant Harassment’s side (which also kinda turned into a mini NSH appreciation paragraph that links back to the earlier Inverses Attract and Lady and the Tramp segment), I think it’s very poetic to see him going out of his way to take his messenger concept, originally used for no more than a trivial prank and at most a very experimental and unfinished alternative communication method, and turning it into a noble last-ditch effort to rescue the one he loves. It doesn’t just clearly show how much he cares for Moon that he worked to save her when no one else did (and if that’s because the odds of being able to do anything seemed very low to the rest of them, that makes it even more sweet) I think it shows off a lot of Sig’s character beyond just being a jokester. Like, I’d seen this kind of personality for Sig in the fandom content before, but this action and the other broadcasts are what first made me truly realize not just that it is based in canon, but that, more importantly he’s not just stupid or unfocused, he’s rebellious. He doesn’t joke around because he just doesn’t care, it’s because he’s independent, he’s got other places he wants to go and plans that don’t fit into what most of his peers are used to. He makes light of the world because he sees what others don’t, and it’s honestly pretty frickin’ funny how blind others can be most of the time (case-in-point: him making a slugcat from a messenger, which no one else thought to do because those creatures seemed too “dull” and “primitive” to ever be capable of such a thing). So think about how significant it must be when he’s openly taking something seriously. This is where that dynamic of the Tramp, and how Sig would benefit from this relationship is really highlighted. I just adore it when the easygoing, carefree character finally finds purpose in their lover, and springs into serious action like they never were before! And it makes sense too given what I said about them not getting together before: seeing Moon collapse would show him directly that even beings as durable as iterators don’t last forever, so if he’s got these feelings for Moon, he’s got to make a move while there’s still a chance! And what better way to show his love than to bring her back when all hope seems lost? Which brings me to the final aspects I’ll talk about here, first of which is…
True Love’s Kiss
Yes, you read that right. The real reason I love the slag reset keys as a plot element so much is not just because it shows Sig’s secret strength of character, not just because it finally gives reward to Moon’s kindness, but because it is a real fairytale come true! 
I know this sounds crazy and probably totally unrelated to Rain World, but think about it! You guys have probably seen Snow White and Sleeping Beauty before, or at least one of the two? Isn’t the whole trope that the beautiful princess, fairest maiden in the land, gets cursed through some means or another to die (or in Aurora’s case, fall into an indefinite sleep), which is only undone when the strong and brave prince, riding upon his noble steed, awakens the princess by giving her true love’s kiss? I already love both those movies on their own for various other reasons, but after my description, is this starting to sound familiar in another way?
I mean, with everything I’ve said about Moon in this post so far, there’s no doubt you could perceive her as the “fair princess”, who through unfortunate circumstances is put to a premature and indefinite death. And there’s no doubt Sig fills the role of the brave prince by working to save her with the slag reset keys, which in this metaphor are undoubtedly the “true love’s kiss” that ultimately conquers all, always longed for, and finally delivered! And hey, given Hunter is the one to carry the keys to Moon, a small yet courageous beast who stops at nothing to meet his goals, Sig even has his own “noble steed”! And even if Hunter is technically the one to actually deliver the green neuron, and the death the “princess” succumbs to wasn’t out of genuine malice towards her, I think the sentiment is still there and the parallel is close enough! 
But yes, as strange as it may sound, the fairytale parallel is the main reason Lilypad resonates with me so much! Those classic fairytale-esque romance tropes and that poetic storytelling found in Disney’s first feature-length animated films has always been dear to my heart, and is even more so now that I’m older and can truly appreciate the beauty of them. So now, even in my fandom experiences, ships that win my appreciation over all others are often those that manage to embody those classic romance tropes and themes as best as possible, and frankly, even Artimand loses ever-so-slightly to Lilypad in this regard! Or, as I also enjoy calling them, “Lifeline”, for reasons that are probably obvious now. 
And it’s even better when you consider…
Some Things Never Change
Another trope I’ve recently begun to love is the idea that some phenomena in the world never truly disappear, but simply manifest in different ways, sometimes unexpected ones. And given the whole Triple Affirmative quest and the Ancients’ mass ascension philosophy, this idea is something I especially love seeing in Rain World content. Even the canon events show this idea, but think about how wonderfully it would work with Lilypad beyond just the slag reset keys, especially taking up that “worm off the string” iterator AU concept some have explored in this fandom already.
Just think about how sweet it would be when Moon and Sig, operating primarily through their puppets now, get to finally hug and kiss and be with each other so directly now! Think of the way Sig would speak to Moon about how, even after her collapse, she's still somehow beautiful as ever, and Moon returning with how even all the trouble the group has faced hasn't put a dent in his charm! And it's even sweeter when you consider it’s against everything their creators stood for! Think of Moon, after everything she’s been through and how much she’s probably changed at this point, now willing to give some of these “worldly attachments” a chance, because you can never truly get rid of them, but she knows better than anyone that you won’t be around to experience them forever, so why not enjoy it while you’ve got the chance? And it’d make sense too, not just for her own benefit, but for Pebbles and the rest of the group’s sake too! She’s always strove to set a good example for them, and since their original quest has left them with nothing but pain and trauma, why not show them that maybe all these attachments aren’t so bad after all?
I just think it’d be really interesting to see Moon joining Sig in that rejection of the Triple Affirmative, and what better way to do that than by finally embracing that love they’ve felt for each other for so long? Because love never truly dies, it just appears in new people. And maybe they don’t have to spend their whole lives as grand iterators, the vast infinitely-advanced mechanical deities who embody perfection in almost every way. Maybe, even just for a bit, they can just be people, falling in love just as their creators did all over again!
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
And with that, I think I’m FINALLY done here. HOLY COW, this is easily my longest post yet, and I hope it doesn’t disappoint! Part of the reason it took so long was because I was trying to find the perfect way to express all these ideas without it just spilling out onto the page in some weird half-coherent mess. But eventually I just said “ah screw it, let’s just ramble about this ship and see where it goes!” and my god, did it go far! And I still managed to somewhat organize it, so yay!
But aside from that, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who asked for my thoughts on Lilypad, and everyone who made it to the bottom of this essay! I’ve never really gotten a chance to openly ramble about one of my favorite ships to the rest of the fandom like this, so seeing that some fans, even if it’s ultimately not a huge amount, actually wanted me to do it was such a welcome surprise!
I hope you all enjoyed the drawings and the art! I’ll be around in case someone wants me to write another ship essay or something! And who knows, it’s likely I’ll find more reasons I like Lilypad as time goes on and I see more fan-content and find the rest of those broadcasts! But at least this was a starting point! 
Expect more LIlypad content to come in the future, but until now, thanks again for the opportunity!
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mybeautifuldelirium · 2 years
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Hi there ♥️ could U do a aemond x dothraki slave fanfic in where she works as a Maiden and aemond Takes and Interest in her because He has never Seen a dothraki before💕 thankyou love
The Wildflower From The East || Aemond Targaryen x Dothraki!reader part 1
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A/N this is my first Aemond fanfic so please go easy on me lol
but I hope you like it. It turned out longer than I had expected, but I really wanted to include some backstory and character build up, so lmk if you’d like a Part 2 xx
Summary: Aemond is so captivated by his sister’s new maid that he makes her help him bathe, just so he can hear the fascinating tales from her foreign lands, will he be able to take her out of his mind?
Part 1/?
Warnings: none
Y/N couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last saw her homelands of the Dothraki sea, oh how she missed riding through the mazes of tall thick grass while having the burning Essosi sun gently glaze her skin, she even missed all those ruthless conditions that no lady from the west would ever imagine surviving.
Alas here she was, miles away across the narrow sea in a foreign land. What a cruel fate she had, being sold by her own kin to the slavers of Yunkai only to be brought to King’s Landing as an exotic gift for the Targaryen princess Helaena.
Queen Alicent wasn’t keen on the newly arrived maiden, a filthy savage, she thought of her, unfit to serve her royal daughter. However much to her disapproval, the princess quickly grew close to her new companion indulging in her stories from the foreign lands.
The sun had just risen moments ago and the refreshing scent of the morning dew still lingering in the air. It was hauntingly quiet during this time of day, the only noticeable sound coming from the clashing swords in the courtyard, per usual the Targaryen princes were training with ser Criston. That was when Aemond first saw the foreign maiden.
Y/N was following closely behind his dear sister, who perhaps was once again looking for one of her dreadful creatures in the courtyard. Unlike his brother, the one eyed prince, never paid attention to the maids, however he couldn’t take his eyes off Y/N, she looked nothing like any Westerosi maiden he had seen, there was something striking about her, something so intriguing.
“Ahh the savage girl, a pretty thing she is” smirked Aegon making him turn with a puzzled look.
“Haven’t you heard? They say she’s a Dothraki, sold as a slave at that. Can’t imagine how mother allowed her to serve our beloved sister” he laughed.
‘A Dothraki?’ Aemond thought to himself, he had only heard vague stories about them, from the old septas, but she looked nothing like the images of the ruthless barbarians that these stories had portrayed.
Over the following days the younger prince would secretly throw glances at her every chance he got and although he wouldn’t admit it to himself he just couldn’t take her out of his mind.
