dragimalsdaydreams

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Was speaking with my good friend @dragimal and we concluded that a proper kingdom needs a dragon. When thou pictures me sitting on my throne, make sure that mental image includes a green velvety dragon either puppy sized and sitting in my lap or as big as an elephant curled around my throne Ash is a beast with the power to control it's size and she aids me in diplomatic situations with foreign dignitaries.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

DB Dragon Sapience

I've been chewing on the problem of Orange dragons and dragon sapience for a long time, partly bc I don't think I've satisfactorily engaged with it in my own lore

the conundrum is this: DB is just a tv show for kids, and the color-coded breeding schtick is ripe for kids to project themselves onto and create fan-characters. but then the show adds in Orange dragons, and suddenly we're left in the deeply uncomfortable position of breeding fully-sapient creatures who lost a war that was specifically in opposition to that treatment as objects. the color-coded breeding schtick isn't as fun, once you know that's a person you're breeding

so my three proposals for rewrites:

1) Dark and Gritty

the show locks down on the grim implications of its setting, and it's no longer a "general audiences" show. dragons are a fully-sapient underclass, oppressed by humans after the war. the show could still start out light-hearted, but learning more abt dragons over time leads to a slow, creeping realization (in both Artha and the audience) that something is deeply wrong.

before meeting the Prophets, Artha's gang only knows them as a dangerous anti-human collective. but after meeting them, Artha and co. finally realize that the Prophets are basically in the right-- this would be the big tipping point in the show's tone.

this is not my first choice for a rewrite, bc I do prefer DB as a light-hearted kid's show, even if it does engage with darker topics. plus, too much focus on the light-hearted dragon riding at the beginning could undercut the terrible reality of their lives later. it's also too easy to slip into real-life slavery allegories, which could be.... questionable. though I did kinda accidentally go this route in my own lore (namely the Honker lore) while trying to wrestle with Orange dragons, so I may need to rethink some things lmao

2) Working Animals

dragons are sentient but not necessarily sapient; they don't mind being partnered with humans, and particularly enjoy racing. essentially, they're working animals, and get enrichment out of their work with humans. they can still be bred by humans without many ethical qualms, bc the dragons themselves don't mind it.

Orange dragons simply do not exist as ultra-smart mind-controllers, they're just another, particularly clever clade of dragons. and there was no devastating war between humans and dragons. rather, the Big Bad threat of the series is a separate issue from humans' relationship with dragons.

while this is the easiest route for a kid's show, it's also not my ideal choice either, simply bc I enjoy worldbuilding around sapient nonhumans. I also think it's too easy to go a similarly uncomfortable route of, "but dragons likeee serving humans!" with this one. it's not a bad route overall tho; I can see the potential for a rly good, HTTYD movie-style story of human/dragon friendship in this

3) Cultural Exchange

dragons are fully sapient with rich cultures and societies outside of humans, alongside a rich history of co-mingling and working with humans. humans do not breed dragons for human purposes, but rather dragons choose to work with humans if they deem humans worthy, or their interests align. dragons just really enjoy racing as a sport, and carrying humans adds a unique and rewarding layer of challenge. humans and dragons are equals, with full rights and autonomy in either society (though dragons think humans are a bit silly and fragile).

I'm willing to keep the dragon-human war, leading to high tension in the current day. it probably started over resource disputes, maybe Draconium? and maybe shitty groups try to spread propaganda abt dragons just being "mindless beasts", or selfish parties want to trigger another war for profit. the dragons under Propheci are a splinter-cell of Orange dragons, either working for selfish reasons, or maybe genuinely working for good but with a bad rap, idk they could go several different directions. either way, both humans and dragons have their own splinter groups of good and bad people/ideas, and the narrative itself never questions dragon sapience.

this is my preferred route, bc I LOVE worldbuilding nonhuman cultures, and engaging with the complexities of cross-species communication and understanding. I also think this is a good way balance the light-hearted with the darker aspects-- the color-coded breeds still exist and can still work in harmony with humans, and these breeds aren't a direct result of forced breeding by humans... but these societies can still experience the conflicts and struggles of any real society.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: a drawing of the standard Ogrin pet from Neopets, drawn in a slightly more realistic style. this Ogrin has a tan/yellow body much like a big cat, with thick legs and round paws. they have a short, cow-like tail with longer, rusty-orange hair at the tip. a tall, thin, llama-like neck sprouts from the shoulders, surrounded by a thick, rusty-orange, lion-like mane. the head is slim and llama-like, with large eyes evocative of the original site style. rather than ears, they have two slim, upright structures that look a bit like antennae, but covered in fur with longer hair at the tip much like the tail. they have an additional mane of stiff, rusty-orange, upright hair like a zebra along the back of their head and neck, giving the impression of a tall mohawk. there are dark brown, tiger-like stripes along the back of the neck, back, rump, and tail. end ID]

at some point I wanna draw mine and my friend's Ogrins, but I needed to figure out my style for them, so consider this my initial "design test". when I was a kid I thought they were tiger-horse/goats (so I named mine "Torse" lmao), but looking back on them now, I realize they're prolly more like llama/zebra/giraffe-lions. and when I was a kid, I interpreted the head projections as weird ears bc I didn't know what else they could be. but I think it's more interesting if I treat them more like the strange antennae/ossicones they seem to evoke. didn't go full specevo to figure out their sensory nature or anything, I'm just drawing them like antennae now.

either way, big cat + camelid (or arguably bovid) is such an interesting design choice, I love these guys <3

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: three pieces of art and a photo. the art pieces are Tarot cards depicting Dragon Booster characters in a similar cartoony style to the show. the photo shows a selection of several more of these Tarot cards, physically printed and spread out on a bedspread.

the first art piece depicts Stewardd and his dragon Gunny, representing the Light Green Keeper crew. Stewardd is sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of Gunny, with his dragon-head-shaped backpack on his lap, working on it with some tools. Gunny is lounging comfortably behind Stewardd, with their head hooked over Stewardd's shoulder, nuzzling affectionately against his cheek as he laughs. Stewardd is a small, short, light-skinned man with blue, spiky hair, a square face, and buck teeth. he's wearing a green/magenta jumpsuit, large green goggles, and patchwork collection of other clothing items like a silver gauntlet on one arm, golden pauldrons, and mismatched shoes. Gunny is a light green, raptor-like, bipedal dragon with a sharp, triangular face.

the second art piece depicts a scene from ep 7 "the Horn of Libris", representing the Tarot card "Judgement". Moordryd's head is lifted high as he blows on the circular, dragon-shaped Horn in the lower foreground. Libris the Grey bone dragon is starting to climb over a tall wall in the higher background, jaw gaping to roar down at the humans below. other characters are gathered far behind Moordryd: Artha and Khatah are approaching to stop him, while Kitt and Parm watch Libris' approach in horror. Moordryd is a pale, thin man with a gaunt face and long white hair, wearing a dark jumpsuit + jacket combo of dull reds, purples, greys, and blacks. Libris is a lean, quadrupedal, skeletal dragon of clean white/grey bone. they have a long skull, sharp teeth, and toxic green, glowing eyes-- one focused intently on the viewer.

the third art piece depicts Kawake and his dragon Rumbull, representing the Tarot card "Strength". Kawake is sitting in his wheelchair, smiling as he leans over to pet Rumbull's broad head, who is standing at his side. Kawake is a muscular Black man with thin legs, and a round, friendly face. his white hair is shaved into an undercut, with the top half pulled into three thick cornrows. his skin-tight jumpsuit is pale blue and white on the top half with dull red legs, and his wheelchair has a somewhat tech-fantasy design, steel blue with bright red accents. Rumbull is a thick, sturdy, quadrupedal dragon, brown with blue/grey accents. he's built much like a bull with a low-set head, tall shoulders, thick legs, and a short, square face with a prominent underbite.

the photo shows the entire Dragon Booster Tarot set, fanned out across my bedspread. the first row shows the cards representing the 13 Draconium colors and their respective crews, while the bottom row shows the 22 Tarot Major Arcana. a black container with a gold design depicting Artha and Beau sits above the cards.

end ID]

YAYYY I can post this now!! so excited to contribute to this fan project-- now the second DB-centric fan project I've been a part of! I had so much fun designing these cards, and seeing how everyone else approached the composition/design of their own cards-- everyone part of this project is so crazy talented!! absolutely nuts to be able to hold something I helped make in my own, physical hands, it almost brings me to tears...

since this is several months out from actually finishing these cards, I can already see a few tweaks/changes I would make if I could go back, but overall I'm still rly rly pleased with how these cards came out! and if anyone's wondering abt the anatomy of some of the dragons, I have my own headcanons regarding DB dragon designs that go into more detail~

and finally, a special shout-out to @wyrdle, who not only organized this whole event, and designed the box art and absolutely beautiful borders for all the cards, but also specifically helped me out with my second card, Judgement. I had a lot of trouble figuring out the tones/values I wanted out of that one, and Wyrdle flew in with some great advice-- thank you!!! it's been such an honor and privilege to work with everyone here!

