#but like mascotified

[kerenitychan]

[baby-xemnas]

when Chopper was mascotified: nooo he's a 17 year old boy he is the same age as luffy was pre-timeskip! stop characterizing and making him act like he is 8!!! noooo

when Bepo was mascotified: FETISH THING 💘FETISH THING💘 FETISH THING, 💘AMPLIFYING BEING CUTE FOR THE CAPTAIN 💘ITS A FETISH PLAY THING

[lennythereviewer]

You know not to be an “old man who yells at cloud” on main but BACK IN MY DAY...

Finding horror and creepypasta on the internet or anywhere else as a kid felt like something secret, something forbidden, it felt like you were reading or watching something you weren’t supposed to see, like you were getting away with something. That’s where playground stories and rumors sprang from; it was a kids version of telling stories by the campfire.

Nowadays horror is marketed directly to kids with the rise of “Mascot Horror”

You all know what I mean: Things like Bendy and the Ink Machine, Hello Neighbor, and of course the modern state of Five Nights at Freddy’s. All of them are vying to be the next Goosebumps and there’s such a distinct lack of sincerity in the whole affair. 

Or, if not them, then it’s horror characters being gentrified by the collective internet to become “mascotified” as it were: Like Trevor Henderon’s creations Cartoon Cat and Siren Head going from unsettling works of horror art trying to evoke the feeling of Found Footage to being watered down, sanitized, and turned into the face of YouTube thumbnails to feed the endless maw of the algorithm machine

Or like how the same crowd turned The Backrooms into the SCP Foundation with a new set-dressing. Or like how FNF modders will literally descend on any horror property like a swarm of locusts, pick it clean of any scary element, and force it into an arrow-button simulator. I’m truly not trying to come off as gatekeepy or saying kids should stay out of horror, but there’s just this lack of organic discovery that I feel is lost today when it’s just watered down and spoon-fed to the younger crowd so blatantly.

Discovering horror used to feel like it was something forbidden, now I walk down the isle of Target and see horror toys lining the shelves and even my best friends youngest who’s like five years old knows who Freddy Fazbear is.

Horror isn’t “dead”, but a certain aspect of it certainly feels that way.

Maybe I’m just being a grumpy old man

[tammyhybrid21]

Generation 3 Iterators

(The Highlights)

Oh boy, finally the last of the generations. As with the other two this will just mostly be highlights. And again for the main iterators only really. So Unparalleled Innocence and Five Pebbles mostly. Even if there are a few more cameos for others of these guys along the way. There’s chaos in the bones of this generation of iterators.

As with the other lineups, here’s the names of everyone in order:

Gin & Tonic, Unyielding Tenacity, Unparalleled Innocence, Five Pebbles, Solace of Ink, Pleading Intellect, and Secluded Instinct

Much like in other lineups, some of these designs are yet still going to eventually change. Not fully solid at this time and might be more refined later on. I mean you can already see this happening with my design for Innocence just in the refs here.

Even the boy Five Pebbles getting a bit of a tune up. Although these are more or less the designs I’m going with at current. As it is not really much to say about them as a whole.

For Innocence I have her design split as base, no cloak, cloak and then with her “guilty pearl” as I sort of call it. Some wear and tear and then some nebulous point in the future. I don’t really have so much to say about her, pink-purple highlights I guess. And then Five Pebbles, again that base design, then Rotten at Rivulet’s point of the timeline, although that might get further refined later on to be... worse with the rot... but for now. Just a few spots... and then Saint timeline design, which I really need to wash out more... and bonus Cyan Cloaked Pebbles for a nod to Backwards Through the Snow.

Do I need to explain my Avatar still? Just height reference.

So, anyway... time to actually get to the headcanon Scribbles. Most of this is Innocence and Pebbles of course, with some random nuggets of world building sprinkled in. As usual I probably won’t expand too much on things, since it’s random scribbled headcanons but anyway.

