#really big honkin eyes

[1495-gauge]

there's that fucked up three-eyed thing that lives in the woods. whose turn is it to chase it off again??

[monstersmashorpass]

SMASH OR PASS: Vrtra of the First Brood, Final Fantasy XIV

[Art Credit: Official source image]

Propaganda from submitter:

Now you may look and think Vrtra is a big honkin' dragon, but what you need to know is, Vrtra is babygirl. This is an immortal dragon, one of the First Brood his elder-god-abomination daddy had on Eorzea. Bahamut? You know that one? Bahamut was Vrtra's big brother. Our sweet scaly boy was raised by his sister Azdaja, until big sis pulled a heroic sacrifice by yeeting herself into a hole straight to superhell, prompting Vrtra to devote himself to rescuing her. That was between five and six THOUSAND years ago. He has spent more than 5,000 years searching for ways to save his big sister, and to pass the time while he looked, Vrtra founded and has protected a whole-ass city-state - and it's a good one, too, none of that imperialism crap for him! With the in-name ruler sworn to secrecy, Vrtra has secretly watched over Radz-at-Han for hundreds of years, helping it become a prosperous and cosmopolitan hub of trade. Oh, yeah, and he also put his eye in a homunculus (FFXIV dragons can do that, roll with it) so he could mingle in the city, with the people he loves, without his true form terrifying them. Lemme say that again. Vrtra has an entire city as his found family. He is a kind and tender-hearted guy who cares deeply about his friends and family, and also is an immensely powerful, handsome, genderfluid alien demigod who keeps a humanoid body handy just for when he needs it. Custom-built. He's been, and I quote, "young and old, male and female", so, you know, whatever vibe you're into. You KNOW he would be the ultimate, deluxe, caring lover, and he would make sure your kids and grandkids led peaceful, prosperous lives, too. Bet he'd even make you coffee in the morning - and Radz-at-Han has REALLY good coffee.

[sunshines-child]

Your Mafia AU is really just great! [For some reason, Al gives the vibes of a mafia boss who treats children well, and Nico is a prostitute with a heart of gold].

And I have a few questions that I hope you will answer - what is the relationship between Alabaster and Percy? [it is clear that it is not the best, but I would like details] What is Annabeth like in your life? [again - details] And how did Bianca die?

And what is Percabeth in your AU? [What is the relationship between them? How do they relate to each other? what type of their relationship are they healthy or toxins? How did they meet? is their relationship polygamous?].

I HAVE A FAN WITH QUESTIONS RAAHHHH (you have literally motivated me to draw some more mafia AU) Also, please note that some parts of the mafia AU have been rewritten! This is what the story is currently. 1st. Alabaster has a huge honkin' scar across his face, which leaves him blind in one eye. Percy gave him that scar during one of their disputes, so now Alabaster is very keen on killing him. Said dispute is because Percy once bombed the temple Al grew up in, which promptly killed all of Al's siblings. Not the smartest choice. (Also, you guessed right on the fact Al is sweet towards children. The main reason is because of the temple bombing) 2nd. Annabeth is like a semi-member of The Hunters, which is a lethal assassin group that never picks a side when tensions arise. Annabeth is the strategist of the group and plans out all attacks, making her an extremely large threat to all standing mafias (so they all want her on their side). Percy has managed to win her over, so she is currently on his side. 3rd. I have 2 different ideas for Bianca's death. I've combined the two, but here were the ideas: 1- Bianca was in severe debt (I believe this was mentioned in Nico's dialogue, about how he has to pay off Bianca's debt). The thing is, she was in debt to Al. When she couldn't pay up, Al kills her with his own two hands. 2- She gets jumped on, rape, and killed by a couple of Eros' men. Nico finds her body. 3 (the combination of the two)- Bianca is in severe debt to Al, and in desperation to pay it off and keep Nico safe, she turns to Eros. At one point, she and Eros get into an argument, and after she leaves, a couple of Eros' men jump her, and she, like in No.2, gets raped and killed. Al plans to kill her and, after a search, finds her mangled body in a street alleyway. Seeing how she was barely older than 15, he feels remorse and buries her body next to the ruins of the temple he grew up in. As for Percabeth Percy and Annabeth are dating, after Percy manages to win her over to his side. There's the problem that Annabeth is big on monogamy, and Percy is...not. (So when Nico comes into play, things aren't pretty). Their relationship is a very gray area.