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: two images of Anby from Zenless Zone Zero.

the first is a screenshot of Anby’s splash art, depicting a slim girl with pale skin and pale grey hair styled into a bob cut, and wearing a mostly neon green/black outfit with some white/red accents. her green/black hooded jacket has some kind of green cross connection at the center of her chest, connecting the two sides of the open front. a cropped white shirt is visible underneath the jacket, leaving her bare midriff exposed. the detached sleeves leave her bare shoulders exposed, and are puffy and bell-shaped, with some screw-like knobs on the upper arms. she's wearing a short, black, pleated skirt, with black g-string straps riding up her hips above the skirt. she's wearing black, thigh-high socks, and green/white, high-top sneakers with decorative straps. she's holding a long, rectangular, saw-like sword, and wearing black headphones.

the second image is a cartoony drawing of Anby, now depicted as a tall, thin Black girl, with her thick, pale grey locs styled into a similar bob shape as the original. the outfit has a similar neon green/black style as the original, but with orange accents instead of red. her jacket is similar to the original, but the sleeves are now attached with thick/puffy shoulders, and the cross attachment on the original is now just a design across both sides of the open jacket. the jacket has been cropped shorter, and the white/orange crop top is more of a jog bra now, leaving more of Anby's long torso exposed. she's now wearing long pants in the same bell-shape as the sleeves, with a similar green/black design and screw-like knobs. the pants end about mid-calf and ride low, leaving the top of white/orange spanx or athletic shorts visible underneath. a decorative orange belt hangs across her legs from a belt loop. her sneakers and headphones are similar to the original, but chunkier. her sword is more angled and less squared-off than the original.

end ID]

back with another ZZZ redesign, but surprisingly not a furry this time! I just have a rly strong impression of Anby in my head and needed to get her to (digital) paper. also she's one of my mains and I love her <3

some extra design notes under the cut~

idk why but I feel like Anby should be tall and gangly. she just kinda vibes that way to me. not sure if she should be the tallest Cunning Hare, or still shorter than Billy tho 🤔

I LOVEEE deadpan, cartoony half-eyes with heavy bottom lashes, like Kinich in Genshin, it just looks SO GOOD!! and Anby feels like the type of character that should have that look <3

apologies for discrepancies in the weapon, I just don't super care for drawing weapons, and wasn't even sure what exactly her weapon was at first? so I just went with my preferred style of angled lines instead of squared-off corners. in retrospect, I think her weapon may have been modeled off of ice saws, but I'm still not sure?

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: two images of Asha from Zenless Zone Zero.

the first is a screenshot of Asha's in-game model, depicting a slim woman with cream-colored skin, long wavy hair of the same color, and large rabbit ears draped over the back of her head. her hair has some neon green/purple highlights, and her tiny, black button nose gives the vague impression of an "animal-like" nose on her fully-human face. her shirt is neon green and vaguely "gamer"-style with matching gloves, and a short, neon purple vest over top. she's wearing dark, distressed, bell-bottom jeans, with a utility belt holding a few gadgets and a cup of soda. she's also wearing black sandals, and a pair of simple, squared-off glasses.

the second image is a cartoony drawing of Asha as a rabbit furry, with a full coat of fluffy, cream fur across her body, rabbit-like hands and feet, and a fully rabbit head. she's also fat now, with a thick, fluffy dewlap surrounding her neck. her green shirt has been switched to black with a chaotic arcade-type pattern, now riding up a bit to expose her fluffy tummy, and her longer vest is now black with purple edging. her black jeans have splatters of decorative green paint, and she's wearing a work lanyard for her arcade, Godfinger. her utility belt has been replaced with a fanny pack holding some loose tickets, and a small coin dispenser. though she has no hair highlights anymore, she does have various accessories like buttons, hair clips, and earrings matching the neon colors of the arcade patterns on her shirt. her sandals are now green/purple, and her glasses now have colorful, "pixel"-like frames.

end ID]

back again with another ZZZ furry redesign!!

I gotta admit, I fully did NOT realize Asha was even a Thiren until I friend pointed out her ears. the ears just blend right into the hair, and honestly her "fur" color is not outside the realm of Hoyo's typical, vampirically-pale skintones. she doesn't even have a tail, like what the hell was I supposed to think 😭

anyways, I actually struggled a bit with her outfit, so a friend helped me brainstorm some initial ideas. Asha just looks so boring compared to the other store owners, and I HATE her color palette, but I couldn't figure out how to maintain the "gamer" aesthetic while spicing it up a bit more. but I think we came up with something nice here~

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: two images of Nekomata from Zenless Zone Zero.

the first image is Nekomata's official splash art, depicting a slightly tan girl in a red/black outfit with white/yellow accents, posing with her hand up like a paw. she has large cat ears and long, black hair pulled into a pony-tail. she has two mechanical tails, each with glowing blue bases, and surrounded by a bundle of thick black fur where they attached on her hips. she's wearing a halter top thing that evokes something like a white kimono on the bust, and a red qipao on the waist, with exposing hip cut-outs. red/black, detached sleeves are latched just below her shoulders, with a "peasant-sleeve" shape that flares wide before pinching into the cuff at the wrist. she's also wearing short, puffy black shorts, and black thigh-high tights. her red/black, mechanical boots are blocky and shin-guarding, with high-heels and toes that evoke cat paws.

the second image is a cartoony drawing of Nekomata as a cat furry, with a full coat of black fur, cat-like paws and legs, and a fully feline head. her outfit is similar to the original, but the top is now a white, short-sleeved shirt evoking the kimono style, with a red, qipao-like corset hugging the waist, exposing some of her fluffy waist above the shorts. the shorts are now red, and some of the white/yellow accent colors have been shuffled around the outfit. one of her tails has an organic, fluffy base, and both tails now have glowing red/yellow tips instead of glowing bases.

end ID]

I got this one done quicker than usual, I guess I had a strong image for Nekomata in my head

a few design notes below the cut~

since we don't have much lore abt her yet, I tentatively made up some lore for her design. I'm working with the idea that her tails are the result of an accident that amputated much of her original tail, but when she got a prosthetic, she asked for an extra one too. for funsies <3. though the barcode on her forehead suggests potentially more sinister, exploitative origins, but that's all in the air rn. I decided to just ignore it bc it's difficult to incorporate that design onto fur, but if it does end up being relevant, let's just assume that you'll see it if u shave her forehead lmao

I went back and forth on keeping the blue for her tail tips. I couldn't decide if it was an interesting point of contrast, or if blue clashed with the rest of her color palette. after some discussion with friends, we came to the decision that the blue distracts the eyes too much from the main body, so now the color matches the rest~

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: two images of Ellen Joe from Zenless Zone Zero.

the first image is her official splash art, depicting a slight, pale-skinned girl with short black hair with red highlights. she's wearing a black/white maid outfit with red accents and chain/hook accessories, and holding a large weapon that looks like garden shears. she has a thick, grey shark tail poking out of the back of her skirt, and shark/fishing decals across her tail.

the second image is a cartoony drawing of Ellen as a full shark furry, with a fully-shark head, thicker, top-heavy body, and more prominent fins. her legs are somewhat short, while her arms are thick and top-heavy, with smaller/rounder hands, and webbing between her digits. though she has no hair now, she has more red accent patterns on her body and outfit. her outfit is similar to the original, but she has more chain accessories and piercings in her fins, including a hook in one nostril. she's also holding a small red lollipop.

end ID]

despite my best efforts, Hoyo unfortunately got me again, so now I'm playing ZZZ...

good news is there's furries in there! bad news is, none of them are women yet! so I've made it my goal to make every nekomimi-type of Thiren girl (or at least, the ones I feel like) into a full furry. and also fix their outfits along the way. yay!

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Saiyan biology headcanons. I GUESS.

@cuddlesomeone is a fiend and the only reason I ever think abt DBZ, and I like my thoughts enough to write them down, so here we go

DISCLAIMER: I've barely seen any DB, I only know secondhand info from my dear friend up there, sorry if I misremember/misinterpret some canon info

also to be clear, I'm aware that many of these points aren't that important, considering what Dragon Ball is. it's not biological, it's just a "rule-of-cool" fighty show. yacht-sized mega-beasts are fun for big fights (if DB ever USED THEM..), cross-species kids are fun, etc. I don't actually care that much abt it, this isn't a 'critique' of the show or anything. I just like specevo, and have fun considering what my personal take on it would be 👍

1) Freeza's influence

Saiyans have several traits that don't make much sense as having naturally evolved, and I rather like the idea of these traits being forcibly induced over time. namely, I think Freeza purposely warped Saiyans over several generations, using both biological means and social propaganda to influence their bodies and cultures.

test-tube incubation (nursing pods?) is the most likely avenue for Freeza's direct involvement, and an obvious example of something that Saiyans prolly didn't start doing on their own. it would give Freeza intimate control over Saiyan population size, bodily autonomy, and direct physiological influence on the developing baby.