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with bright colors. Y/N was wandering through the long corridors as princess Helaena had granted her the permission to go bathe herself. Y/N however had decided to use some of the time to explore the castle, indulging in the silence. She has never liked the feeling of being constrained by walls, even the lavish house of her master in Yunkai repulsed her, oh how she missed roaming free on the back of her horse. Consumed by memories of the past, she bumped into something, or rather someone.
As she slowly lifted her head, her eyes were met with a glistening violet gaze that was piercing right through her. The man had long flowing silver hair much like the one of her princess, he had a patch covering one of his eyes but it was unable to overshadow his handsome face .
“Ah so you are the Dothraki maiden” a cunning smirk was lingering on his lips. “Do you speak the common tongue?”
“Yes” she confidently replied, trying not to stare.
“Yes, your grace” he corrected her with a stern expression. “Well then, you are a maid, aren’t you? Go, draw me a bath” he pointed to his chambers with his smirk reappearing.
“I can’t do that, your grace” she answered, mocking his use of the title.
“You do realize, you’re speaking to the prince, how dare you disobey me” he said, now annoyed, but his smirk still apparent.
This nevertheless did not intimidate Y/N “I only serve the princess Helaena my prince”
This response however, only further angered Aemond, he grabbed her by the arm, now his eye staring directly into hers “You’ve heard of dragons, I suppose” he slyly grinned “I happen to be the rider of the largest one there is, all it takes is one of my commands” he twirled a lock of her hair without looking away from her eyes.
Y/N sighed, slowly entering his chambers, as she heard the heavy wooden doors closing behind them.
Quickly she went to fill in the tub, feeling the prince’s gaze never leaving her. Once the tub was filled with warm water and the alluring aroma from the herbs she had placed filled the room, Y/N finally stood up and faced the prince, no longer trying to hide the irritation in her voice.
“May I go now, your grace?”
Aemond locked eye with her, devilish grin playing on his lips “do you expect me to tend to this myself?” He motioned to his attire, covered with filth and dirt, or was it blood.
This time Y/N didn’t even try to object, she knew there was no point in doing so. She mumbled something In Dothraki to herself and cautiously began helping him rid himself of the dirty clothes. Despite her pride and stubbornness Y/N couldn’t deny the otherworldly beauty of the Targaryen prince. He resembled no other man she had ever seen, be it in Yunkai or in the Dothraki hordes. Targaryens were closer to gods than to men, she had heard.
Only when Aemond was left in his breeches did Y/N finally revert her eyes, waiting until she heard the splash from the water. She then kneeled by the tub and started scrubbing his pale skin, desperately trying to escape his gaze. Aemond however kept his eye on her, closely examining her features. Something about this Dothraki girl was drawing him in, he wondered what her story was, how did a savage girl find herself all the way across the narrow sea as a maid to the princess. Aemond could tell she had been taught basic manners and some etiquette along with the common tongue, but even those could not fully conceal her wild upbringing. Her untamed hair was cascading like a waterfall down her back, with several complex braids on top of her head as per Dothraki traditions. She looked rather uncomfortable in her dainty silk gown, he wondered what she was used to wearing.
“What happened to your eye?” Y/N suddenly broke the silence, now examining the leather patch that covered his eye. For a moment, the bluntness of her question caught the prince off guard.
“Curious, are we?” His smirk once again reappeared. “One day I might tell you, but first you owe me a story Wildflower”
“A story?”
“You think I’m unaware of the captivating tales you’ve seemed to tell my beloved sister?” “Don’t you think me worthy of hearing them as well” he gave her a challenging look, their faces now only inches apart.
“Ok then, my prince, as you wish” it was now Y/N’s turn to smirk. She loved telling stories of her lands, they made her feel close to her home, evoking memories of the time when she was free.
Aemond became so enamored with the way the young maiden was narrating her stories, he didn’t notice the water getting cold.
Suddenly Y/N dropped the rag and got up “I must go! The princess!” She rushed to the wooden doors, all manners long forgotten. The prince wanted to stop her, but his pride didn’t let him.
About to get out of the tub, he then saw something glistening under the murky water, it was a gold pendant shaped like a delicate flower, a simple, yet striking piece of jewelry. ‘She must have dropped it’ he thought.
That night Aemond couldn’t get her image out of his head, why was he - a dragon prince so preoccupied with the thoughts of a simple maid from the far eastern lands, he couldn’t explain it to himself, but even if he wouldn’t admit it, he knew that he had to see her again.
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slashisms · 1 year
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a mutual understanding
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pairing: billy loomis x reader
rating: M. 18+, minors dni
warnings: possessive behavior, unhealthy relationship, violence mention, slight dom/sub dynamic
word count: 1.4k
summary: modern!au inspired by some tumblr post i saw.
a/n: i wrote this on mobile so if grammar gets you hard, skip!
billy loomis is possessiveness personified. not in a jealous or overbearing way, or because of any unspoken insecurity (so he says). it’s a character trait. if you’re with him, you have to belong to him. you accept those parts of him as easily as you accept his wit or charm or humor. he’s been upfront with you about it, what he expects and how he wants you to behave. honestly, it looks unpleasant from the outside, but the last thing on his mind is what anyone thinks. you wouldn’t be with him if you didn’t enjoy it and your opinion is the only one that has a hope of mattering.
he’s never more than a foot from you if he can help it and keeps a very close eye on you when he can’t. he dislikes when you’re out of his sight, touching you at all times. every second his arm is around your waist or shoulder, a hand on your arm or hip or thigh or ass. he wants you close, where no one else can look at or reach you without catching his eye and invoking his wrath.
he’s a firm believer that people around you shouldn’t be allowed to look at you too freely. the moment he took an interest in you, he made it his mission to prevent strangers from approaching you. he’s like a scary dog, glaring at them with dark eyes that promise violence. he made it clear to everyone you were his. walking with billy’s arm around your waist, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd and darting to you every so often with a tiny smirk is a common sight.
when he catches someone glance at you for too long, his dead eyes bore into theirs, face void of any expression, but with a clear message: fuck around and find out. very few have found out, quickly choosing to direct their attention elsewhere. the ones that have are surprised by the strength behind billy’s lithe form, the viper like quickness behind each movement and the unrelenting bloodlust in his attacks. he’s a sight to behold, a whirlwind of limbs and an unhinged grin on his face. he lives for bare knuckled violence done in your honor, like a prayer of one fucked up heretic. if he thought you’d let him kill for you, he would.
thankfully, you draw the line at beating up assholes who don’t know how to take no for an answer. it’s the closest to worshipping you he’s going to get, shoving the face of some prick into gravel until he coughs out an apology. he knows you’re truly made for him because your eyes sparkle, voice low and sultry as you smile up at him and murmur, ‘thank you, billy,’ afterwards. the two of you are shameless, eye fucking until you can find a place to be alone (your decision, not his. he’d tie the guy up and fuck you right there let’s be honest.)
as much as he wants to, billy can’t put his hands on everyone. particularly, losers in your DMs. he despises social media and the shallow, vapid people who gather on there like sycophants and no matter what he says, you don’t share the same burning hatred. it only takes one good picture of you— and they’re all beautiful, for the desperate creeps to come crawling in. it’s almost a ritual: you post, choosing to ignore any incoming notifications while he scrolls through them and soon after it’s not long before he’s discarding your phone for the rest of the night while he fucks you senseless.
if he’s feeling particularly cruel, he’ll record you on it, ignoring the way you stammer and protest. he works smoothly to cajole you into it, forcing you to show him who you belong to. the way you shout his name has his heart in a chokehold, he’ll never let you leave him. you’re quick to block all of them later, even if you are amused by how annoyed he gets.
billy feels it doesn’t send enough of a message, that you’d never think of entertaining them because you have everything you could possibly want and need from him. he’s painfully aware of how lucky he is to have you, you’re gorgeous and smart and compassionate. he satisfies you and they should know it.
speaking of, he’s laying in your bed on your phone when he sees a notification. it’s not even a real message, a pathetic attempt from a spineless coward that’s never gotten past ‘Hello’ with a woman and communicates like a child. that’s what the sad heart eyes emoji he’s sent conveys.
why does this guy think he could pull you with a fucking emoji? as far as compliments go, it’s laughable. you deserve to be exalted. it makes him angrier. if they’re going to ignore the clear signs of a happy relationship he insists you leave all over your page, they could at least be a viable alternative. as the equivalent to dog shit left on the sidewalk, their audacity was infuriating.
billy reaches for you where you’re curled into his side, occupied with the movie you’re watching until you’re distracted by his soft touches to your skin. you look up at him, raising your eyebrows. he’s able to slide his hand under your neck and a thrill runs through him at the way you tilt your head to give him better access, without question. your skin is warm and your pulse thrums softly under his fingers. “c’mere,” he orders, pulling you forward.
you melt under him as he kisses you, arching eagerly into his mouth. he squeezes the sides of your neck softy, a firm pressure that has you settling down obediently. he moves from your lips to your neck, placing gentle kisses on the hollow of your throat. your pleased sigh is followed by a squeak of surprise when he bites you, sucking and dragging his tongue against your skin until the blood vessels burst. bruising appears faint on your skin which billy has always taken as a challenge. his experienced mouth has your skin coloring in no time, ignoring the whimpers you let out beneath him.