[nanomooselet]

Episode One: No Man's Land

He's so fluffy. <3

Man, the fact that Vash ran out to greet all those people by name and he's not even a minute into it when the ships begin to explode is really everything about him you need to know. The first time we see his face and it's after he's been thrown off his feet as cascading destruction is unleashed around him. The face that crashed a thousand ships? Vash of Troy? My poor sweet boy.

Young children can sometimes have trouble with cause and effect, assuming events relate more to their own actions than they really do and blaming themselves. So Vash asking Rem if the sleepers will be okay... There's simply no time to explain he isn't responsible. All the dominos are being set up in Vash's little head. Nai is the one to knock them down.

And then Rem and Nai wearing identical expressions. It's not surprising that even after her death she's his most enduring ideological opponent. Every time I watch it's just more obvious how enormous the effect she had on Nai was, and how he hates it. (By the way, I keep hearing that Rem told Nai to protect Vash - but as far as I can tell that's a conclusion Nai came to on his own without Rem's intervention? Rem said she'd protect the twins herself and didn't anticipate the crash. Did I miss something?)

I've talked extensively about this part, but to recap: feelings. And look, Rem's got purple eyes! Apart from the colour motif (purple = red + blue, so it represents the unity of humanity and the Plants that was her dream) she would have had to get gene-modded for them, which is a fun detail. Rem, of all people, was a little bit vain. I dunno, I find that endearing.

"Real people don't look like that./Real people aren't such caricatures." More of Orange's composition choices making me foam at the mouth.

We don't know how long Vash has been dangling there, but I doubt it was less time than it would take for a human to die of deprivation or exposure. I really don't think Vash actually needs to eat or drink, nor does he hate being a Plant - it's himself that he hates, as a person. If anything Knives is the one in denial that he's just as human? I don't know.

Anyway personally I like to think that the reporters really are caught up in all this nonsense by sheer happenstance. No one's pulling their strings; they're out to write a meaningless gossip piece and Meryl is taking it too seriously. It's worth noting that focused pursuit of the "dangerous fugitive" (read: Vash) is apparently pretty recent, not to mention unusual.

...I'm guessing my girl doesn't play a lot of poker. Meryl's faces. <3

I've said it before, but the show doesn't cheat. Roberto doesn't pull his conclusions out of his ass; he tallies up incongruities and puts them together into insights. He's obviously experienced, but I think of Sam Vimes, a recovering alcoholic, complaining there aren't meetings you can attend for being a suspicious bastard. Roberto drinks because, too often, his suspicions have been proven right. (I suspect Roberto also suffers from a state of being naturally knurd i.e. he's short of sobriety in the opposite direction to being drunk, and has to down a few before he's on par with the rest of us. But I also think his tolerance is good and he plays up drunken mannerisms when it suits him.)

Huh, the man looks good in a tie. I wonder how recent that photo is.

Anyway, Roberto sees Vash's big honkin' gun, but Vash insists he's "not a fighter". He notes aloud that Vash doesn't look like a Plant engineer and Vash dodges explaining. Then he sees this face Vash is making, and it's scared. He's sweating. This is before the MPs barge in, so it's something about the Plant he's afraid of.

Right, thinks Roberto, we'll tuck that nugget of info away, along with how that piece in his holster sure ain't no damn novelty backscratcher. And when an opportunity arises to test the insight, Roberto takes it.

Uh, never mind what I said about cheating. (Although this is an animation cheat, not a narrative one.) I love that they didn't even pretend like he was maybe hiding it somewhere. Also hilarious, though more darkly so, is the complaint that this turn is "bad writing" because the captain was professional, as if he didn't beat the shit out of a suspect in the process of surrendering, stick his gun in random faces, and agree to a duel with deadly weapons against a bounty head he's meant to bring in alive because some random drunk asshole made slightly mean comments.

("Are you are a man, or a yellow-bellied baby who needs his mommy?" Background info implies the captain has reason to be sensitive about the accusation he's hiding behind his parents. I wonder if the dub writers knew?)

Meanwhile Vash is unwilling to fight until his opponent does something absolutely batshit that imperils everyone around him. He's also bizarrely calm about a cluster of missiles being launched and heading right for him. Roberto's right that he isn't afraid of the MPs.

"A fight should be a show!/We've got an audience, we might as well give them a show!" <- Orange says you're goddamn right about that, crazy captain dude. And it's exactly what they did.

Dweeb. <3 He probably left his ammo behind in his bag on purpose, but didn't expect the captain to do something so recklessly violent and suddenly realised he hasn't had time to restock any of his aces in the hole. Nevertheless, I suspect he's still playing up how hard he's freaking out here. The helpless and pathetic act is very much an act; it's only when he's faced with Knives that it isn't.