2) mindless violence

one of my biggest gripes abt Saiyans is their level of apparent bloodlust, sometimes to the point of extreme stupidity and selfishness. the Oozaru form emphasizes how this isn't simply a personal choice or cultural influence, but a biological imperative of the species.

and honestly, I'm just so sick to death of bioessentialism in worldbuilding, sapient species or not. there's no good reason why a species would evolve to be "mindless, violent monsters", even if it's only like one day a month. this would, in fact, be a detriment to their health and energy levels, and it's just lazy writing for a monster form IMO.

to be clear, I don't want to rewrite Saiyans as perfect little angels-- they can be a predator species with bloodsports, they can have cultures that valorize violence and domination. we see this irl with the human species after all. however, while some of these decisions are certainly influenced by biology irl (predators are far more likely to get enjoyment out of hunting and make it into a sport in the first place), violence is decidedly not a biological imperative, and there is obviously a wide array of diverse opinions on violence among humans.

which is all to say-- imo, an uninfluenced Saiyan is psychologically similar to a human, and would not automatically behave violently without some kind of sociocultural pressure or neurological influence. Freeza's empire may have found a violent, colonizing warrior culture by chance, but he took it further by rewarding that behavior for his empire's glory, and physiologically warping developing Saiyans. a combination of neurological tinkering and horrifically bad socialization during critical developmental years makes for adults that are unstable, quick to anger, and resort to violence by default.

also the idea of blasting a literal newborn off into space without any training or education, and expecting that baby to survive enough to become a useful soldier is... laughable, tbh. so I'm gonna say they're raised by Freeza's empire (away from their parents) until at least the age of 8-10, THEN blasted off and expected to survive. this at least makes some damn sense, but leaves room for the brutal "survival of the fittest" mindset.

3) Oozaru forms

"shifters" are an interesting conundrum to me in any setting, bc the more drastic the shift, the less it makes sense to me in the biological sense. I'm more willing to hand-wave it for thematic reasons, but DBZ doesn't run on themes (or biology, tbf), so it doesn't give me much to work with. not that shifters can't work biologically, but it's not as simple as just balancing out matter and mass. like, WHY do they shift? what is the evolutionary advantage?

and honestly I haven't come to an answer to that yet. I'm chewing on the idea of breeding periods and mating rituals, but I'm not fully sold on the idea yet. we'll see if I come up with anything better

I'm also not sure abt the actual trigger for it. like it's one thing to say that moonlight is the trigger for a completely planet-bound species, but what does that mean for a space-faring species? what differentiates a "moon" from a mere asteroid circling a planet? what exact properties of the light are the trigger here? what happens if a Saiyan lands on a moon?

I could just ignore this for my own sanity, but I also like the idea of Saiyans having some physiological adaptability to a given planet's rhythms. their bodies will sense the overall gravitational cycles of the planet, maybe even the moonlight as well, and adjust their shifting schedule accordingly. thus, I don't think summoning a random ball of 'moonlight' would trigger any real change in an uninfluenced Saiyan, but moons do technically impact a Saiyan's shifting schedule. though, perhaps Freeza put a 'switch' in influenced Saiyans that reacts to concentrated light on that scale so they can shift at will, idk

at the very least, I have some solid ideas abt the execution of the shift and resulting form. for one, I personally prefer shifters whose forms aren't 100% completely separate, so I like the idea of more monkey traits in their humanoid form. hell, even if they weren't shifters, I think an alien species with a furry tail shouldn't just look like a "human with a tail", that's boring. thus, I think Saiyans should look far more monkey, with snouty faces, full-body fur, and grabby feet. I'd like a different posture too-- maybe a little hunched with somewhat splayed legs, to emphasize an arboreal lifestyle. essentially, I'm picturing a smaller, leaner, somewhat more humanoid Oozaru

oh, and I nearly forgot to mention the tails-- why are they so weak? I'd maybe understand for literally any other animal, but an arboreal animal? their tails should be strong enough to at least hold up the mass of their own bodies, if not more. idk, maybe Saiyans aren't actually arboreal anymore, and their tails have weakened over time, but they still shouldn't be THAT sensitive. in any case, my Saiyan tails aren't any weaker than a regular monkey tail, and are often used as another limb for clinging/climbing

I also like the idea of gradual shifting, like bulking up on mass over several days leading up to the final, bigger shift on the full moon, then having to recover that energy/mass several days after.

speaking of mass, I'm also not a huge fan of the size of the Oozaru. I truly cannot conceive a scenario where yacht-sized mega-beasts would be evolutionarily advantageous (or even biologically viable), unless the entire rest of their planet's fauna was of similar size. but in that case, they wouldn't be a strange size for their environmental circumstances, and they prolly wouldn't have evolved a complementary tiny, humanoid base form in the first place. my take on an uninfluenced Oozaru is much smaller-- Saiyans can shift to the size of a horse or moose, maybe even the size of an elephant for particularly large/beefy Saiyans, but no larger than that. there's obviously still mass difference in the two forms, but with the gradual shifting and bulking-up I mentioned earlier, I think it's easier to hand-wave that difference away.

of course, this doesn't mean yacht-sized mega-beasts can't exist in the setting. in my view, Freeza also influenced this aspect of Saiyans, warping their Oozaru forms into something hideously large, unwieldy, and mindless. to compensate for the insane mass difference in forms, perhaps Saiyans wear special gadgets that pull mass from the surrounding environment during the shift, leaving a plain of desolation in their wake, even before the Oozaru can start wreaking havoc. but even with this gadget to help, injuries are common, and many of the larger Oozaru are left with gaping wounds from their flesh not reassembling correctly. many are also prone to joint/spine issues, as the body isn't prepared to hold that much mass at once, leading to limping, wobbly gaits. even those that escape most of these side-effects will almost always have burst blood vessels in the eyes, giving them an unsettling, red-eyed stare.

of course, these issues are not usually a problem for the Oozaru's work under Freeza-- the sheer size/power of these influenced forms is more than enough to subdue tiny, unprepared populations, despite all the drawbacks. but the after-effects of this form can leave affected Saiyans out of commission for days at a time.

and finally, my second main point hints at this, but let me say it clearly here too-- in my view, an uninfluenced Oozaru should NOT be acting like a mindless killing machine, that's completely Freeza's influence. uninfluenced Oozaru are fully conscious and aware of themselves and those around them. at most, perhaps they act a bit more uninhibited and energetic, pulling from a well of built-up energy to play, compete, court, and show-off. they certainly can act aggressive and violent, but that's not the default state, it's merely the natural fluctuation of emotions you'd find in the humanoid form as well. hell, I'd even allow for more aggression of the territorial variety, if the Oozaru form does end up being a courting/breeding thing, but it's still not mindless violence.

I'm not sure how I want influenced Oozaru to work, when they aren't supported by special gadgets to provide necessary mass from their environments. perhaps the transformation goes bad the first few times, and sorta stop-starts bc there's no mass to work with. this could be fatal, under the worst conditions. but once the body gets used to the idea of less mass, perhaps it settles back into a normal range of transformation. they're still larger than the average uninfluenced Oozaru, but not city-destroying size. perhaps they could even develop consciousness in this form, but it would likely take a lot of time and patience to overcome Freeza's psychological influence. in any case, influenced Oozaru shifting would probably still be exhausting, and influenced Oozaru wouldn't experience the same joy and freedom that uninfluenced Oozaru feel in their forms.

4) power level

we all agree that shouting out numbers is the most boring part of the show, right? right? yeah, I think it's all bullshit. Freeza just arbitrarily assigns all the Saiyans numbers and watches them bully one another into hierarchies

though I do think it's interesting to consider individual propensity for controlling life energy. surely, some ppl have an easier time than others, but you can still improve your skill, and it isn't as arbitrary and dumb-sounding as a "power-level". and I feel like there is precedent in the show for this exact logic, but it gets lost in the sea of "look how cool badass Goku is naturally!"

5) aliens and mixed species

different alien species having compatible gametes has always felt odd to me-- that just wouldn't realistically happen. on the other hand, I like Trunks and Gohan, so I GUESS I'm willing to hand-wave it so they can exist. but I'm shaking my head the whole time so the audience knows I don't agree with the biological implications

also, I'd make most of the aliens completely non-humanoid. I get that they all look human bc this is ostensibly a martial arts show, I just think it's boring when they all look human.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

[image ID: four front-view, full-body screenshots of two characters from the game Genshin Impact. the first two images feature Lyney, while the next two feature Lynette. the first image of each set is an unedited screenshot of their in-game models, while the second is a heavily edited version of the first image.

original Lyney is a pale-skinned boy with purple eyes, pale grey, shaggy hair, and a black teardrop tattoo on his left cheek. a tall, black top hat with red/magenta accents sits upright on his head. he's wearing some kind of leotard that looks like the top half of a white, ruffle-y shirt with detached sleeves, underneath a black corset. the corset part is bisected by a diagonal strip of ruffle, which then attaches to short-shorts below. black, garter-like straps extend from the bottom of the diagonal ruffle, over the shorts, and down onto the thighs. coat tails with a red argyle inner pattern attach directly to his hips, underneath a large black bow on his back. a black, mantle-like drape with magenta/purple accents and bows sits on his left shoulder. he's wearing tall, black, lace-up boots that end mid-calf, and sheer black stockings that end just below the edge of the shorts, underneath the garter straps. his gloves are black with thicker white accents.

edited Lyney now has large cat ears, a tail, and sharp black claws, much like his edited sister. his hat now has just magenta accents and sits at a jaunty angle on his head, pushing his left ear down a bit. he's wearing a grey, ruffle-y shirt, underneath a black corset with pink/magenta accents. his shorts are no longer attached to the top half, and the now-magenta garter belts are secured at the top edge of his shorts by a connecting belt. he's wearing a sleeveless coat over top of this ensemble-- a long, black garment with a magenta inside, a tall, popped magician's collar, long coat tails much like the original, and with the securing button at the front popped open. many of the accents on the jacket and hat are sparkly. the leg strap and shoelaces are now magenta. his gloves are now fully black, but they're half-gloves that don't cover his distal fingers.