For example, this first sheet of scribbling is basically all building up my idea of what a Third Generation iterator even is. They are on some level chaos gremlins, mascotified-- and well, they overall have less personal experience with the ancients. Shorter time scale in relativity and all.

Also fun fact, a lot of their opinions thus are handed down in some ways. While they do have some grounds for their own ideas and experiences it’s very much extra framed from what they hear from other older iterators. Which is mostly who they look up to. For better or worse in all the cases, even if they have a semi-negative view on the ancients like Innocence did end up with, they wish they could have experienced more... you know.

It was half of their jobs and purpose to care for the people after all, the mascotification and all.

More of that same expansion. Innocence was very much, I think beloved. There were fewer mixed opinions about her, and well, she was in the news. WAS THE NEWS ACTUALLY. Broadcast Iterator, both for the people and while not as touched on in these scribbles she worked something as a relay iterator between different local groups. Represented here by having the sketch sheet include PI and SOI...

This did come with a massive downside though, because her gossip nature isn’t just a personality thing. She was made for spreading information and relaying it. Gossip is a quick and dirty way to get information out after all... And she’s had to learn to moderate and filter things over time... which unfortunately meant early on she didn’t do that so much...

Ahhh, the debate of who was the last one built. I think Five Pebbles is the youngest, as well the possible last Iterator ever built. There’s reasons for this based on Canon Evidence(like Five Pebbles not already having records of Innocence been a construction project despite one of his important houses signing off on it) and then there’s just some thematic and personality reasons. Anycase, doesn’t really matter, I DO, However think that there was a fair bit of overlap in their construction timelines.

Like to the point where they ended up antagonizing each other just because they were built at similar times and there was inbuilt rivalry in it. “I’m not a baby you are! But I’m baby” moments mixed in as well. Also absolutely some sibling vibes to their arguments even if no actual relation exists.

They will bully each other, taunt and jab, tease. Yet absolutely will throw down if someone else insults the other.

...I also like to imagine that on anon they somehow are great friends. Sharing a single neuron at times. (EP & TI great friends, FP & UI screaming matches for fun). It’s a principle thing really.

Oh boy, sure do love giving Five Pebbles issues on top of his canon issues. Also how much of this is projection, I don’t think I could really say. More like I was trying to conceptualise the explanation for him... and then got side-tracked. Mostly because good lord the game sometimes drives me nuts. Metropolis why are you so empty of anything set dressing? Like seriously, what is with it?

Anycase a lot of this is kind of surrounding emotions without much actual explanation. And I do think “baby Pebbles” was a lot happier in the first few cycles of his existence. He had a good big sister, was there to help... good. But well, didn’t work out long term because the comparison hurts, as well the fact people... didn’t really like him. A subgroup sure, and something he reflects on with amusement but at the time... and even lingering...

The city was made empty, the people didn’t stay... it had to have hurt and was some of what influenced his downwards spiral... Suns, I do think they made it worse. Maybe not intentionally, maybe thoughtlessly, but Suns certainly never opposed the views they were handed down, and even again, showed seeming support in Pebbles endeavour to cross himself out.

...that pearl...

I also do think there is something quiet in how Pebbles tried to keep Moon out of it. Her own line in Rivulet about how he knows how protective she is of him... old insecurities and the knowledge from Pebbles side, he knows he’s not the preferred one. Whether that’s fact or just insecurities hard to place fully.

Finally just a page where it’s my Colourblind Pebbles propaganda as well as the fact I genuinely think that Innocence and Pebbles have a kind of mutual “the grass is greener” view of each other. Something that of course doesn’t help their arguments and petty disputes and jabs. Pebbles even further because again, he’s colourblind has some appearance envy mixed in. At least Inno isn’t just a remix of another iterator.

Also, I like to keep things a little bit ambiguous, but I do generally believe that Innocence had, at least somewhat good intentions with leaking Pebbles rot photos. If Moon was already unable to be contacted by that point, a desperate attempt to share it with someone, anyone who might have been able to help resolve the situation...