It's so sweet that Rosa knows him well enough to have faith he'd pull it off with a single bullet. She put a lot of trust in him. I like to think she kept a stock on hand. She also meant it when she said "a friend of Vash's is a friend of mine," so Meryl makes the throw. And she makes it good. Which all helps what's coming to be more devastating, naturally.

LOL at how clearly this is an animation/particle flex, but it's celebratory too, like fireworks on opening night. Over a decade since Vash did his thing on our screens. Here he is returning with a bang!

Wow, I somehow completely and utterly failed to realise Meryl and Roberto's conversation with Vash about Knives takes place the next day until this time around. Of course they would have had to wait until the captain was conscious enough to ride out of town. All the details I pick up and "the sun is setting" or maybe "unconscious people can't ride birds" missed me entirely. What I'm saying is that I'm very smart.

Hi Zazie!

I don't expect an answer to this question, but I have to wonder. Did Zazie wait to report to Knives until now to be absolutely certain it was Vash after seeing him draw that exact gun and do something impossible? Or does Zazie have some awareness of the fourth wall, knew when they'd cut away to show Knives, and acted so as to achieve a "speak of the devil" effect when Vash finally mentioned his full name?

Regardless, I really like the dub, but it's a shame they couldn't keep the ambiguity of whether Knives is talking about Vash or the red Plant when he says he'll rescue [someone] from the "parasites".

I do like the impression he's talking to the Plant husks (even if it's probably really Zazie he's talking to). My man's always open to constructive criticism when his interlocuter isn't capable of making any.

@tristampparty

[struungout]

My Taobao order arrived today and the boys got some snazzy new clothes and shoes. c:

Ken got a pair of plain black eyes to replace his grey ones, and I like them in him so much more. He also got a snazzy new black coat. I also got him a pair of glasses, but Jonathan has temporarily stolen them. Been thinking I’d like to get him new hair and maybe get him repainted; been really feeling like he deserves to be his best late 00s goth/j-pop doll self lmao.

Jonathan is also sporting some new shoes and big ol’ pants and I got a little soda cup as a free gift. c:

Shuu also got some shoes that are a bit more his size (they were a bitch to get on his honkin’ feet though……) as well as a new silly shirt. Also finally sueded his neck like I’ve been meaning to for months lmao.

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 30

This episode was great and had high production levels, they knew that this was an important one. We get one of those moments where we think we've reached the finish line and then it all goes to shit. Whelp, easy come easy go!

Notes:

Terriermon was extra cute in this episode almost to the point where it was annoying. Like "stop being so dang cute!!"

So it's been established that the shiny things that show up when Culumon is around are, in fact, not digimon. Fascinating. To me they look like the kind of spirits that might show up in a Ghibli movie, in fact I was mentally calling half of this episode "Ruki in Ghibli land"

I did not really realize that Yamaki and his female subordinate were living together lol. Office romance I guess

Beelzebumon is now just going around being an asshole for the sake of "proving his strength," kinda BlackWarGreymon vibes but less existential and more bratty.

Didn't expect the digimon from Our War Game (Infermon) to show up so casually and be beaten so easily. The music that played when he was in his prior form (Chrysalimon) was pretty funky. I don't really get why several Chrysalimon would digivolve into one Infermon but okay...

Beelzebumon gets an insert song. Seems they're a little insert song happy at this point in the season. I guess they wanted CD sales.

The little forest spirit guys look like axolotls actually. Their little smiling muppet mouths crack me up

Some intense shots of Ruki's purple eyes this episode. Another interesting eye color choice!

Beelzebumon's weapon is a big honkin' gun...I don't think they could do anything about that in the dub. Hide all the angry Christian moms with that name too...

Takato gets separated from Guilmon! That's an interesting twist. What's he supposed to do all alone? Maybe he'll meet up with a friendly stranger digimon or something.