original Lynette is a pale-skinned girl with purple eyes, long, pale grey hair, and a black star tattoo on her right cheek. a large, blue bow with argyle patterns sits at the base of her skull, tying her hair back into a neat ponytail that's not visible at this angle. she has small cat ears on top of her head, and a long grey cat tail. she's wearing some kind of leotard that attaches to the top half of a white shirt with puff-shoulder sleeves. a gap between these sections leaves a boob window, and two lines of ruffles run down her front, down to her crotch. black, ruffle-y, skirt-like pieces with blue accents extend off of the hips of her leotard, framing the top of each thigh. a black, mantle-like drape with blue accents and bows sits on her right shoulder. she's wearing tall, black, lace-up boots that end midway up her lower leg, and sheer black pantyhose that extend up under her leotard. her gloves are black with thicker white accents.

edited Lynette now has much larger cat ears, and sharp black claws. she's now wearing a hat matching her brother's, but with blue accents and it's sitting upright on her head. a small diagram to the side shows that her hair is pulled up into a wrapped braid behind her head. she's wearing a grey, ruffle-y shirt underneath a black corset with blue accents. though most of this is covered by a short, black jacket with a flat blue collar + cuffs. this jacket does have sleeves, unlike her bother's, but lacks long coat tails, and is buttoned securely at the front. a ruffle-y, blue tutu skirt sits just below the jacket and corset, fanning out from her waist to end just above her crotch, showing a black leotard underneath. much of the skirt and the accents on the jacket and hat are sparkly. blue garters are secured on her waist below the skirt, extending halfway down her thighs. the leg strap and shoelaces are now blue. her gloves are now fully black, but they're half-gloves that don't cover her proximal fingers.

end ID]

what's up everybody, I'm back with a new redesign, but this time it's a *drum roll* ... double feature!! I can't just redesign one of the dynamic duo, right?

this was a rly fun exercise, designing a "matched pair" and maintaining the tension of matching vs opposite... and also recognizing the similar but inexplicable decisions the Hoyo designers made, lmao.

also, fun fact: I originally planned these redesigns (particularly Lyney) along the lines of Burlesque fashion, but then a Lolita-fashion friend pointed out that these two have more Ouji-inspired design elements, so I completely switched gears. I'm a lot more satisfied with the results, though I do mourn the loss of Lyney's boob window...

anyways, full design notes + more detailed image descriptions under the cut!

first off, I hate that Lyney isn't a catboy-- they're literally twins, why wouldn't Lyney be a catperson too?? give us catboys, Hoyo!!!! something had to be done, of course.

I've removed the hats in the following pics so you can better see ~about~ where the top edges of the ears connect to the head (and also so you can see how lovingly I reconstructed Lyney's hair under his hat, despite most of it still being covered in the final product...)

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the heads and with the hats removed. the full shape of the cat ears is now visible-- a triangle shape with more rounded corners, and more defined skin edges than Lynette's original ears. where OG Lynette's ears were small and directly on top of the head, these ears are large, with the inner edge secured on top of the skull, and the outer edge secured far down the side of the skull, below the eyes and behind the jaw. the cream ear fluff is also a lot longer than Lynette's OG ears-- less puffball and more like elegant hairs. also, notably, Lyney's right-side, pushed back bangs are now held in place by a small black clip, while Lynette's left-side, pushed-back bangs are twined into a longer chunk of hair framing her face. end ID]

my style of animal ears is radically different from Genshin's (realistically-shaped, big enough to reach the human ear canals), so I just redesigned Lynette's ears while giving Lyney a pair of his own.

I decided to keep Lyney's pushed-back bangs with a clip rather than just giving him different bangs, cus' I don't want his ears to be an obstacle to fashion~ I figure something similar with Lynette's bangs, though I don't think hers needs a clip.

honestly, Genshin's "anime" style really fucks with my style of animal ears, cus' the craniums are so damn tall!! it's difficult to plan anything around a cranium that bulbous, but I think I managed alright.

that's also why I downsized the hat a bit from the original

[image ID: headshots of OG and edited Lyney. the hat in the OG is comically large, practically wide enough to engulf his whole head, while the edited hat is slightly smaller. both hats have a pink/magenta strip of ribbon encircling the base of the hat where it connects to the brim, and a metallic cat-shaped charm with a cheshire smile is clipped to it. there's a small, triangular section near the top of the OG hat that implies opening fabric, revealing red argyle underneath the base black fabric. the edited hat changes the color to magenta sparkles instead, and adds dark magenta lacing, as if this section is a laced corset. the OG hat also has a lot of engraved filigree and star patterns on the sides and brim. the edited hat removes most of these side patterns, but keeps the star at the center of the hat and gives it some magenta sparkles too. end ID]

once you notice it, it's hard to unsee the comically large hats for the bulbous skulls, lmao.

also note that I've removed most of what I like to call "Genshin greebling" from the hats. it's always been a problem, but I feel the unnecessary, distracting filigree has only gotten worse over the years...

I considered different options for the hats to fit around the ears (like decorative tiny hats instead), but ultimately decided that big ears shouldn't be an obstacle to hat fashion. I'm a furry after all, I love furgonomics!

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the hats. the sides of the hats-- including the sides of the brims-- have been cut out to accommodate the ears, allowing the hat to sit comfortably over the head without pushing the ears out. end ID]

cut-outs are an easy, simple solution, though they might eliminate the possibility for hat tricks (less room for false bottoms..). but I have faith that the twins have more than hat tricks up their sleeves, so they'll manage~

with current focus on the heads, now is a good time to start in on the "matched set" elements in these designs!

[image ID: edited design headshots. Lyney's hat sits at a jaunty angle on his head, pushing his left ear down a bit, while Lynette's hat sits upright on her head. the lacing on Lyney's hat is undone at the top, leaving danging lace ends, while Lynette's lacing is fully secure. Lyney has a dangling, cat-shaped earring and a small metal loop in his right ear, while Lynette has similar earrings in her left ear. end ID]

I think the jaunty tilt vs upright hat is more interesting than upright hat vs no hat, bc the hats add so much to both of their silhouettes! Lyney's tilt differentiates their designs + personalities, while still maintaining their matching outfits. let Lynette wear her hat!

now this one is subtle, so I don't blame you if you didn't notice, but take a closer look at their eyes:

[image ID: all four images, cropped to the eyes. OG lyney has purple-to-lavender gradient eyes, and his lashes are smoothed into a single point at the far corners. edited Lyney has an extra point in his lashes, near the far corners. OG Lynette has flat purple eyes and 4 points in her lashes. edited Lynette has the same purple-to-lavender gradient as her brother, and only two points to her lashes, near the far corners. end ID]

that's right, I made their eyes match more!

look, I know we already have to hand-wave a lot to believe that these siblings are "identical" enough to pull off the switcharoo act in their show (Genshin's sexual dimorphism is... A Lot.). I'm honestly not too concerned abt that... but I still think some of their differences are silly if we're really supposed to believe they're essentially identical, y'know? sure, maybe the designers can't do much abt the base models they work with, but they chose to give these two very different eyes colors-- why??

anyways, moving on to tops!

[image ID: the OG designs, cropped to the torsos and arms.

Lyney's leotard looks like black corset over top a white shirt. two sections of black lacing down either side of the corset section, cut off by the diagonal ruffle that stretches from high on the left side of his waist, down to his right hip. the shirt section has diamond-shaped, metal buttons down the center, framed by ruffles on either side, leading up to a ruffle collar. brown leather straps secure this top section of the leotard around the shoulders and across the chest. the detached sleeves puff out near the wrists, then tuck into cuffs at the wrists. these sleeves are secured just below the shoulder by brown leather straps.

Lynette's leotard looks like a standard, black swimsuit-like leotard attached to a half-shirt up top. the swimsuit section splits at the bust, forming a boob window with the shirt section. two rows of ruffles run down either side of the torso, curving inwards where they meet at the crotch. the shirt section attaches to the boob cups of the swimsuit, secured by brown leather straps. the sleeves are attached, and the shirt puffs out at the shoulders, tucked into a brown leather strap secured underneath each puffy shoulder. the shirt collar has a triangular, swallow-tail shape.

end ID]

I see what Hoyo was trying to do here-- opposites! Lyney's got bare shoulders with bottom-heavy, detached sleeves, while Lynette's got attached, top-heavy sleeves with a boob window-- alright, I get the schtick here.

but like... what's with the collars? is Lyney's ruffle collar truly an "opposite" to Lynette's swallow-tail collar? what even constitutes "opposites" for collar shapes??

not to even mention the fact that... I have no idea what this clothing even is. are these separate pieces of a shirt-like garments, or are they all attached to the black pieces covering most of the torsos? are these just bizarre leotards??

it's completely nonsensical, so I just simplified it all into a shirt + corset combo

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the torsos and arms. both siblings are now wearing a full, grey shirt (though Lynette's jacket covers most of it), underneath a black corset with colorful accents. the shirts have diamond-shaped, metal buttons down their centers, framed by ruffles on either side of a colorful stripe (pink for Lyney, cyan for Lynette). black bow-ties sit at the throat of their ruffle collars. the sleeves puff out near the wrists, then tuck into cuffs at the wrists, secured by single buttons. the corsets have two sections of color (pink for Lyney, cyan for Lynette) framing the very center of the corset, with lacing (dark magenta for Lyney, dark blue for Lynette) criss-crossing over these sections, lacing the two sides together. end ID]

some things still have to match, y'know? and I really don't think the base shirt is a good choice for the "opposites" side of the design philosophy. and since I like the ruffles on Lyney's shirt, I gave that style to both siblings.

as for the grey, I just personally don't like the way white is used in these designs? Hoyo's pretty bad at balancing their whites/blacks correctly, and while these designs certainly aren't the worst I've seen, I still don't particularly like the white here. the grey balances the color palettes across the bodies better, imo, and lends a unique edge to their styles~

now for the jackets... well...