you easily distract him from his original intentions, pupils blown wide, chest heaving and lips parted into an adorable pout. he can’t resist climbing on top of you, lording over you for a moment to gaze at your expression. no one else would ever see you like this. “billy, please,” you whine.
he bites back a smile. you’re so cute, not even sure what you’re asking for, content to let him decide what to give you and when. it feels as if he’s gonna burst into flames. “open your mouth, sweetheart,” he murmurs and you do.
fuck, he wants to ruin you. to see how much you’ll take, what you’ll let him do. he curls four fingers around your jaw and pushes his thumb into your mouth. your eyes flutter closed and you wrap your plush lips around the digit, lavishing attention onto it with your tongue. he’s painfully hard, all coherent thought rushing south with his blood. “good girl,” he praises just to watch you squirm, rubbing thighs he knows are soaked together.
as much as he wants to fuck you, he still has to address the matter at hand. when he pulls out your phone, your eyebrows furrow and your eyes move around his face. you don’t say anything, waiting for his direction or explanation. the power you give him over you makes his cock throb, he’s aching to be inside of you, to mark you inside and out. he leans forward and presses your foreheads together. “you’re mine.” he says darkly. “all these fuckers begging for your attention, but that’s mine too. all of you, every inch. isn’t it, baby?”
and you’re perfect, nodding along to his every word, eyes wide and desperate. he pulls back to take the picture, sending it without a second thought. it’s a close up, nothing visible besides his hand wrapped around your throat and the bruising on your skin but he’s committed the image you make to memory. the message ‘she’s not interested’ follows the picture and within seconds, the seen notification appears.
billy’s done with this nobody, he’s got an obedient little angel to take care of. he tosses your phone on the bed and focuses all his attention on you. the guy unsends the message. so does every one after him.
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veintrry · 1 year
Text
WORDS OF INK.
writer!kunikuzushi x gn!reader, fluff, romance, little short thing, library au, silly guy silly feelings. Not proofread!
an: hello to me spawning suddenly again 🫶 (I'm going through hell with these exams, help.) part two
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When a skilled writer who's more than capable of writing only the finest of letters for others is requested by a common visitor to fulfill a request, he founds a new worry surround him alongside an outcome he never would have foreseen.
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Misery. That is how he'd describe how love felt. It was a gruelling battle and archons, he had begun rethinking all the love letters he's written for others now that he has felt it for himself. Is this what people feel, this unbridled attachment, this need for connection like a course of electricity throughout two wires - a conversation?
He hadn't taken note of you before, you had begun to walk by this library, your eyes skimming the titles on display. You who'd enter and go to the bookshelves in the back where only your shadow confirmed your presence. And you'd stay there for what felt like ages, browsing, reading, seemingly spending your free time here. For a while it stayed that way and you were merely just someone who visited. I mean, he didn't really notice that much, after all, he didn't even work in that part of the library!
He just so happened to notice from his uncomfortable wooden seat when you'd enter. The ring of the door bell jingles was different when you pushed it and his eyes would shoot over to the entrance like a dog waiting for its owner to appear. He didn't even know you, god.
One day, however, a poster was put up, it was an announcement for a deal regarding the letters. Some may say having someone else write your letters takes the fun out of them, though the point was to word it in a more appealing way, a way that captured the buyers want. These letters varied, but many would request writing regarding loved ones from family to friends to lovers. And he'd write them, the stroke of his pen drawing lines that formed letters and then made words and then... created life. Yet he didn't feel it himself, but others did. He was good at it, they said.
You noticed that poster and therefore, you noticed him.
Your request was simple, you desired a love letter. He asked you what you wanted to express and you simply told him to write what he believes was best. He though that was a bit shallow, he didn't expect that from you but maybe he was wrong to make an assumption on your character when he barely knew you. So he wrote what he believe would be most appealing, he wrote using the descriptions you gave him and the ink that tainted the paper black drew a painting of love with phrases and personifications. He gave it to you and you beamed. There was.. something nice about that.
You came again two weeks later, you wanted another. So he asked you again, what you wanted to express and you answered the same. So he wrote what he felt was best again. He gave it to you, your hands gripped the paper open envelope gently as you read the letter and there was a glimmer in your orbs. In a sense, he felt he could... express his own emotions this way, though he felt bitter. Not only did he not manage to have a proper conversation with you, but he was writing letters for you for someone else.
You came again four days after. Quite the passionate lover you are and he asks you if you want the same thing and you nod your head, watching as he pulls out a fresh crisp piece of paper, he raises a brow at your presence still near him and you ask him if you can watch.
He doesn't know how to reply. There's a silence that follows.
"Just... don't interrupt me."
His tone makes it sounds like he's biting the inside of his bottom lip, almost bothered by your request. As he writes he feels that though the words form with ease, thoughts.. worries, taint his mind. Did you desire to observe him to perhaps replicate what he does, to do what he does for you for your lover? To make these yourself for them? That he will lose what little connection he holds to you? The fingers of his free hand tap on the wooden oak desk. Your gaze is so focused onto him, he can feel you looming behind him, your attentive eye picking up on everything.
When he finishes, he's just about to ask you to write your own signature, so maybe he can view you for a change but when he turns around he finds himself doing something he shouldn't. A nonsensical stupid question leaves his mouth, "What's...your name?" And you tilt your head at him, like he had spoken something outrageous, because he had. He knows your name, you registered it when you applied for the product, you listed it because how else would the facility know its actually you?
And yet, you humour him. You answer him and he finds himself melting at the mere sound of your name not because this is new information but because you're telling this to him, clearly knowing that it's something he is already aware of. Then, you return his question. He blankly stares at you, then turns away whilst his hand beckons you forward with the hilt of the pen. "...Call me whatever you'd like."
You take this as him possibly keeping his privacy or being mysterious, you lean forward taking the pen from his grasp and he feels his ears burn as your fingers graze his, the warmth of your skin feels like it burned his hand and... he liked it. As you bend you notice his hand over his mouth as he obviously avoids your gaze without shame. You let out an airy chuckle but you notice his name title, pinned onto the chest of his vest. "Ku-ni-ku-zu-shi." How you spelled it out makes it sound like you were trying to engrain it into your memory but as he hears you speak that name he sharply turns to you, before his eyes move to where you're looking and let's out a small 'oh'.
Maybe he wasn't as reserved and brooding as you initially thought on first glance.
Only in this moment does he realise something. The name you had been addressing the letters to, was your own. Had you perhaps been so stupid as to not know how a letters format works?
You tilt the pen towards him and he appears confused, the spot where your signature was meant to be is still empty as it always is. "Can you sign it off for me?"
And lord knows the shock he had to hold back at your words. Yet, he dismisses it. He's looking to deep into it, yes, that's the case... "Why?" He wasn't meant to say that aloud. "I... want you to do it." It's a bad reasoning, in fact, he wouldn't even consider it a reason in general, but can he decline you, is it even fine he does this? Though as he debates this his fingers bend the ballpoint pen down, writing his name flawlessly in black. Crap.
You giggle. He thinks he feels his breathing quicken. Kunikuzushi opens his mouth to announce something anything, and- "There's a spring deal that you get two letters for one!" No, there isn't.
"That would mean you still have to collect the other one." What the hell am I saying?!
"Tomorrow. Come here again."
Why did I make it sound like some forced date??
"Okay?" Don't agree, don't agree, don't agree. You give the tiniest of smiles, only he would notice the slight quirk at the corner of your lips. "Alright!"
He waits for you to leave the library, letter in hand as you walk with a bounce outside, the jingle affirming your departure.
...
Fuck.
He tucks his own face into his folded arms, groaning loudly as if he had just made the worst decision of his life and in truth, he might've. But the worst part, the worst worst part, is that he can't stop himself from think that small encounter you had. And he hates to admit it, but he was so glad you didn't say no, that you didn't reject the offer - didn't reject him.
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reikorun · 2 months
Text
KlubOutside Q&A 301-400 [Translation]
Translated by @reikorun
Q301.
2022.03.07
The Medallions and the "Sankt Altar" used by His Majesty bore a striking resemblance to each other, is it correct to assume that the Medallions are the practical application of "Sankt Altar"?
A301.
That's correct.
Q302.
2022.03.07
Towards the end of the story, brush pens became used less frequently to express bloodshed compared to the early days, does this have something to do with your art style? I would love to know if there is a reason.
A302.
It became like that because I wanted to draw more detailed blood spray and flow.
Q303.
2022.03.14
What kind of technique is Ganju's "Seppa"? Considering the fact that it can directly interfere with matter and the fact that Ganju trained with Ginjō's group in the final arc, I anticipate that this is perhaps a technique closer to Fullbring.
A303.
He is using a technique passed down within the Shiba clan to unbind the union of Reishi particles thereby dividing the matter into pieces.
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Q304.
2022.03.14
The boss-like characters that Ichigo has fought so far, that is, Byakuya, Aizen and Ginjō, all have colors contained within their names, but is there some color related connotation in Yhwach's name? 
A304.
In the very early stages of development, Yhwach was given the pseudonym "Yhwach Beltz". Beltz means "black" in Basque.