[tuxedaaron]

This pair of pics was intended to reveal the design of Hobgoblin I came up with for the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, just to give everyone a little preview of a series of Spectacular Spider-Man fanfics I wanted to write.  Because I had so many stories in this series to write, there was simply no way I could POSSIBLY do it on my own.  So I took it upon myself to draw some pics of some of the broader concepts I have in mind, in the hopes that it might draw interest from other fanfic writers to help me. Hobgoblin was definitely one of the first pics I wanted to get out there, because I plan for him to play a BIG role in these stories.  Those who are well-versed in their comic book history will undoubtedly recognize the first image as being inspired by 1983's "Amazing Spider-Man", issue #238, “In the Shadow of Evil’s Past”, which marked the Hobgoblin's first appearance.  Granted, on that cover, the Hobgoblin is seen destroying Spider-Man's costume, but replacing it with the Green Goblin costume, to me, was far more significant in its symbolism. After all, let's be honest, folks.  We ALL know that Roderick Kingsley is the ONLY Goblin that matters.^_^ I have to admit, though, that is the most dubious I'd ever been on any art project I've worked on to date.  While I refused to be deterred and continued to press onward, even as I moved from the pencil work to the hard lines, the whole thing just looked like a jumbled mess and I really couldn't tell which way was up, just by looking at it.  It wasn't until I started adding the color in that everything started to finally come together.  Still, while I was reasonably pleased with the outcome, the final product still seemed overly cartoonish, even by SSM design standards. The second image was definitely better, as I sat down and started putting a proper design together.  The head turned out to be the easiest part.  Just like with the comics, I simply took the original Green Goblin face, gave it less exaggerated features, demonic red eyes and voila.  It was maybe two minutes of work and I was just like, "There.  That's it.  THAT'S my Hobgoblin".  But THEN, I had to start designing the actual COSTUME and THAT'S when I ran into problems. Most of the issues stemmed from the fact that I was getting too focused on "classic" Hobgoblin and those elements I wanted to have from the comics.  I even wanted the curled-up, pointy shoes.   But as I went back and looked over the SSM Green Goblin design, I realized just how many things were radically different.  For one thing, he wasn't wearing the pointy elf hat, but more like a flight cap without the goggles.  And he didn't have a tunic over his chest, either, it looked more like chest armor.  And then, there was the jack-o-lantern belt buckle and the loincloth and the big, honkin' space booties.  And I was just like, "Uuuh-hhhh...how do I make THIS work?". Because I couldn't get tunnel-visioned on the classic stuff and end up doing a total tear-down of the design.  One of the aspects of Hobgoblin was that both he and Green Goblin shared the same basic design elements in their costumes.  So how was I going to maintain the spirit of the new SSM design and still input the things I wanted? That was when I realized I had to take a step back and look at the whole concept objectively.  And when I was at work that night, I started thinking about Roderick Kingsley's mindset in the comics when he started knocking around the idea of becoming the Hobgoblin.  While he liked the whole Goblin concept in general, which is why he kept the basic elements intact, the one thing he knew he DIDN'T want to be was another GREEN Goblin.  Because as far as Kingsley was concerned, Norman Osborn was a clown and he LOOKED like one.  And Kingsley decided right out of the gate that if he was gonna DO this thing, he didn't want to look like a clown.  He wanted to look like a BADASS. So that's what got me thinking, how do I take all the elements that made the Green Goblin look GOOFY and turn them around to make the Hobgoblin look DANGEROUS?  And that was when all these ideas started flooding into my head, which I just HAD to get on paper the next morning.  I took the jack-o-lantern belt buckle and turned it into a skull, ripped up the loincloth and the cape, threw in some chains and leather straps and even added spikes on the boots...which, if you notice, actually allowed me to give Hobgoblin the curly boots I wanted without ACTUALLY making them.  And as for the glider, I went and added horns.  Basically, the whole idea was to make him look like some demon who had just escaped from Hell, and despite the cartoonish look of the SSM character designs, I think I pulled it off quite nicely. All-in-all, I'm quite happy with this pic and even if the stories never get written, I hope everyone else at least likes the image. ^_^

[devilcat3d]

what if we both wore rainboots of differing colors and then went out in the rain and splish splashed in the puddles on the side of the road and laughed and had fun and then we stood really close to each other so that our rainboots are touching and we locked eyes and then kissed each other very softly as the clouds parted and the rain began to stop....... uhhhdbsb sorry um i dunno what came over me uhhmm whats the deal with boobs huh?? big honkin bazongas am i right fellas?? 😅😅

[womanlives]

[ pluck ]  –  for the sender to pluck a foreign object ( twig / leaf / etc. ) out of the receiver muses’ hair. / rosamund for ylfa.......

Ylfa doesn’t need a mirror to know that she is hideous. Where the Big Bad Wolf was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen — covered from head to tail in coarse, multi-colored fur, with eyes like two drops of sunlight in the dark — she is something that looks like it’s gotten stuck in between.