[image ID: the OG designs, cropped to the torsos and upper legs. a black drape sits on Lyney's left shoulder, shaped like a mantle with a dark purple hood. it has a magenta/brown double-bow, magenta/metal medallion, and a magenta/metal strip of thick fabric hanging down the front. a similar drape sits on Lynette's right shoulder, with cyan/blue accents and a dark blue hood instead. Lyney has long coat tails attached to the hips of his leotard, pointed and ending just past his knees. the inside of the coat tails is red argyle. end ID]

it may not be super clear just from the front, but those shoulder drapes are just that-- disconnected, decorative drapes, not full jackets. "then why does Lyney have coat tails?" well you see, those are attached directly to his hips!.. I truly cannot comprehend Hoyo's design decisions sometimes...

anyways, as you can see, I gave the siblings full, functional coats instead of drapes

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the torsos and upper legs.

Lyney now has a sleeveless black jacket over top his outfit. the collar is tall and popped up to frame his neck. the single, magenta button clasp would secure just above the corset, framing the bust above and the waist below with the way the coat is cut to curve wide around these areas. if it was buttoned, that is, but it's not buttoned here. long, pointed coat tails drape down behind the legs, ending just below the knee. the inside of the jacket is magenta with sequin sparkles, visible on the inner collar and inner coat tails. a large bow with pink/magenta/dark magenta stripes sits low on the waist on the back of the coat.

Lynette now has a full black jacket over top her outfit. the sleeves are slightly puffed near the wrists, then tuck into blue cuffs at the wrists. her collar is rounded and sits flat against her shoulders. a large blue button secures the coat over her bust, visually splitting the shirt and corset underneath and framing them with wide curves. her jacket does not have long coat tails, but rather ends at the waist just above her skirt. the inside of the jacket is blue with sequin sparkles, visible on the collar. a large bow with cyan/blue/dark blue stripes sits low on the waist on the back of the coat.

end ID]

here is where I implemented "opposite" design elements, rather than the shirts earlier: Lyney's tall, popped collar vs Lynette's flat collar. Lyney's lack of jacket sleeves vs Lynette's full jacket sleeves. Lyney's coat tails vs. Lynette's short jacket. Lyneys' open coat vs Lynette's buttoned coat. all functional design elements, all understandable fashion decisions, lmao.

also worth noting that I moved Lynette's massive bow down to her waist. this is partly so the bows match on both siblings, but also because Lynette's bow looks absolutely awful in her hair. it may not be as obvious from the front, but just look at this shot from the back:

[image ID: a screenshot of the back view of Lynette's OG model. a comically large, dark blue, argyle bow secures her ponytail at the base of her skull. the dangling ribbons of the bow are large enough to completely cover the full length of her arms from view. the grey ponytail hangs mostly-straight down, long enough to reach past her waist, and visually leading into her dark grey tail. end ID]

not only is the bow itself comically large, creating a strange silhouette for the neck area, but just look at the the draping ribbons! they completely cover and follow the line of the arms, to the point that most of my friends thought those were Lynette's sleeves from the back, when I first showed them this. it completely muddles her shape from the back, making for a nonsense blob of a design.

and notice her long, thin, grey ponytail? looks pretty damn weird when it visually flows straight into her long, thin, grey cat tail from the back. that's why I gave Lynette a wrapped braid instead

[image ID: a small diagram of edited Lynette's head from the back, labeled "wrapped braid". it shows a braid starting on one side of her head behind her ear, curves around the base of her skull to the other side of her head, and ends behind her other ear. end ID]

it creates a pleasant, sleek silhouette in combination with her new jacket and hat, and also removes the dumb line of action between her head and her tail. win-win!

anyways, moving on to the bottom half

[image ID: the OG designs, cropped to the hips and upper legs.

Lyney's leotard ends in short shorts, below the diagonal ruffle. black leather straps extend down from the ruffle, over top of the shorts and extending past the bottom edge to give the impression of longer shorts formed by the straps. some of the round, metal buckles are cat-shaped.

Lynette's leotard ends in some ruffle-y, double-layered, skirt-like pieces that frame either thigh. these pieces are not connected into a full skirt, but are individual skirts for each thigh hole in the leotard. the top layer is black, while the bottom layer is blue with sequin sparkles. black straps with triangular buckles sit on the top layer of the skirt, perfectly following the flow of the ruffles.

end ID]

I hate a lot of things abt these designs, but I think the corset ruffles are one of the worst. like, why does Lyney's waist ruffle cut diagonally across his torso as if it was sewn on wrong? did Chiori fall asleep at her machine?? and Lynette's goddamn double-ruffle runway pointing straight to her coochie, like. I'm speechless, frankly. and I KNOW that sexualization is the only reason why she's got those stupid, nonsensical thigh-skirts, like. what the hell am I even looking at.

anyways, let's give them proper clothes, shall we?

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the hips and upper legs.

Lyney's now wearing actual short-shorts, not attached to any leotard. the shorts are skin-tight now, with the now-magenta straps are tightened against his legs like garters. he's still wearing thigh-high, sheer black stockings underneath.

Lynette's now wearing a double-layered, tutu-style skirt, flaring out from her waist. the back edge ends mid-thigh while the front edge is tilted higher, ending at around her crotch. the top layer is light blue while the bottom layer is darker blue, and the tops of both layers are covered in sequin sparkles. the crotch of a simple black leotard is visible underneath the tutu, and she's still wearing sheer black pantyhose underneath. she has a set of skin-tight, blue leather garters similar to her brother's underneath her skirt, secured at the waist and ending mid-thigh.

end ID]

Lyney now has a pair of shorts, over which his decorative leather straps fit snugly. note that word-- snugly. you may not have noticed this, but those belts aren't actually skin-tight in the original design. rather, they extend past the edge of the shorts to form longer "pseudo-shorts" that hang loosely around the legs. I believe they're supposed to evoke the vibe of a harness skirt, but fail to do so because the shorts are so small and thin that the straps just look like skin-tight garters if you don't look close enough. it was an easy choice to simply make these belts into actual, skin-tight garters instead, bc I want to snap the stupid little straps against Lyney's stupid little thighs so so badly... ahem.

and Lynette now has a tutu skirt bc I saw a lot of tutus when referencing magician's assistants, haha. it also matches the ruffle-y shape of the original thigh skirts, so it's appropriate.

Lynette's original design also has decorative straps that go over the top of her thigh-skirts, but they're even less noticeable than Lyney's because they're the same black as the top of her skirts, and they don't even extend past the edge of the skirts. also, they have completely different buckle designs than Lyney's straps? bizarre. anyways, since the og straps are dumb and really shouldn't work over top a ruffle skirt, I just gave her the same skin-tight garters as her brother instead, secured underneath the skirt.

and before I forget, the gloves

[image ID: the edited designs, cropped to the hands and simple glove diagrams. both gloves are thin, solid black, but cut in different ways. Lyney's glove covers his thumb, pointer finger, and the base of his middle finger. Lynette's glove covers her pinkie, ring finger, and the base of her middle finger. end ID]

the original gloves are simultaneously unremarkable and overdesigned to me, so I thought a simple opposite cut would be fun, at a friend's suggestion~ also note that I gave Lyney the archer glove, out of the two.

finally, broadly speaking, I simplified a lot of the patterns and colors across the designs. I already mentioned the removal of greebling earlier, but I also removed all the argyle patterns present in the hat "corsets", bows, and inner coat tails. it's just another distracting pattern on top of already busy designs, they don't need it. I do like the sequin sparkles though, since they enhance rather than distract, so I extended the sparkles to more parts of the designs.

as for the colors, you'll see that I simplified the palettes a bit, particularly in Lyney's design. no more obnoxious, fire truck reds, inexplicable dull purples, AND bright magantas all stuck together in the same design. now it's all magentas and pinks, edging into purple. and the colors have been balanced a bit more too-- no more solid black/grey torsos and legs, now we've got some colors in the bottom halves with colored corsets, shoelaces, and straps. also no more brown leather or brown bows bc... why???

and I believe that's it? I spent quite a while on these designs compared to some of my past ones, so hopefully I remembered everything I changed lmao. until next time 👋

[dragimalsdaydreams]

HOW HAVE I MISSED THIS IN THE TAGS !!! ive been readign through your stuff bit my bit and so much of what you write ive also thought the same and you expand on it so much more and with more info im !! literally obsessed!!! I can't wait to catch up on all the good stuff in here for dragon booster omg

omg thanks I'm so glad u like it 8v8 and it's so fun to hear that someone else has had similar thoughts-- great minds, as they say, lol