Q305.
2022.03.14
Is Renji's false Bankai "Hihiō Zabimaru" (*Baboon King), inspired by Minamoto no Yorimasa's slaying of the Nue? Renji subdued Zabimaru who is in the form of a Nue and attains the Bankai "Hihiō Zabimaru"; Minamoto No Yorimasa slays the Nue and is granted the famous sword Shishiō (*Lion King). I'm very interested in the pair because they both have these points in common: defeating the Nue and gaining the power (or weapon) called "~King". I would be happy if you could answer!
A305.
It's the first time I'm hearing of this legend. However the similarities are such that I'm not even surprised you would think it's the source. A sword with such a manga-like name exists….
Q306.
2022.03.21
Orihime has a food scene in every arc. Examples: 
Agent of the Shinigami arc - Red bean paste on a loaf of bread.
Soul Society arc - Meal at Kūkaku's residence.
Arrancar arc - Ice cream eaten with Rangiku and the meal that was almost shoved down her throat by Ulquiorra.
The Lost Agent of the Shinigami arc - Doughnuts.
Thousand-Year Blood War arc - Scrapped bread, some sweet potato-like food. 
And more.
Were these eating scenes included to add to her character, or rather, perhaps I should ask if they naturally increased in number because Orihime came to life on her own as the story progressed? I love the scene where she cries while eating doughnuts in the Lost Agent arc.
A306.
I'm realizing that for the first time now that you've mentioned it. Come to think of it, Orihime eats well, huh…. Whenever I draw a food related scene, it is also the moment where I think to myself “I want a soft atmosphere in the dialogue and the scenery”, so I believe that's where Orihime fits in. Besides, it's kind of like, I don't really want to draw a scene where a man eats food, you know?
Q307.
2022.03.21
Between Isshin and Masaki, who came up with the name "Ichigo"? My personal hypothesis is that he was born because Isshin protected "one thing = Masaki's life", and since Isshin would probably dislike the idea of his son bearing half of his own name, I reckon Masaki came up with it. However, if there is a definitive answer, I would love to know! 
A307.
Masaki is the one who named him. For a long time, I was in two minds over whether or not I should draw Ichigo's naming scene, but I abandoned the idea because it would likely just be Isshin and Masaki getting all lovey-dovey and that's gross.
Q308.
2022.03.21
In my opinion, Ichigo is the most handsome Jump character of all time! From sensei's point of view, are there any protagonists that you think lead a cool lifestyle, or anyone you consider good-looking among the history of Jump protagonists?
A308.
I'm rarely enthused by the protagonist, so I don't have any protagonist in mind. I like Cygnus Hyoga. Somehow, I feel like I've mentioned this before….
Q309.
2022.03.28
If Grimmjow undergoes training, could he attain Resurrección: Segunda Etapa someday? 
A309.
He can.
Q310.
2022.03.28
In chapter 2, Ichigo fights a Hollow in Yumisawa Children's Park, is there any connection between the name "Yumisawa" and the Quincy? From long ago, the Ishida family have resided in Karakura Town which is the Jūreichi. I wondered if there is a possibility that words relating to the Quincy are attached to place names? (*Yumisawa - 弓沢 includes the kanji for "bow" - 弓.)
A310.
Huh!? There is indeed a connection. That's uncanny! I'm surprised you noticed because I simply added that connection in the name while playing around with the background details and had no intention of mentioning it at all.
Q311.
2022.03.28
When it comes to something I don't like, but I have to get it done, I have a hard time getting started. What does sensei do at times like this?
A311.
I procrastinate until the very last minute, and when it finally becomes impossible to put off any longer, I'll start with just a little bit of the initial part and then leave it aside for later. Of course, I'm talking about my rough drafts. 
Q312.
2022.04.04
I thought the lines that Kajōmaru-san delivered were contrasting Captain Kyōraku's speech, but since Kajōmaru-san disappeared earlier than I expected, I've been contemplating the true meaning of his words this whole time. Did something happen in Kajōmaru-san's past?
A312.
Naturally, his lines are meant to correspond with Shunsui's lines, but it's the prelude made for the purpose of setting up Shunsui's speech which is the main message, so I had Kajōmaru say it as he was going to exit the stage early.
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Q313.
2022.04.04
I've always thought to myself that if a BLEACH musō style game ever came out, it would probably be so much fun. Doesn't "Shinigami Musō" sound good??? Thank you for your time!!!
A313.
I love Hokuto Musō too, so I think it probably would be fun if there was one. Just imagine Aizen running out from the back of the screen in a 2-player setting whilst blowing away all the trash mobs!
Q314.
2022.04.04
Why did the Shin'ō Academy have its name changed from "Tōgakuin"? (Has their curriculum or philosophy changed?) ×[1] 
A314.
Originally it was a school exclusively for Shinigami, however as organizations like the Kidō Corps and the Inner Court Troop were established and classified, the name changed. 
Q315.
2022.04.11
It's something that I just thought of right now, but is it possible that the Zanpakutō belonging to the early 13th Division were modeled after Pisces and its ruling planet Neptune? Captain Ukitake's Sōgyo no Kotowari may allude to the constellation of Pisces. It is a constellation in which the tails of two fish are tied together with a string (or ribbon), and Sōgyo no Kotowari also has the hilt of two swords linked together with a cord.
On the other hand, Kaien's Nejibana is a three-pronged spear. It is a symbol of Neptune (Poseidon in Greek), the god of the sea who rules over the planet Neptune. 
I have a fair amount of confidence in this theory as there is too much overlap, but what do you think? Also, please let us know if there are any source materials or inspirations which formed the image of Captains and Vice-Captains (any others are fine too).
A315.
"Twin fish" is used to represent letters in Chinese literature, from there I kind of imagined it as "exchanging of letters" → "circulation of energy". About Kaien's sword, I suppose that comes from the mental image of combining the whirlpool of the Shiba clan and water from the twin fish. ×[2]
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Q316.
2022.04.11
Sensei, can I use the photos you uploaded of your doggie for my phone's wallpaper?
A316.
You can.
Q317.
2022.04.11
I really sympathize with Quilge Opie's line "speech is silver, silence is golden", but I wonder if a line like this is based on sensei's actual experience?
A317.
This is originally a proverb from the English language.
Q318.
2022.04.18
I watched Ōishi-sensei's birthday stream! I'm very happy because I was able to see characters from other works being drawn by Kubo-sensei and the process by which illustrations come to a state of completion in real time! Do you have any plans to stream it to your fan club or release a time-lapse? If you are so inclined, please do so!!
A318.
That is Ōishi-kun's YouTube project, so please make a request to Ōishi-kun! ×[3]
Q319.
2022.04.18
What does Honshō Chizuru-chan think about Orihime and Ichigo's marriage?
A319.
Since Chizuru is a free-spirited person, she would think "she got married, so what?"
Q320.
2022.04.18
Kubo-sensei also appeared in Ōishi-san's YouTube archive, I watched the hell out of it (an expression I rarely use these days….) The damask-patterned curtains behind Kubo-sensei were so chic that I took my hat off. What brand is it? I looked very closely at it, but I wonder if it's a front lace style where a damask-patterned lace curtain is hung in front of a thick curtain. I was interested because the curtains were beautiful.
A320.
I forgot the manufacturer but it does indeed have front lace. You're very observant…. ×[3]
Q321.
2022.04.25
When Byakuya fought PePe, he was never manipulated by Love Kiss even though he was struck by it. Is that because the mantle Byakuya was wearing is made of the Ōken.
A321.
That's right. That reminds me, there was no space to draw the reason there….
Q322.
2022.04.25
When the Soul King is first seen, he clearly appears to have limbs, when did you settle on the idea to have him limbless? Additionally, when Pernida Parnkgjas promptly dispatched the Second-Class Divine Soldier he was drawn with a normal left hand, so I don't think Pernida was set up to be the Left Arm of the Soul King at that time.
A322.
With respect to the set up I had in mind, it had been arranged so that normally, Pernida can maintain an imperfect humanoid form, but when they lose themself, they lose the ability to maintain their shape, thus revealing their true form (a left hand), but since it's difficult to understand, I'm thinking it's a concept I can probably do away with. Either way, I wanted to draw Pernida's hood tearing apart when they turn into a left hand.
Q323.
2022.04.25
I wish a Blu-ray box edition of the BLEACH anime would be offered for sale…they were available in the past…I'd like to have something similar to the DVD box which went up to the Soul Society arc….
A323.
I'll let my editor know. Murakoshi-saaan!
Q324.
2022.05.02
I apologize for bringing up the anime, but in the Zanpakutō: The Alternate Tale arc, among the Zanpakutō of the Captains and Vice-Captains whose names had already been established at the time, it was only Itegumo's incarnated form which did not make an appearance. Was this Kubo-sensei's intention? Or is it that the anime staff simply didn't come to you with an offer for Itegumo…?
A324.
Since I have no recollection of ever having met to discuss Itegumo, I think it's likely there were no plans for Itegumo.
Q325.
2022.05.02
What kind of person is Ikumi-san's husband? How old is he in your designs?
A325.
Ikumi-san is single in the main story, and she remarries in that space leading up to the Echoing Jaws of Hell arc.