There is no perfectly-dappled coat of fur, but there is a patchwork of skin stretched too far over muscles she really ought not to have. Her little red cape barely fits over her head, such as it is. Long, tufted ears poke out the sides. Honkin’ big, she thinks, and ugly to boot, but at least she can hear everything. Her lower jaw doesn’t quite fit together with the top. Her teeth are too big, so her mouth hangs open just a bit. If she tries to shut it the way she thinks it should be shut, her canines sink into her gums, and she bleeds. And her nails are too long, and her spine is too stretched, and it’s easier to slump over on all fours, and she doesn’t feel like herself, but that doesn’t matter, because she does feel strong.

She needs to keep them safe tonight. Easier to do that like this. As a wolf. As a watchdog.

Ylfa paces around the edge of the encampment her companions have set up at the edge of the woods. She turns to look at them, eyes refracting the light of the fire. Somewhere in her gut is the primal urge to sink away further into the shadows, but she holds firm. There’s Pib, nestled into Timothy Goose’s side. Pinocchio, clutching at his strings while he sleeps. Gerard, making faint wheezing noises when he breathes in and out, and the most beautiful woman in the whole world, Princess Rosamund, who’s — awake?

Awake. And looking out at something past the fire.

Ylfa lifts her head, such as it is, and tries to see what Rosamund sees. Her nose twitches at the end of a snout that’s far too long to belong to a cusping pre-teen, but all she smells is the forest. Heavy and green and rich and brown and inviting. It sings to her in a way she doesn’t quite understand, like it’s beckoning her home.

��Pr — ” Nasally, low, raspy. She tries to be as quiet as she can. And as ladylike, because whenever she look at Rosamund she feels this longing that rivals the song of the wild. A longing to be so beautiful, and so desirable, and so graceful. A longing to be a —

“Princess Rosamund?” Ylfa pads around the edge of the camp on soft paws. Perhaps the most disconcerting thing of all is something she will never see: her own eyes, yellow as the sick-sun moon. They’re human. Maybe not in look, but in feeling. They’re wide, and desperate, and young, and full of hope. “Are you okay?”

Little Red sits down next to Rosamund, curling too-long haunches as best she can under her pitiful excuse for a cloak. She’s mindful of her claws and her body, which she doesn’t yet feel big enough for, so she tries to keep at least a little distance, even if all she wants is to reach out and —

Rosamund moves: so supple and graceful that Ylfa wants to cry with envy and delight. She reaches out and then Ylfa does cry, or at least her eyes get three sizes too big, because even though she’s so ugly, and wrong, and powerful, and strong, Rosamund doesn’t hesitate. Rosamund doesn’t care. Rosamund strokes deftly through what little remains of her hair, and plucks out a twig. The Princess of Reverie holds it up between the two of them with a smile. Ylfa knows, then, she will never see anyone more beautiful in her entire life. Not just outside. But inside, too.

This is why she wants to be princess. The crown is nice, yes — the dresses, and the fancy hair, and castle, too. But mostly this. She hopes one day she can make others feel a fraction as beautiful as Rosamund makes her feel. A fraction as welcomed.

They sit together, side by side, and watch the night go by. Eventually Ylfa’s bones crack and shift and shrink, and she’s herself again. The forest never stops its singing.

Ylfa’s too busy listening to Rosamund to notice.  

the intimacy of hands feat. @sentinaels

[fleur-marigold]

ASK GAME!!! 11 and 20 for Lochy, 42 for Kenny and 26 for Timmy!

11. most embarrassing memory? (Lochy)

oh my god. I know EXACTLY what this one is, and it's actually written into a chapter as a flashback at one point, so I can't give ALL of it away. but it has to do with a) how he met Babs, b) those annoying dudebros he used to hang out with, and c) their cringy (/a) little late-teen appearances, which I only have this doodle to show for

20. favourite thing to do to relax? (Lochy)

birdwatching!!! something he picked up as a hobby at some point, and his favourite form of mindfulness. I think it's like at least 20% of why he sticks around his pirating career - you get to see a lot of cool seabirds!! I always wanted to make an animatic of him to THIS song, which just like... summarizes so much of his whole deal haha.