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Dragon Booster Notes: Misc. Anatomy

more dragon anatomy! this is a mix of "narrator" and regular voice so just bear with me

Respiration:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of a quadrupedal, Canid-type dragon, lean and somewhat gangly. a simplistic respiratory system has been superimposed on the body. the "entry nostril" located on the dragon's forehead leads down the trachea in the throat, down to the "primary air sacs" located at the bottom of the ribcage. these sacs then empty into the "lungs" located towards the front of the ribcage. the lungs then empty into "secondary air sacs", located to the sides of the ribcage. these sacs connect by tubes to two sets of "exit nostrils" located to the bottom sides of the ribcage. end ID]

comparable to avians of the past, dragons display a complex system of air sacs to regulate air flow. air first enters the entry nostril located on the forehead, flows down through the trachea, and into the primary air sacs towards the bottom of the ribcage. this air then flows into the lungs for gas exchange, then into the secondary air sacs towards the sides of the ribcage. finally, this air exits the secondary air sacs through two sets of exit nostrils on either side of the bottom of the ribcage.

without the need to exhale back through the trachea, as with most other vertebrates, dragons can maintain a constant flow of air through the lungs without any breaks. this results in arguably the most efficient respiratory system in the modern day. most researchers agree that this is one of the only reasons dragons can race at such extreme speeds and compete in such feats of strength.

but gas exchange is not the only function of this system-- the other reason dragons can race so effectively is due to the heat regulation of this system. both sets of air sacs (but particularly the secondary air sacs and exit nostril tubes) are lined with millions of capillaries on their inner walls, allowing blood to flow close to the surface of the thin tissue. air passing through these sacs picks up excess heat from the blood and releases it on the final exhale out of the body. thus, dragons effectively prevent overheating from their extreme racing habits.

I must admit that this entire respiratory system was inspired by a little one-off scene in s1 ep 3 where Beau releases "steam" after overheating on the lava track.

[image ID: a screencap from the show Dragon Booster, showing Artha riding Beau. Beau is a quadrupedal, "Canid-type" dragon with a blue/red color scheme at the moment. he's hunched over in exhaustion, with steam being released from a few implied sets of valves along his spine. end ID]

I just think it’s fun~

Heat Pits:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony dragon head with a dull red color. the dragon has a long, angular head, with flat fins on either side of the skull, and a large chin that points far forward. a few small holes sit to either side of the snout above the mouth, and towards the back of the jaw under the mouth. diagrams of the "heat pit organs" have been superimposed in these areas, looking like two sets of small sacs attaching to their respective holes by thin tubes. end ID]

dragons primarily use their heat pits to sense environmental heat and better thermoregulate using their respiratory system. dragons certainly can use their pits to aid in tracking and hunting prey (in fact, certain colors have emphasized pits for that very reason), but that is not their primary function.

Audial Fins:

[image ID: the same red headshot as before, but with different labeling/diagrams. instead, the flat fins on either side of the skull are labeled "audial fins". these fins have a couple rows of half-circles running down the length like grills, curved inwards towards the face. these lines are labeled "sensory lines". end ID]

audial fins function somewhat like fish lateral lines, sensing air disturbances and translating that to audio cues. they also seem to sense Draconium in some yet-defined way...

Hips:

[image ID: a simple scientific diagram showing two different, bipedal dinosaur skeletals. the top diagram is saurischian, with hips whose long pubis points forwards from the ilium, while the long ischium points back from the ilium. the bottom diagram is ornithischian, with hips whose long ischium and pubis lay flat together, both pointed back from the ilium towards the rear of the animal. end ID]

I've decided to give all dragons ornithischian hips (bottom diagram, with the projection pointing just backwards). no specific reason for it, I just needed to establish that.

Teeth:

[image ID: a side-view of a dragon head with a purple base color. it’s similar in shape to the previous dragon heads, and the mouth is open to show off a set of thick, chunky teeth, looking more like scale-plates than teeth. the top teeth have a sort of wave shape, with a pointed front tip that flows into a short bump towards the back. the bottom teeth have a short front point with a taller back point. a set of longer/pointed teeth at the tip of the top and bottom jaws serve as the canines. end ID]

I like the idea of the teeth looking like big hunks of scale-- I’m picturing Dunkleosteus, here. it’d also be cool if the teeth matched the scale palette in some way, whether the main or accents colors.

Chins and Lips:

[image ID: the same red headshot as before, but with different labeling/diagrams. here, the entire chin/bottom jaw and lips have been colored a dull green. a nearby label reads, "general region of tactile sensitivity". end ID]

dragons are highly social, tactile animals, and will often communicate with one another and their riders through touch. the chin and lips are a primary area of contact, far more sensitive to touch than other parts of the body. dragons will typically rub/knock their chins together, or lip at one another to establish and strengthen emotional bonds. this behavior extends to their riders as well, and lipping is a common form of communication from dragon to rider. humans may reciprocate affection by giving their dragons a good chin rub in return.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Dragon Booster Notes: Cladistic Taxonomy

I had to lay out a rough estimate of evolutionary relationships or I'd go insane <3

"narrator" voice starts under the cut:

Dracalia

[image ID: a simple cladistic diagram of the speculative Dracalia clade. the first division from Dracalia leads to, "remains sprawling and ectothermic" traits, resulting in Hydrags (depicted as low-bodied and lizard-like). the other path leads to, "endothermic and erect limb structure" traits, resulting in the rest of the tree. this path then splits into "bipedalism" vs. "remains quadrupedal" traits. bipedalism results in two different lineages: Raptors (depicted much like a prehistoric raptor) and crow-drags (depicted much like a crow). quadrupedalism results in Bulls (depicted as bulky and bull-like), and another path which then splits into Canids (depicted as lean and gangly) and Felids (depicted with a lithe and curving stature). end ID]

Dracalia is the most populous and successful clade in the modern day, due in part to the disastrous Dragon-Human War several centuries previous. few clades survived the subsequent environmental fallout and extinction event of that terrible war, but Dracalia and humans are among the few that clawed our way to survival. humans due to our adaptability and ingenuity, and drakes* due to their high aptitude for Draconium manipulation and (typically) extreme temperature regulation.

(*note that "drake" is the proper name for any member of the clade Dracalia, whereas "dragon" is the layman term for the few clades of race-worthy drakes.)

Draconium manipulation is a core trait of Dracalia, though it has naturally waned in certain sub-clades. other traits include audial fins, heat pits, and complex respiratory systems with associated Mufflers. drake respiratory systems are highly efficient, allowing for constant gas exchange and internal heat regulation, resulting in high adaptability to a wide range of environmental temperatures and high-energy activities.

most researchers believe that the most recent common ancestor of Dracalia likely resembled a modern Hydrag, with a sprawling leg posture, low body, and ectothermic physiology. the rest of Dracalia split off from Hydrags rather early on, developing erect leg posture and an endothermic physiology. this endothermic trait further developed into even more extreme control of internal body heat-- namely, increased sensitivity of heat pits and specialization of the respiratory system.

this sub-clade further split into two sub-clades-- bipedal drakes and quadrupedal drakes. the bipeds took advantage of their already complex, efficient respiratory systems, allowing bipeds to develop powered flight using webbed wings. Raptors are themselves descended from a flighted ancestor, but lost their ability to fly over time, instead specializing in ground stability and speed. their arms still have some vestigial webbing, and their bodies are still short and compact, though they cannot do much more than glide with the help of flight gear. crow-drags, on the other hand, are a fully-flighted clade, having taken over the skies from the extinct avians of the past, flourishing in the absence of other flighted competition.

the rest of the quadrupeds split into two core paths of specialization: bulk and agility. Bulls have made a living being some of the biggest, toughest creatures around, hard to injure and even harder to kill. few creatures seek to challenge such an opponent. Felids and Canids, on the other hand, aim for speed and agility, outrunning pursuers and prey alike. Felids have taken their agility slightly further than Canids, specializing in flexibility over stability.

((as for other creatures we see in the show:

Muhorta: we never see the full body, so I have no fucking clue. they could be some land-based cephalopod with a false dragon face for all I know... wait that sounds really cool actually..

newts: I think they're just regular newts. like, real-ass animal newts, but they evolved some semi-bipedalism in the show. or maybe geckos instead, so the poor lil' guys don't desiccate. I just think it would be funny.))

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Dragon Booster Notes: Colors

a lot of DB fans I've talked to think that DB has way too many Draconium colors, and I'm inclined to agree, lmao. so here's my take on a more condensed version of the Draconium color wheel!