Only it... made things worse.

And yes. Rivulet made and sent by Innocence propaganda. Though again, who fully knows what the intentions were there. Good, bad, generally hoping that somehow the water dancing slugcat could help.

Also some ship based bonuses just because.

Sorry Inno, Moon probably will only and can only see you as a little sibling in vibes.

Anycase, while it's mostly in a hero-worship way, I do kind of ship Innocence with Moon, Innocence definitely has a little bit of a crush, even if it would go... nowhere.

And yes, hello I am a RageQuit shipper reminder. As well more of Pebbles colourblind propaganda. This started as a joke headcanon, how did it become so central to my interpretation, help. I will likely post both of these again later on their own, but for now. Here.

[ad-cn]

I really like the Ivalice games' attempt at de-mascotifying Moogles because making them just like fellow citizens and treated like so makes the world more coherent and believable.

I feel like it was a decision made to make the games feel more "western" in design, and the fact that they ended up looking more like an original furry species kind of tells that.

[spicyicymeloncat]

Ehehehehhehh Ninjago magical girl au (part 1)

This isn’t even their final forms! (There will be more posts about this when I get chance to draw again. Also forgive me for incredibly rough line art lol)

Part 1 (here) - Part 2 - Part 3

Explanation + bonus images under the cut

Okay here’s the bonus images out the way

That’s a Nya design which I’m probably going to revamp due to the fact that I forgot she only becomes a ninja in s5. And that Lloyd design is going to be his second form. Also have Wu mascotified. He’s a tiny dragon thing! Idk I drew that really quickly just now.

So the au is substitute everything ninja with magical girls. (Disclaimer I’m using “girl” as a gender neutral term now :P)

In the pilots, Wu has the actual excuse to train Kai for an extended period of time due to the reasoning that only a magical girl can fight against the skeletons and Garmadon. Also Wu takes the form of this floating tiny dragon. Why? Idk, magic. None of the ninja have actually unlocked their first transformation yet but Wu has taught all of them to be able to summon these gold medallions that are made from their hidden potential or true emotions or something like that.

They unlock their first magical girl transformation the same time they do spinjitzu the first time in canon, and the gold medallions appear on their clothes. Their powers? Basically the same.

The pilots end with Wu busting out the magical old man form (which I probably will not draw lol) to kick Samukai in his bone butt and everyone goes home and doesnt talk about how the cute dragon creature just did that. Also Garmadon is in his humanoid form but he can probably also because small as well.

S1 would follow the ninja unlock their true potential (and second magical girl forms which I’m still trying to work out how to colour haha) and Lloyd also becoming a magical girl.

I think I might have the ninja gain a new form every season like when they get the techno blades, when they regain their powers and get dragons in s4, when they learn airjitzu idk, but on the other hand that’s a lot of designs, + the mandatory “for the movie” post s7 redesigns so we’ll see if I get to it. Also Nya will be getting her magical designs it’s just I’m still sussing out the details.

But yeah. Magical ninja. Ninja now sparklier.

[eirikrjs]

Have you ever given your thoughts about some infamous people making appereances as demons? The Night Stalker, for example. I personally doubt if they belong and find them a little weird. You have something like Jack the Ripper which really has become its own thing in popculture but I still find that's a dubious seperation.

I have my doubts that Night Stalker is specifically meant to be Richard Ramirez. Definitely inspired by (especially his gonzo profile) and definitely a serial killer, just more abstract in concept.

It's better in Soul Hackers itself, where the idea of a demonic serial killer stalking the streets of a modern city makes more sense. He can apparently be encountered on the Amami Bypass, though I can't find any screenshots of it, and during Urabe's vision quest:

Jack the Ripper I think would fit in as easily as (the) Mad Gasser (of Mattoon) does; thing is, SMT's version just got mascotified. It's a legend that has been separated from whoever the human perpetrator was.