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Q326.
2022.05.02
Kubo-sensei, do you often reread the BLEACH tankōbon? 
A326.
I usually don't read them at all, so I've almost forgotten everything. It's thanks to posting replies in this Q&A corner that with every round of questions I end up rereading the previous and subsequent tankōbon thoroughly.
Q327.
2022.05.09
Was it intentional that Aizen's origins and past are still largely undisclosed? I'd like to know because I often find myself thinking that there aren't many villains who possess that much charisma whose background remains unknown.
A327.
Most depictions of a villain's past are composed in order to draw out sympathy and a sense of relatability from the audience, and since I don't like that approach very much, I try to avoid it. All characters have a different set of values and I believe a villain is a character whose differences in that regard are so large that they cannot be accepted.
Q328.
2022.05.09
I was always watching out for this with bated breath, but I wonder if the reason Rangiku's breasts don't spill out from her Shihakushō is because she's holding them in place with Reiatsu? Did she actually have a nip slip once where nobody was watching? I'm curious if the reason why her chest is so widely exposed is because they cause her pain or perhaps it's a 'freebie' for others. I love how sexy her chest is.
A328.
I was drawing her with the assumption that she would affix double sided tape to her chest, but I like the idea of her holding them in place with Reiatsu better. Maybe I should use it.
Q329.
2022.05.09
I was surprised to learn that Kubo-sensei's hometown is the very town where I currently live and work (I felt a strong sense of familiarity at the mention of Soleil). So here's my question: roughly where in Karakura Town is the Visored's base located? 
A329: 
The Visored's hideout is around Spark (the name of a supermarket). I wonder if Spark is still there…?
Q330.
2022.05.16
The 7th volume with Byakuya on the cover begins with the line “We should not shed tears”, but at the time Kubo-sensei wrote this poem, did you already have an image in your head of chapter 502, "Falling Sakura" (where Byakuya is defeated by the enemy and sheds tears)?
A330.
I had no way of knowing where Jump would tell me to end the series, so it's not the exact version I had in mind back then, but I wrote it based on the idea that the tears would eventually be shed.
Q331.
2022.05.16
I would like to know how Yoruichi transforms into a cat. Is it a technique she herself had developed, is she able to shapeshift using a spiritual tool belonging to the Shihōin clan, or perhaps a device or technique developed by Urahara Kisuke? These are the only methods I can think of.
A331.
This is a technique developed by Yoruichi, for the purpose of sneaking out of the mansion whenever she pleases.
Q332.
2022.05.16
Have you ever tried Ayataka Café Matcha Latte? It's extremely popular and delicious.
A332.
Matcha based sweets aren't really my thing.
Q333.
2022.05.23
Where on Earth did Renji get that snazzy shirt with the Zabimaru-like design which he was wearing in the Human World in the final chapter? Was it custom made for Renji?
A333.
It's custom made. That t-shirt is nice isn't it?
Q334.
2022.05.23
On the Squad 10 introduction page in BLEACH 13 BLADEs, it says "Rangiku narrowly avoided having her Bankai stolen", has Rangiku acquired Bankai?
A334.
That's what is actually written there!? It's a mistake. How in the world did a mistake like this get in there…?
Q335.
2022.05.23
I have a question about the Shikai of Komamura's Zanpakutō "Tenken". When looking at the games and the anime, it seems there are two patterns in Tenken's Shikai ability: one where it partially summons Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō and does battle with its arm and sword, and another pattern where it accompanies Komamura's attacks with a mass of sword energy (?) that looks like an enlarged version of his own arm and sword. Which one is considered correct by Kubo-sensei?
A335.
"Summoning the arm of Myō'ō" is correct.
Q336.
2022.05.30
Regarding the resident certificate which is given as a bonus for joining this FC, I was surprised to see that Hueco Mundo was an option. Even in Hueco Mundo there are resident certificates…are there any public offices and such that manage it? If so, did Aizen establish and maintain it? These are the questions I thought about but I'd like to know sensei's opinion!
A336.
You might be able to tell by looking at the signatures, but Harribel is in charge of it and Hueco Mundo has started to become organized after Harribel began ruling.
Q337.
2022.05.30
You mentioned Momoclo in a previous Bambies related question, do you have any favorite idols and such? Did you happen to like Hinatazaka46 through Love it!? Is there someone you're rooting for?
A337.
When I see idols who were season regulars on Love it! appearing in other shows, I naturally start rooting for them. (*Love it! is a variety show in Japan.)
Q338.
2022.05.30
During the new captain's appointment ceremony in volume 74, Nanao-chan, who served as the host, is seen carrying a cane, was this an aftereffect of her fight with Lille? In the same volume, just a few pages before (the scene where she goes outside to call for Captain Kyōraku), it looks like she didn't have a cane, so I was wondering what the true situation is.
A338.
That's right. Either I forgot to draw it in the scene where she calls out to Shunsui or the detail ended up getting lost in the solid paint fill.
Q339.
2022.06.06
Is the reason why Ichigo's Bankai could not be stolen with a medallion because Ichigo's Bankai was mixed with Hollow power?
A339.
Correct.
Q340.
2022.06.06
You served as a judge for the Jump Gag Manga Awards, and I got the impression that there is a high percentage of gag manga among the works you find interesting, but do you have any plans or desire to draw your own gag manga?
A340.
When it comes to me, I just don't have the talent to draw gag manga, so I won't draw it. Gag manga are challenging works and only a select few can draw them.
Q341.
2022.06.06
About the color illustration from chapter 558 (depicting Ichigo and Renji inside a white coffin with a cross on it), it appears to bear a close resemblance to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video, is there any connection?
A341.
I drew the white coffin design quite a long time ago and when I saw the Bad Romance music video, I recall being rather indecisive about what I should draw because Bad Romance was released first. Ultimately, I ended up drawing it after some time had passed. That being said, the music video for Bad Romance was incredibly cool.
Q342.
2022.06.13
When the anime commences, will there be a BLEACH game released following Soul Ignition? Not so much an app or something but for game consoles…. 
A342.
I feel like I heard some rumor like that from my editor….
Q343.
2022.06.13
If the Quincy trace bloodlines, I think Uryū would notice that an Echt Quincy called "Kurosaki" existed until recently, but were there any documents, family trees, etc. compiled by Sōken? If so, did Uryū sense something extraordinary after being admitted to Karakura High school, in particular towards the fact that it was a human with the surname "Kurosaki" who possessed the high Reiatsu?
A343.
Books concerning the Quincy are kept in a locked archive inside the hospital. Uryū is forbidden from going there, nor does Uryū himself want to enter that place so much that he would go to the trouble of fighting with Ryūken. Additionally, the more important books are kept in Ryūken's private room.
Q344.
2022.06.13
I've been wondering about this for a while, but in the color version, Liltotto's clothes in her earlier appearances had long sleeves, is this something that was simply overlooked during your checks? Don't the Sternritter only conform to one style of clothing?
A344.
Really!? I had no idea because I wasn't asked to check that. Her outfit was always sleeveless.
Q345.
2022.06.20
I read on the internet that the heroine of BLEACH, Inoue Orihime, is modeled after Inoue Mayuko from Ushio & Tora. Is that true? Is it also the case that Tatsuki was modeled after Asako?
A345.
I'm not exactly familiar with Ushio and Tora…. Please check for yourself whether it's mentioned in any official statement anyway.
Q346.
2022.06.20
Is it possible for fellow Hollows to make children?
A346.
It's possible.
Q347.
2022.06.20
I was thinking that the "B" and "H" from Jugo and Bazz-B's Schrift are the letters which form each other's names, was this giving us a hint that these two were best friends?
A347.
Of course.
Q348.
2022.06.27
I want Hollow and Dragon figurines!!! Are there any plans to turn them into figurines? Where can I request one to be made for me? I want to line up all the Märchens!!!!!!!
A348.
Is this question based on the premise that I draw all the Märchens!?
Q349.
2022.06.27
Will the effect of Wabisuke's ability be lifted if the Shikai is disengaged?
A349.
It will be lifted.
Q350.
2022.06.27
When Shinigami engage their Shikai, sometimes It will be unleashed by calling the sword's name despite not uttering the release command, is there any difference between this and a situation where they do recite the release command in full? Just like how only those who have acquired Bankai are able to release their Shikai without calling the name itself, perhaps it's not the case that just anyone can do this?
A350.
Only experts can release Shikai without the release command, and even if they can, it will take time for its efficiency to reach 100% after the release.
Q351.
2022.07.04
If members of the Visored have theme songs, please tell us about them!!
A351.
Oh yeah, I guess I've never made a note of that. I'll write about them somewhere!
Q352.
2022.07.04
Please tell us what your favorite BLEACH movie is!
A352.
I like the Ulquiorra fight at the beginning of Hell Verse.
Q353.
2022.07.04
Is the healing ointment that comes out of Ikkaku's sword an original ability of the Zanpakutō rather than something that was added through modification? When I did some investigating, I learned that the Hōzuki plant was used as a medicinal herb in the past, so I thought, maybe?
A353.
It's Hōzukimaru's ability.
Q354.