I've had to rearrange and heavily revamp certain colors and basic lore (such as Gold, which I'll get to), but I think I like what I've done with the place~ I've also changed the names of most of the crews because we seriously need less "dragon" in names, everyone's starting to sound like Troll Will Smith. like, we get it, this show is abt dragons, lmao

I'm also aware that some of the more specific colors were meant to evoke certain types of vehicles/machinery (like white = planes, and brown = construction vehicles), but that reference is somewhat lost in my take. my hope is that secondary colors in dragon palettes could better evoke that machinery, but I may need to chew on it more. I do genuinely like the dragons = cars schtick and think it's fun to play with in terms of colors/design, so I don't want to go TOO hard on my own lore and lose that silly aspect, haha

and be aware that I haven't changed my other DB notes to reflect these colors since I'm not fully settled yet. I may wait for more feedback to see what other fans think of this take

anyways, "narrator voice" begins under the cut:

Base Colors

the Racing Association recognizes the following seven colors as the standard, core colors of Draconium. however, there is continued debate over these classifications, considering the fluid, gradient nature of Draconium. the concept of sub-classes has gained momentum in some circles, and several racing teams operate under the idea of these sub-classes, though these sub-classes are not officially recognized. common sub-class signifiers include "dark/light", "white/black", or mixed/specific color names such as "turquoise" or "mahogany".

also note that Draconium influences the integument, temperament, and energy of a developing dragon on a situational basis rather than an evolutionary basis. Draconium colors do not constitute evolutionary lineages, but are instead influenced by direct parentage and environmental influences during a dragon's development within the egg. additionally, while most organisms exhibit a "dominating" color type, all organisms exhibit some mix of colors. "pure"-color dragons are rare, and often exhibit health disorders due to the lack of balancing influence from other colors.

Red:

common temperament: passionate, competitive, loyal, flashy. these dragons thrive as the center of attention, and are eager to compete to prove their place. though this makes Red dragons excellent competitors, they are prone to show-boating and losing sight of their goal. adequate attention and praise from their riders will solidify a Red dragon's confidence and prevent overcompensation.

physical traits: Red dragons often develop more decorative cartilage fins and "flare" for show.

class percentages: Raptors: 30%; Canids: 30%; Felids: 25%; Bulls: 15%

known crews: Red Flares

((replaces: Red))

Orange:

common temperament: clever, inquisitive, stubborn, cautious. these dragons are considered the most intelligent of their kind, but also the most dangerous for that exact reason. they are quick to solve puzzles and avoid obstacles, quickly developing strategies for escape and success, outwitting even their riders. despite their potential as racers, very few Orange dragons will even cooperate with humans, much less compete on the track.

physical traits: many Orange dragons exhibit peculiar changes to the visual structure of the skull and surrounding integument/musculature, leaving the brain and Muffler visible. this does not seem to affect skull durability, but sparse research has yet to confirm. Orange dragons also seem to have a higher aptitude for telepathy than most modern dragons.

class percentages: Raptors: 85%; Canids: 4%; Felids: 7%; Bulls: 4%. this particular color skews heavily Raptor, but this may be due to historical/social influences rather than an innate aspect of this Color.

known crews: The Prophets ((and Keepers ("dark" Orange) but few know of them))

WARNING: most Orange dragons have defected from human society, and the dragon-led "Prophet" crew has been named a top terrorist organization by Dragon City Police. exercise extreme caution in areas you suspect Prophets or other Orange dragons may roam.

((replaces: Orange, Light Green. I almost put Light Green in Yellow instead, but then I thought abt the tension of two wildly different crews representing the same "dangerous" Orange color. maybe Prophets see Keepers as pathetic, living off of the little scraps of human society and meekly refusing to demand more. and maybe Keepers hate how they're associated with the "dangerous" Prophets just bc they're Orange too, painting a similar "terrorist" target on their backs. I think there could be an interesting conversation here abt the ideas of acceptance vs assimilation, and the cost of survival under the will of human society...))

Yellow:

common temperament: skittish, flighty, curious, adaptable, energetic. these dragons have a high well of energy perfectly suited for racing, but are often distracted and startled by the unexpected. a gentle, guiding hand can keep these dragons focused and on-track.

physical traits: Yellow dragons usually develop fins along their sides and tails to aid in gliding. these fins are usually cartilaginous, though some may develop bone-like spines and tendon attachments to further control fin shape. these dragons also tend to be smaller than dragons of other colors, but this is not a universal trait.

class percentages: Raptors: 50%; Canids: 25%; Felids: 20%; Bulls: 5%. Raptors adapt best to the flighted aspects of Yellow, while Bulls struggle to maintain their energy or properly utilize their fins.

known crews: Windstorm ("white" Yellow)

((replaces: White, Turquoise? we don't know much abt Turquoise...))

Green:

common temperament: steady, stubborn, focused, loyal. though Green dragons are not the quickest to start a race or make a decision, you can trust that they will dedicate their entire focus to their goal. their patient determination can carry riders through any obstacle, especially once a rider has a gained their loyalty.

physical traits: Green dragons tend to develop thicker hides/plates, and heavier musculature.

class percentages: Raptors: 3%; Canids: 10%; Felids: 7%; Bulls: 80%. due to the "heavy" nature of Green, this color skews heavily Bull. the delicate structure of a Raptor struggles most to handle the added weight that Green can induce in the body, though some Raptor breeders have been working to address this.

known crews: Will of the Dragon ((combining crews as well. I think it would be interesting if Kawake was the former head of the Will of the Dragon, and Fistus admires him and maybe feels guilty for taking over his role? maybe he tries to convince Kawake to come back after his recovery. idk, I need more interesting character dynamics))

((replaces: Green, Brown))

Blue:

common temperament: easy-going, adaptable, playful, sociable. Blue dragons love the thrill of a race more than competition, prone to nipping playfully at other dragons or skipping about on the track in their excitement. they may need a reminder and extra incentive to keep their focus on the race rather than play.

physical traits: Blue dragons usually develop fins along their tails, spines, and legs to aid in swimming. much like Yellow dragons, these fins are usually cartilaginous, though some may develop bone-like spines and tendon attachments to further control fin shape.

class percentages: Raptors: 10%; Canids: 40%; Felids: 40%; Bulls: 10%. though Bulls and Raptors struggle with the swimming-oriented aspects of this color, they otherwise seem to adapt fine, despite their low numbers.

known crews: The Inner Order, Nautilus ("light" Blue)

((replaces: Blue, Light Blue))

Purple:

common temperament: sociable, loyal, attentive, focused, cautious. one of the most sociable types of dragons, Purple dragons quickly pack-bond with any humans and dragons they spend extended time with. though a boon for solidifying connections within crews, this can also spell trouble outside of the crew, as Purple dragons are deeply suspicious of strangers. it takes a solid connection and stable environment to make sure a Purple dragon's healthy caution doesn't develop into outright hostility and tunnel-vision.

physical traits: Purple dragons often develop more exaggerated heat pits and larger audial fins.

class percentages: Raptors: 35%; Canids: 40%; Felids: 5%; Bulls: 20%. Felids are less adaptable to the "tracking" aspects of this color than other classes.

known crews: Huntsmen

((replaces: Purple. I'm going back and forth on whether I should just combine Black and Purple together? but I think they exhibit enough unique 'personality' traits that they prolly ought to be separate..))

Magenta:

common temperament: independent, stubborn, curious, clever. these dragons take a long time to warm up to their riders, and are often considered "aloof" by racers of other colors. but once their trust is gained, they quickly open up to their riders, showing a much more affectionate, playful personality than initially expected. even then, riders must keep a close eye on their own dragons to make sure they haven't wandered off into trouble on their own.

physical traits: ((tbh I can't think of any for this one. help))

class percentages: Raptors: 20%; Canids: 10%; Felids: 50%; Bulls: 20%.

known crews: Snake Eyes ("black" Magenta) ((idk if snakes still exist but I'm just going to say they do for now))

((replaces: Black. I just think "Black" is a silly color for a color wheel tbh, and it feels a little too on-the-nose for the "evil" group, y'know? also, let's be honest, most Black dragons have purple/magenta as secondary colors, so it feels appropriate.))

Special Cases

these cases of dragon and Draconium development are beyond the scope of typical racing, exhibiting unique and highly-specific traits compared to other color groupings.

Prismatic Dragons:

Prismatic dragons do not exhibit a single, dominating color of Draconium, but rather the intersection of all colors. thus, these dragons function as prisms-- able to refract different Draconium colors at will.

historically, Prismatic dragons were much more common, as Draconium naturally blends and merges across the spectrum, and organisms gather mixed collections of Draconium from their surrounding environments. it is only in the modern day that we rarely see Prismatic dragons emerge, and indeed have yet to see one for many years...

known crews: none ((that the Association knows of, at least~))

((I really want Yellow to be one of the main colors, and Gold doesn't feel as 'neutral' as I think it ought to be, so... *jazz hands*. on the one hand, I'm remiss to nix Beau's iconic black/gold color palette... on the other hand, what if the originally "gold" sections on his body changed colors to reflect whatever Draconium color he focused on, and simply shimmered a metallic silver otherwise? that sounds cool))

Grey Dragons:

Grey dragons exhibit a bizarrely neutral form of Draconium. however, unlike Prismatic, this is not due to a prism effect, but due to the lack of distinct color itself-- Draconium in its purest, most uninfluenced form.

Grey is even less understood than Prismatic. we know that no living dragon is Grey, only reanimated corpses. we do not know how these corpses reanimate, nor why it so rarely occurs.

some have suggested that, once a Prismatic dragon dies and the color of mixed Draconium drains from their body, they are truly Grey underneath, and are reanimated to continue some unspecified duty. this is impossible to verify, given the rarity of Prismatic and Grey dragons, but it is certainly an interesting theory.

perhaps it is simply the nature of life, that even Draconium must strike a balance-- that for all that there is light, that there must also be an absence. for all that there is life, that there must be death. perhaps this is too poetic a notion for an academic journal, but we have few other hypotheses to consider.

known crews: The Mechanists

[dragimalsdaydreams]

Dragon Booster Notes: Classes

first, a note on terminology: canon Dragon Booster interchangeably uses "class" as both a descriptor of body type and of Draconium color. this would be fine if body type was locked to certain colors, but it often isn't, and I'm p sure the showrunners even stated at one point that this wasn't the case.

instead, I'll use "class" to refer specifically to body types, while color refers to a separate system of classification. thus, a combination of Class + Color would give a full impression of the dragon and their abilities (classpecting for dragons! /gets bonked by cartoon mallet/).

on that note, I've also revamped my take on the colors themselves! though I haven't changed the colors referenced in this post yet, since I'm not fully settled on my color types, but we shall see...

also, do not mistake racing "class" with the evolutionary clade "class". while body type classes are locked to certain clades in my lore, these clades are, at most, genus or family-level clades.

that out of the way, "narrator" voice starts under the cut!

Standard Classes

the Racing Association recognizes the following four classes as race-worthy dragons. though specialized breeding has produced more variety, none have been recognized as specialized classes by the Association.

note that none of these broad classes can interbreed. genetic and morphological differences have long separated these lineages, past the point of interbreeding. however, this does not mean that different colors cannot interbreed. any number of Draconium colors can exist within each class, and all these colors can freely interbreed within classes. although Draconium colors often gravitate towards compatible class types, a developing dragon's Draconium color is far more influenced by direct parentage and environmental factors.

Bull Class:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of a Bull-type dragon. the dragon is quadrupedal and bulky, with a thick, round ribcage leading down to somewhat thinner hips. a tall hump at the shoulders gives them an even bulkier appearance, with thick neck muscles leading down to a short, blocky head held at torso-height. thick, digitigrade legs end in wide, rounded "hooves" with three short toes with flat, rounded nails, much like a rhino. a short, thick tail sticks straight out from the hips. the neck, shoulders, and hips have several layers of heavy, folded skin layered over various joints and bends. end ID]

physical traits: these quadrupedal dragons are thick and bulky, with wide, round torsos, sturdy legs, and short tails. Bulls have a tall shoulder crest, where thick neck and front leg muscles attach, leading down to short, thick skulls. Bull skulls are much shorter and thicker than other classes, giving them a flattened, snubby look. irresponsible breeding has pushed many Bull snouts into brachycephaly and underbites, which reputable breeders are working to address. since Bull heads hang so low, Bull saddles are uniquely designed to Mag-lock on the crest of the shoulder rather than the back of the skull. Bull claws are wide and thick, with blunted tips and flat edges.

racing compatibility: Bulls are best suited to heavy lifting and feats of strength. though powerful, this power can easily drain their stamina, and they require far more food and rest than other classes of dragon. a Bull can easily eat a racer out of house and home, if they aren't prepared for the Bull appetite.

most common Draconium types: Green and Brown. Bulls are a particularly finicky breed, and are rarely seen in any other color than Green or Brown; the rare exceptions are usually Red, Turquoise, or Purple. just as well, since Green and Brown are rarely seen outside of the Bull class.

Canid Class:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of a Canid-type dragon. the dragon is quadrupedal and lean, with a comparatively barrel-chested ribcage leading deeply down to much thinner hips. a long, thin, pointed head sits on a short, lean neck, held above and forward of the torso. thin, digitigrade legs with knobby joints end in dog-like paws with four toes and short claws. a long, thin tail sticks straight out from the hips. end ID]

physical traits: these quadrupedal dragons are lean and energetic, with a barrel-chested ribcage and stiffer spine made to quickly snap into action. their lean legs usually have proportionally wider paws and more pronounced joints than other classes, giving Canids a knobby, coltish appearance. Canids also have longer, smoother skulls than other classes.

racing compatibility: Canids are best suited to long-distance races-- though they may take some time to accelerate, Canids can keep pace for hours without flagging. rookie racers may find themselves overwhelmed by a Canid's deep well of stamina-- if you aren't prepared to spend a few hours every day running out a Canid's energy on the track or trail, then this may not be the Class for you.

most common Draconium types: Blue, Purple, Light Blue, Turquoise, and White. though these are the most common, Canids are a flexible breed, and can be found in practically every color of Draconium.

Felid Class:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of a Felid-type dragon. the dragon is quadrupedal and long, with a curving spine and relatively even torso. a somewhat blocky head sits on a long neck, held above and forward of the torso, though lower than the Canid head. the digitgrade legs are thicker and smoother-looking than the Canid's, though they have similar dog-like paws with four toes and short claws. a long, thin tail sticks straight out from the hips, though it has some curvature implying more flexibility. end ID]

physical traits: these quadrupedal dragons are lithe and flexible, with long, curving spines and smooth, even torsos. Felid tails are usually longer and a bit more flexible than other classes. Felids tend to have short, square skulls, sometimes giving them a snubby appearance. Felid legs tend to be shorter and thicker than their Canid cousins, and some breeders have bred this to dubious extremes (these breeders have suggested a new "Ferret Class" in these cases, but the Racing Association has rejected these suggestions).

racing compatibility: Felids are best suited to short-burst sprints, and feats of maneuverability and agility. Felids can twist, leap, and climb their way through the most complex obstacle courses, but they have trouble pacing their energy, and their stamina can quickly flag after just a few quick maneuvers. many rookie Felid racers complain that their 'lazy' dragons just lay out in the sun all day, failing to realize that a Felid's well of energy is best replenished by these long bouts of rest.

most common Draconium types: Black, Blue, Light Green, and Light Blue. much like Canids, Felids are a very flexible breed, and can be found in Colors across the spectrum. however, due to their low stamina/energy, they don't usually function well when bred into high-energy colors like White or Turquoise.

Raptor Class:

[image ID: a semi-cartoony drawing of a Raptor-type dragon. the dragon is bipedal and somewhat bird-shaped, with a short, stiff torso without much distinction between ribcage and hips. a pointed, wedge-shaped head sits on long, thin, curving neck, holding the head high above and a bit forward of the torso. the digitigrade hind legs are long and thin, with three long toes with long talons. the front limbs are short and arm-like, with a small hand, two fingers, and one thumb with curved talons. small bits of webbing extend from the inner elbow, between the elbow and the torso, and between some of the fingers. a small diagram to the side shows the arms folding against the body when at rest. a long tail with a thick base sticks straight out from the hips. end ID]

physical traits: these bipedal dragons have short, stout torsos with long, thin legs. though their torsos are stiff and inflexible, their long necks and lithe limbs more than make up for any lack in torso flexibility. Raptor heads tend to be sharp and wedge-shaped, but not always. Raptor toes are much longer than those of other classes, lending to greater gripping ability, particularly in their front limbs. though Raptors' diminutive front limbs are small and weak compared to their hind legs, these limbs are highly dexterous with high a grip strength. these limbs also retains vestigial webbing from their flighted ancestry, though modern Raptors can't glide without assistive flight gear.

racing compatibility: Raptors are rather adaptable, but especially excel in flight-based obstacle courses. their stiff, light torsos make them the perfect match for white flight gear, with near-perfect balance, stability, and maneuverability in-flight. however, Raptors are much less stable on-land than their quadrupedal cousins, and can easily be tripped by a false step or a tricky competitor. rookie Raptor racers are injured far more often than other rookies due to this instability.

most common Draconium types: Purple, Light Green, White, Blue, and Red. though Raptors are adaptable, they do not function well with high-power Colors (Brown and Green) due to their instability, and certain kinds of maneuverability (namely the aquatic nature of Light Blue).

Notable Non-classes:

niche breeding efforts have led to some extreme lineages of dragons, typically used for tools or entertainment purposes.

[image ID: a screenshot of some small, hand-sized dragons from show Dragon Booster. the overall CGI art style is blocky, angular, and cartoony. the first image shows a gangly, emaciated purple dragon with neon green highlights. the head is capped by a metal helmet with green lens, and more gear sits on the back. green, dragonfly-like wings also sprout from the back. the second image shows several tiny orange/red, raptor-like dragons leaping across the screen. they look blocky and juvenile. end ID]

pictured: a Purple Felid "tracker" with attached flight gear, and an Orange Raptor "teacup" pet.

most of these breeding efforts result in extreme health defects in their dragons, and the Racing Association does not condone these practices. please contact the Association with any information if you encounter these types dragons-- we all must hold racing to higher standards and hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.

[dragimalsdaydreams]

i am so in love with you genshin redesigns it's crazy. you cook so much it's delicious. if you ever do razor or baizhu i will marry you trust /j

thank you!! <3 I have actually done Razor already, but it looks like u already found it hehe. idk if I'll ever do Baizhu, since I don't have a blood-feud with his outfit, but I may tweak him if I ever do draw him. we'll see!

[dragimalsdaydreams]

i’m in love with your genshin redesigns!! are you planning on redoing any more characters? keep up the great work!!! (ง•̀ᴗ•́)ง ⟡

thank you!! I def plan on it, I've just been caught up in other projects recently, haha. I already have a few wips holed up in my drafts-- I'm particularly excited abt the Lyney + Lynette double-feature I'm planning! that'll prolly be the next one finished, whenever I get around to it