2022.07.11
I have received my certificate of residence, thank you very much. Did you also inspect the packaging envelope? I have never seen such a stylish parcel before, I was totally blown away…. I'm truly happy that I was immersed in this universe even before opening my package.
A354.  
I did inspect it. Isn't the design great? The certificate of residence is also the outstanding handiwork of Ishino-san who has been involved with BLEACH for a long time.
Q355.
2022.07.11
Will the birthdays of the Sternritter members be made public in the future?
A355.
Perhaps it will be revealed in the anime, I can't say for sure.
Q356.
2022.07.11
In an illustration previously exhibited at the Reverse Shibuya event, Rickenbacker was listed as a Broombuggy. His appearance is quite different compared to Marshall and Wordsworth, does this mean that all Dragons people ride are considered Broombuggies?
A356.
Broombuggy is the name of a Dragon species while simultaneously being something like a model number used for Wing Bind registration, so if an individual brings along their own Dragon and it passes the test, they can register it as a Broombuggy.
Q357.
2022.07.18
When designing a female character, how is the bust size determined?
A357.
It's not so much choosing a bust size, but rather it's more like deciding on the overall fleshiness of the character and then making it a size that suits.
Q358.
2022.07.18
The new BLEACH work looks so interesting, I could barely contain my excitement!!! I couldn't help but wonder if there's something hidden in the title, like in BURN THE WITCH, is the missing horizontal bar on the "A" in "BREATHES" simply a design choice? Or does it have some kind of meaning? Please give us a hint!
A358.
I was just playing around with a design for the rough draft and I didn't even really communicate this detail to my editor, but the design more or less gives the impression that the "bolts of Hell have come loose.”
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Q359.
2022.07.18
In the one-shot, there are records adorning a whole surface of the wall in the 5th Division barracks, are those all Hirako's personal belongings?
A359.
That's right.
Q360.
2022.07.25
I read the new BLEACH one-shot. The individuality of each person very much stands out, even down to things like their Captain's haori, has the change in Captain-Commander resulted in a more lenient dress code, personal grooming and so on?
A360.
It's definitely become more lenient. I mean, the Captain-Commander is Shunsui so….
Q361.
2022.07.25
With regard to Captain Unohana's name, was it intentional that by giving her the name "Retsu (烈)", the kanji for "death (死)" can be constructed when parts of her name are combined? Also, if the aforementioned is true, is there a possibility that the details surrounding characters’ naming will be revealed in a future one-shot sequel?
A361.
If "Hana (花)" and "Retsu (列)" are cut in two and then connected together, the result is "death (死)". It was intentional, or perhaps I should say, I did it out of fun but it turned out right. If someone correctly guesses the wordplay in the naming like this, then I may acknowledge it, but I don't think I should be the one to reveal it.
Q362.
2022.07.25
Is the BLEACH one-shot drawn entirely with traditional art mediums? There were some parts here and there that looked like it could be digital, did you use both?
A362.
Illustrations of characters, illustrations of animals, visual effects and lettering for sound effects were all made using traditional art mediums, Anything outside of that is digital.
Q363.
2022.08.01
New Vice-Captain, Rindō, has made an appearance, but where did Vice-Captain Iemura go?
A363.
Given that Atau's abilities were superior, Iemura voluntarily made an application for himself and was demoted to 3rd seat. Even though Iemura was the one to raise the matter of his own accord, he was so depressed that Hanatarō, unable to look on in silence, summoned him back to the 4th Division where he was reinstated. In the end, it seems that the 4th Division, which has a lot of paperwork, is more suited for Iemura. 
Q364.
2022.08.01
I read the one-shot! I was like "this is iiiit!" for the first time in a long while and it gave me goosebumps…. Is this strictly a one-shot, will there not be a continuation…? I would definitely like to read the rest!
A364.
I'm not good at drawing when I'm being told to “draw, draw, draw” repeatedly, so I'll consider it once I'm no longer being told to do so.
Q365.
2022.08.01
Was the color spread in the 20th anniversary chapter, drawn digitally?
A365.
The coloring is digital.
Q366.
2022.08.08
How does Ichika perceive Yumichika's gender? We live in a time where gender is a difficult issue, but I'd like to see a scene unfold where he's like "I'm a man" and Ichika goes "what!?"
A366.
She already knew he's a man from the start.
Q367.
2022.08.08
In chapter 188, when Isshin-san regained his Shinigami powers for the first time in 20 years, he referred to the Visored in his conversation with Urahara-san. During this scene, Urahara-san who had helped to contain their Hollowfication, acted as though he possessed no detailed information concerning their backgrounds or ideology. Was this information simply not revealed to Isshin-san and nothing more? Or is it that he truly had no idea what the Visored were planning at that time because he hadn't been involved with them since The Past arc, among other things?
A367.
This is because he concluded that there would be more of a benefit towards the management of Ichigo's Hollowfication if he did not divulge that information to Isshin.
Q368.
2022.08.08
I like the sound of Aaroniero Arruruerie's name. What is the origin of this name?
A368.
It's based on the designer Eero Aarnio.
Q369.
2022.08.15
I have a question concerning the phrase "Fill the earth and know your own powerlessness" in Kurohitsugi's chant. In the book of Genesis, after creating man (in the sense that man is the greatest thing ever created), the word of God states “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." Are the words in the Kurohitsugi incantation modeled after this? 
A369.
It's not the case that I used Genesis as a model, though Kurohitsugi's chant itself becomes a chant that speaks about all humanity.
Q370.
2022.08.15
In the new one-shot, Ichigo goes to Keigo's ramen shop and says "everyone came out to eat", but who exactly does he mean by "everyone"? Who else was there besides Mizuiro? Was Chad also with them
A370.
The one in the seat at the back is Uryū.
Q371.
2022.08.15
I love Dordoni, so I'd like if you could draw him a lot more.
A371.
Now that you mention it, I forgot to draw new pieces for Dordoni and his group for the art exhibition….
Q372.
2022.08.22
In the new one-shot, Ichika calls Renji "Tō-sama (*father)", but what does she call Byakuya?
A372.
"Oji-sama (*uncle)"
Q373.
2022.08.22
Sensei, have you ever seen derivative creations (fanfiction, dōjinshi, etc.) of your own work? Also, what do you think about such creations?
A373.
As long as the fans can find enjoyment in it with one another, they can go right ahead. Please send me male-oriented erotica. Because I read it.
Q374.
2022.08.22
I love the background music from the anime and movies and I listen to them often, was sensei also involved in the music selection?
A374. 
It doesn't involve me. This is not because I'm not interested, but because I'm fond of Sagisu-san's work.
Q375.
2022.08.29
Aside from nobles, do seated officers live on the road to the seated officers' quarters? Do they live in detached housing?
A375.
Most of them do.
Q376.
2022.08.29
I was incredibly impressed after watching the video of you drawing on KlubOutside! Are you using a tracing lightbox from Bears.Seven? And is it being stabilized by the horizontal pipe behind it? Also, if you don't mind, I would be grateful if you could tell us what's going on with the space on both sides of the tracing lightbox!
A376.
I ended up buying a new ultra-thin tracing lightbox over and over again until I found one that I liked, I forgot the manufacturer's name. I'd be in trouble if it broke…. The space on both sides is chaotically littered with things.
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Q377.
2022.08.29
Regarding Kyōraku-san's Bankai, Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū, if the opponent doesn't put up a resistance (that is, try to rise to the surface) at the Third Act: Dangyo no Fuchi, does it not transition to the Final Act? The story goes that "having resigned themselves to their fate, they hurl themselves", so I thought that if the opponent accepted it, then it would become a lovers' suicide just as the name suggests. 
A377.
Not limited to the Third Act, If an opponent dies midway through, it is assumed that the "performer has disappeared", and thus the Act ends there.
Q378.
2022.09.05
When I look at sensei's work, the lines appear to be much bolder in the early stages, are your lines something you paid more attention to as a consequence or did you have a change of mind regarding this area? Or perhaps you merely changed your pen?
A378.
The lines became thinner for two reasons: for one, with that early method of drawing, the lines would come out too thick when printed in the magazine, secondly I gained more experience with a pen and it reached a point where I was able to draw faster. 
Q379.
2022.09.05
Do you like robots? You are great at creating characters, creatures and fantasy. Someday, I would like to see a robot designed by sensei.
A379.
I'm not interested in robots right now so I don't think I'd be able to compose a good design.
Q380.
2022.09.05
After I saw Ichika, there's something I've been wondering about: what is the growth rate of a Shinigami like in terms of physical age? Does the growth rate eventually come to slow down as the physical body develops in age?
A380.
I'll probably write about this in a Fanbook.
Q381.
2022.09.12
Japanese translations of the chapter subtitles were printed in the Fanbooks, but are there any plans to publish the rest somewhere?
A381.
It was difficult to check them so I don't really want to do it….
Q382.
2022.09.12
How tall is Tōshirō at present, in cm? Has there been any change from 133 cm…?
A382.
He's 134 cm now.
Q383.
2022.09.12
When you were composing your designs for New Sakura Wars, did you decide on the framework of each character? I'm especially curious about Anastasia.
A383.
For Sakura Wars, the request came in with everything already decided down to the names, settings, personality, body type, hairstyles, colors and role, so my job was to draw the actual design of the character using my own art style, that's all there was to it. It's almost like "putting makeup on someone else's child “
Q384.
2022.09.19
Kazui's room made an appearance in the one-shot, what made an impression on me is the fact that it wasn't a children's study desk or the like which adorned the place, but instead it was very simple furniture. Is there some reason for that?
A384.
It's to Ichigo's taste.
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Q385.
2022.09.19
I would like to know what foods Kisuke-san likes and what food he dislikes…. If there are any changes between the time he was a Captain and the time he became "Hat-and-Clogs", I'd definitely like to hear about both of those eras….
A385.
His favorite food is rice and the food he dislikes are too many to list. While we're on the subject, Yoruichi has no likes or dislikes at all when it comes to food.
Q386.
2022.09.19
Who came up with the title "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU"?
A386.
I did.
Q387.
2022.09.26
Is it possible that Engetsu was not originally Isshin's Zanpakutō, but instead a Zanpakutō that once belonged to another Shinigami, like for instance, someone among the Five Great Noble Clans? I was wondering if the reason why no Shinigami connected the dots between Isshin and the Getsuga Tenshō used by Ichigo, was because they recognized Engetsu as a fire type Zanpakutō and were unaware of its ability i.e. "Getsuga Tenshō which gathers Reiatsu into a slashing attack"?
A387.
There are three reasons why the other Shinigami were not reminded of Isshin through witnessing Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō:
Unlike the one used by Ichigo, Isshin's Getsuga Tenshō is a technique that gathers fire and Reiatsu into a slashing attack which is used at close range.
There are no opportunities for fellow Captains to learn each other's technique names outside of fighting together and training together.
In the Soul Society arc, Ichigo doesn't mention the name Getsuga Tenshō in front of anyone but Byakuya.
Q388.
2022.09.26
A long time ago on a certain program, Morita-san, who plays the role of Ichigo, mentioned how Kubo-sensei had pointed out to him the correct intonation of Getsuga Tenshō back in the early days. Did Kubo-sensei check the intonation of characters' spoken lines and techniques in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, which were implemented in Brave Souls but have yet to make an appearance in the anime?
A388.
I may not be able to check as far as the finer details for Brave Souls. For the new anime on the other hand, I spent several hours discussing and checking as many new names and vocabulary as possible. As long as I haven't missed anything in my checks, it should turn out great.
Q389.
2022.09.26
I would like to learn the particulars of how Shutara Senjumaru got promoted to the Zero Division. What did she (is it a she?) create? At first I thought it might be the Shihakushō, but I can't imagine that a Shihakushō is important enough to warrant a promotion to Zero Division, so I'm thinking it's probably something else. 
A389.
It's the Shihakushō.
Q390.
2022.10.03
I would like to know how Abarai Ichika-chan rates her father's eyebrows!
A390.
She thinks they're the coolest shape in the whole world.
Q391.
2022.10.03
Does Kubo-sensei have a Kanken certificate? (*Japan Kanji Aptitude Test)
A391.
I don't have one.
Q392.
2022.10.03
What is the motive behind Kyōraku Shunsui choosing Yadōmaru Lisa as his Vice-Captain? I'm also intrigued by their relationship. When Kyōraku and Lisa reunite again during the Decisive Battle of Karakura in the anime, Lisa strikes him violently as if in greeting, Kyōraku then says something like "you're looking as cute as ever" and Lisa blushes in response. I'm curious because I think this would never have happened if Lisa wasn't conscious of Kyōraku in some way or the other.
A392.
This is one of those scenes where the checks didn't come to me.
Q393.
2022.10.10
I really love the well-built and good-looking mature men that Kubo-sensei draws, but I was curious about specific areas of the face or body where you exert the most effort when drawing these characters. If I have to pick one character, I would be very happy if you could tell me something about Zaraki Kenpachi. 
A393.
All the characters are different in terms of what aspect I pay extra attention to, in Kenpachi's case, I imagine him with "dry-looking, tense muscles on a thin figure with prominent bones.”
Q394.
2022.10.10
Not long after assuming her position as Captain of the 8th Division, Yadōmaru Lisa is seen wearing a Captain's haori which had long sleeves (in the illustration from the novel "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU" Lisa can be seen wearing what looks to be a haori with sleeves.) However, in the one-shot, it became a sleeveless Captain's haori. Did she have it altered to sleeveless or does she switch between two garments depending on her mood that day?
A394.
Immediately following that, Lisa used the haori Shunsui used to wear after cutting down the length of the sleeves.
Q395.
2022.10.10
The Seireiheki ordinarily protects the Soul King Palace, but do the gatekeepers of the Seireimon also normally protect the Soul King Palace?
A395.
I'll write about this here because it's probably not a piece of lore I'll ever draw, but the areas bordering the edges of the street around where the gates fall have come to be named "Marumaru-mon", they stand guard over the vicinity of those areas. ×[4]
Q396.
2022.10.17
Sensei, how many layers do you divide your work into when drawing an illustration digitally? If possible, I would also like to see a making-of video of your drawing process!
A396.
The number of layers depends on the illustration. All of the original color drawings from the BLEACH exhibition are still available as time-lapses, so I hope they can be viewed somewhere.
Q397.
2022.10.17
Kazeshini's chains appear to be expandable, but how does it shrink back after it has been expanded? 
A397.
Shūhei does his best to shrink them back.
Q398.
2022.10.17
Given that Shawlong is the No.11 Arrancar, does that mean he was the first Menos among Aizen's forces to be turned into an Arrancar? In that case, why did Aizen choose him as the first test subject?
A398.
That's because Shawlong himself advised Aizen to try it on him first.
Q399.
2022.10.24
If Moguro Fukuzō from the "The Laughing Salesman" were in the world of BLEACH, who do you reckon would be the character that would likely be targeted by Moguro Fukuzō to have their souls filled?
A399.
Let me see, I wonder who… Shūhei…?
Q400.
2022.10.24
According to Ulquiorra's monologue, it seems that the fully Hollowfied Ichigo had used Sonído which is Hohō for Arrancar. In The Past arc from volume 36, it appears as though Kensei, who had progressed in Hollowfication, also utilized Sonído in the same way when he instantly moved behind Rabu. Could this be an indication that as a Shinigami's Hollowfication spreads from a state of being the mask alone to one where it affects the whole body, their existence grows closer to an Arrancar?
A400.
Correct.
Translation Footnotes:
×1. The "Shinigami Tōgakuin" is a name which appears in Souls character book, page 99. This is the name that is still most commonly used in Rukongai to refer to the Academy.
×2. Kubo is referring to Han-dynasty poems and legends, most notably: Ballad of Watering Horses in a Ditch by the Great Wall. Fish is used as a metaphor for letters sent by families far away as people would place their message in a wooden receptacle shaped like a fish. This receptacle would open down the middle thus becoming "two carp":
From a far land a traveler came and left me two carp. I asked my children to cook the fish and inside they found a silk letter. I knelt long and read the letter. What did that letter say? It started, Try to eat. and ended, I miss you always.
×3. Kōji Ōishi's Birthday stream featuring Tite Kubo:
https://www.youtube.com/live/nTwRin6T3VA?si=TmtttpxOOAdWnRLa
×4. Please note: "Mon" means gate but "Marumaru" is not really a name, marumaru is a symbol (○○) which we use as placeholders when, for instance, there is no name. So it's essentially like saying "such and such gate” until the named gate actually falls and replaces that placeholder.
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helenvader · 10 months
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Get to know your fic writer!
I have emerged from my writing hiatus, but I'm horribly stuck, so this game might be refreshing. :) I am not the author, I stumbled across it and told myself why not.
Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?
Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?
Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic
Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?
Do you like constructive criticism?
Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?
How do you choose which POV to write from?
Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?
Do you comment on stories you read?
Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up
Link your three favorite fics right now
how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?
what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?
how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?
How do you write smut scenes? Do you get very visual or detailed? How important is it to be realistic?
How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?
What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)
Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?
What is the most-used tag on your ao3?
Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?
Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?
Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)
Best writing advice for other writers?
Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?
What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?
Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?
What is your most and least favorite part of writing?
On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?
What’s your revision or editing process like?
Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?
Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?
Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.
Do you want to be published some day?
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 
How do you write kissing scenes?
How do you choose where to end a chapter?
Would you ever write commissions?
Share a snippet from a WIP
If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?
Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?
What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?
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What mistakes do you keep making no matter how many times your beta corrects you?
Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?
How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)
How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?
What do you look for in a beta?
Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?
How long is your longest fic?
What’s your total AO3 word count?
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How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?
What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?
Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?
What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?
Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 
What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc) 
Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?
Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?
Why do you continue writing fics?
Thoughts on cliffhangers?
Something you hate to see in smut.
Something you love to see in smut.
Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project
How do you deal with writing pressure (ie. pressure to update, negative comments, deadlines, etc.)?
Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?
What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?
What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?
When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?
When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?
What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?
What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?
You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?
What scene in [Fanfic Name] took the longest to write? What was difficult about it? 
Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]? 
Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from [Fanfic Name] story/chapter? 
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no-side-us · 4 months
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Reading the second chapter of A Study in Scarlet, and it's funny that the first Sherlock Holmes mystery is technically about Sherlock Holmes himself, with Watson taking the lead as the detective. Who is this man? What does he do for a living? Why do so many different people come see him? So on and so on.
Watson begins his own investigation. He observes Holmes, notes down information about him from his appearance to his (infamous) gaps in general knowledge to how delicate his hands are:
...yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical instruments.
He even makes what I think is a very intuitive deduction when he considers the possibility that Holmes is taking drugs:
On these occasions I have noticed such a dreamy, vacant expression in his eyes, that I might have suspected him of being addicted to the use of some narcotic, had not the temperance and cleanliness of his whole life forbidden such a notion.
Watson dismisses the idea at first, but he's right! Holmes is taking a narcotic! In fact, the deduction is almost Holmesian in how he likely has experience as a doctor seeing people on drugs, and applies that to this observation.
It's all very impressive work from Watson in my opinion, but he ultimately can't draw any conclusions from it. Presumably so when Holmes' talents become more visible in the coming chapters we can recognize the contrast between the abilities of the average, well-studied man, aka our POV character Watson, and the impressive skills of one Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
Nonetheless, I think it also helps show how Watson and Holmes eventually get along so well. They both have an investigative streak in them! They like mysteries! Sure, Holmes prefers real ones:
Sensational Literature.—Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
And Watson's more of a fiction reader:
You remind me of Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin. "Have you read Gaboriau's works?" I asked. "Does Lecoq come up to your idea of a detective?"
But it's something they have in common! It's neat seeing all these characterizing moments that work to make their partnership so special.
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canmom · 8 months
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to beat on old drum, why should translation always be to a 'default'/'neutral', relatively formal version of a language? well you could make arguments from accessibility, injecting things that 'aren't there in the original' (or 'writing fanfic' as an angry nyaa commenter might put it), or losing nuances from the source.
but tranlsation is never going to be able to capture every nuance of the source, it's always a tradeoff. you can try to sound idiomatic in the target language, you can risk sounding plain or go for more approximate but lively expressions, or conversely you can go for something that doesn't sound like something a native speaker would write but develops a particular 'work in translation' cadence ("it can't be helped") which is worthwhile in its own right. you can even laboriously explain every missing nuance. there's no need to be dogmatic either - you can adopt a blend of strategies depending on what you think is most important.
the idea of a single 'correct' translation is an illusion. a translation is a new work designed to communicate as much as it can about the original. and if you don't have enough facility in the original language to follow along, the next-best thing is to have multiple translations that capture different facets according to what's picked up by different translators. and if you do know enough of the source language to pick up on an especially creative translation, that's a delightful thing.
this seems to be well understood in like, classics or philosophy, where it's reasonably common to produce new translations of a work. in translating modern media like anime... less so. I feel like it's a huge shame that original fansubs are made much less often today, and that so many arguments about translation seem to assume there must be one strict orthodoxy about the right way to translate. broadly speaking that orthodoxy has shifted - today the handful of still-active fansub groups like Good Job Media look with derision at the 't/n: keikaku means plan' past, and heavily prefer idiomatic translations.
is it ever 'necessary' to include honorifics when translating Japanese? probably not, you can probably find circumlocutions when they matter (e.g. have the characters argue about using titles). is that the 'best' way to translate? depends on your audience and what you want to communicate to them.
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for example, in English, there's not really a 'thing you routinely say you routinely say before eating' as there is in many other languages. if we do say something before eating together, we'd probably use a loanword like bon appetit, but that would be rare and probably come across as a bit pretentious. in Japanese by contrast, people say いただきます itadakimasu as a standard ritual before-eating phrase. translators come up with all sorts of substitutions to try and find a substitute that sounds natural in English, potentially breaking the 'translate line by line' convention to insert something from elsewhere in the scene in the subtitle for itadakimasu.
and like, my feeling (from the stance of 'Japanese learner who watches a lot of anime') would be that if I knew most of my viewers would know at least that little bit of Japanese (and if they're downloading it from a fansubbing site, they probably do), I would just leave it untranslated. but leaving はい untranslated as in the above meme would be silly, because a good translation is simple and obvious (though 'yes' is not always a correct translation for はい!). however, I appreciate that there are various takes on this. it's fun to see the different ways people will translate いただきます! it becomes like a game. (the scene in Your Name where a bodyswapped character has to figure out the right personal pronoun is another fun one.)
so in this frame, I think translation targeting specific accents and dialects is really cool, because it can draw out all sorts of fascinating parallels. for example, the sentence ending particle ね is kind of like ', right?' - indicating that you think the speaker already knows what you're saying and you're looking for agreement/confirmation. it's a very common particle in Japanese, and it has a bit of a feminine connotation. how does that compare to the british slang 'innit'? or indeed the Singaporean 'lah'? you'd probably figure out a bunch about Japanese, British English and Singlish by thinking through when it would make sense to translate ね as 'innit', and likewise for 'lah'!
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genericpuff · 7 months
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I followed artsangel since her previous comic immaterial. I have to say she IS talented and has the skills. But her style is verrrrry time consuming and she would only update every 2 weeks. I used to study her art a lot because I was always impressed by it, and Im fairly certain it did not look like like that when it was on canvas. I used to see her progresses on her stories and she uses a lot of assets and predrawn faces to keep her consistent pixar look. The faces were less uncanny and more expressive. Now the eyes are all wonky and displaced.
I think she may have used ai to polish her panels. Perhaps the workload proved too much, or maybe she was feeling insecure. I was concerned when she got picked up by webtoon because I could tell it would be difficult for her to keep up the schedule. Ai is super powerful but its not powerful enough to make a COMIC, not even consistently. She probably using it as an enhancer to her already great skills. A shame though, she doesn’t need it.
Also I think the reason her preproduction period was so quick is because she was highly prepared before launch. She already has multiple comics under her belt and webtoon probably didn’t need to change much. Im sure she just reused her canvas comic for her reboot and built a buffer in the meantime.
Having to meet deadlines can definitely be a reason but not an excuse IMO.
One creator I can think of who has a similar style (albeit in black and grey) is figmentforms, creator of A Tale of Two Rulers.
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Updates are slow, she posts maybe a new page once a month, the art is gorgeous but it's clear it takes her time. It's a free to read comic. It's worth the wait.
That said, if she wanted to make her updates more frequent, I wouldn't blame her at all for utilizing new tools and methods to do so - but it wouldn't justify her in using AI tools that are stealing other people's art.
There are loads of shortcuts that artists already use that are fine because they're still genuinely handcrafted. 3D models, overlay textures, blur effects, etc. are all tools that artists use to help speed up the drawing process and were made by hand.
And beyond that, the need to make the process more efficient isn't a crime, but it's in how you do it. You can use these tools irresponsibly or at the cost of your own comic's quality. Case in point, Lore Olympus and Let's Play, which are both godawful in how they implement 3D backgrounds and stock images:
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Creating comics is finding a balance between efficiency and quality, not sacrificing one for the other and using it as justification to avoid criticism for that sacrifice.
If Sarah Ellerton was using AI based on her own art and being honest about it, I don't think anyone would be nearly as upset. It might prompt a debate over what's ethical in the world of comics - whether or not it's right for consumers to pay for a product that's being churned out of an AI prompt - but at least it wouldn't be theft and it would probably just be there as an aid to an artist who's been doing this for 20 years and had to find a way to make the process more efficient. I think AI can be used as a productive tool if it's implemented responsibly and without being at the cost of another artist's work.
The issue is that 1.) Sarah is being VERY suspicious over the whole thing which leads us to believe that she's NOT using ethical AI assistance, and 2.) there's a VERY clear distinction near the end of her previous comic, Immaterial, where you can basically tell when she adopted AI. The main character Alex, for example, literally became a whole other person.
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This is a common problem for AI coloring prompts, a LOT of them are bad at rendering darker skin tones (I think I mentioned this in my last post, but I literally got to playtest AI coloring tools from WT's a couple years ago, and they could NOT figure out darker skin tones, any dark colors that were put down were assumed to be shadows so characters just looked like white characters with the curtains pulled over their face).
She just looks like a SamDoesArts poster girl now. Everything unique about her has been stripped away and you can see this transition in the final page of Immaterial and the first episode of Quantum Entanglement:
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None of it feels like organically her, it feels like a cheap machine reproduction.
I don't doubt that this person has evolved a lot as an artist or that her older work was genuinely her, she's clearly got a lot of skill that only someone who's been drawing comics for years would gain.
But it's clear somewhere along the way she succumbed to insecurity or stopped caring enough to start using AI to do the heavy lifting. I mean honestly, her work from before was fine! So I don't see why she would be using it for 'polishing', there are so many ugly ass webtoons on the platform so even the art from Immaterial - even if she had to simplify it a bit more to make it easier to meet deadlines - would likely be a refreshing change of pace.
But the way she's utilized AI here, I was quicker to assume Sam Yang drew Quantum Entanglement when I first saw it.
And it is a shame, because, as you said, she doesn't need it. Her art is perfectly capable on its own and while I can understand her need to make the process more efficient, there are better ways to do that than using AI that's clearly ripping off other artists and then lying about it. It's a shame she'd put her reputation on the line as a seasoned artist just to meet Webtoons' stupid deadlines. Like, how can it be worth it?
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