42. most distinctive features? (Kenny)

if we're talking physically, there are a couple things that make him stand out, like - you wouldn't see it under his goggles, but he has the GAUDIEST mix of both the darkest, saggiest eyebags you've ever seen on a 23 year old, and horribly smudged eyeliner which is not at all helping his case there. he's got really frizzy, fluffy hair, a Big honkin' nose that could poke yer eye out, and will occassionally throw on a little hoop earring for that Bi Swag. ✨

I think what'd probably make him stand out most though is his voice lol..... I REALLLLY wanna' make a voiceclaims video for the RR characters, but for now - imagine Kenny's usual voice as somewhere inbetween the impressions voice actor Tom Kenny does for Ice King and Commander Peepers - tamer, but very nasally and sarcastic. this gets shifted more into Joy DollipDaze's impression of Jet the Hawk from the Sonic RealTimeFandubs when he goes birdform. SO squawky and scratchy, I love it.

26. favourite place to travel to? (Timmy)

hold on I'm asking local Timmy expert Fern..... the verdict is in: "whatever's closest to a fantasy equivalent of a water park. like, a natural spring or waterfall or somewhere you could ride a geyser." yeah that sounds about right! have fun out there boy try not to drown 💛

[chromentity]

THE SIN OF THE WOLF

[hedgehog-hell]

Got bored drew a he

[wicked-elfie]

Time Swap (ROTMNT)

Time Swap AU created by @teetlezhere

Chapter 10

TW: minor mentions of death, really mild chapter

Beginning / Previous / Next

( Enjoy my shitty doodle for this :D This chapter was really cathartic for me. I feel like I healed a very big hole in my heart writing it. I listened to Mess by Noah Kahan on repeat the whole time I typed it out. And I know I always say I cried while writing, but that's not true, I’m just being dramatic. It takes too long for me to write to get thoroughly emotional. However, writing the park scene for this chapter actually made me have to take a moment to cry. More at the end of the chapter! Take a deep breath with this one. ) 

~*~*~*~*~

In the present…

“So I went out with a bang, huh?” Splinter’s belly bounces his resting hand around as he chuckles softly. He and his now equally old son are perched atop the billboard that sits several stories high above their sewer home. Leonardo dangles his legs over the edge as he takes in the view. A half smile crosses his face bitter-sweetly.

“Of course. A total Lou Jitsu move. You were always so theatrical.” His smile fell. The mutant turtle sighed and hung his shoulders. He watched a pigeon flutter below them on the street. He sits in quiet for a minute before feeling small, thin fingers reach out to his knee.

Splinter’s voice came out gently, fatherly, “Leonardo… I’m… sorry I couldn’t prepare you all for this… And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to guide you through… you know…”

Leo gulps and releases a shaky breath, “I know it’s been five years, but I just… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to believe he’s gone, Dad. They could lay his body out right in front of me and I still wouldn’t believe it…”

The rat rubs his thumb in a calming circle motion on Leo’s leg. “You two were always very close… But perhaps it’s time to let him go?”

Leonardo wrings his hands together, “I can't. I still feel him…”

“Hm?”

“Donnie… I still feel his… I’m not sure… his presence?” The tall warrior puffs his cheeks and sets his head in his hands. He covers his tired eyes with the heels of his palms and purses his lips. “When… my husband was killed; I felt it. I wasn’t there, but I could feel his… energy… dissipate? A-and when you-“ He winces, “-died, I could hear your heartbeat fade out. I was too far away to press my ear to your chest, but I knew.” He drags his fingers across his cheeks as he looks forward again. His eyes water as he stares across the city-scape. It was early fall, and the sun was just rising. He could smell the mix of baked goods and breakfast foods wafting up from the street below. He melted into the orange light and the feeling of being here, in his home, in this timeline. He never got to see this day; It was beautiful.

“I still feel Donnie. I still hear his heartbeat and I can sense him. It’s like he’s behind me constantly.” He laughs bitterly, “It’s almost worse! It’s worse than not knowing. Mikey… He called it ambiguous grief; Since I never saw his body, it may just be difficult for me to recover and accept. But I swear, Dad! I swear I hear his stupid voice sometimes! Making jokes, telling me about some smart thing he’s working on, calling me an idiot… It's like I’m stuck in believing he’s watching us from far away or- or planning to come back, but…” He runs his hands across his scalp. “But he’s gone,” his throat scratches as he utters his words, “isn’t he?” Leo’s chin and brow both scrunch as his lips sit somewhere in purgatory between a frown and a smile. “He told me that he loved me. Don told me that before he… “ He shakes his head and looks outward. After a minute he mumbles, “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Splinter moves his hand to the back of his son’s neck and leans in, “You have been through much grief, my son… You need to heal at your own pace…” He gives his boy and side-hug and smiles up at the sun, tears dotting his vision. “I know what loss is. I understand…”

The two old men stay seated for several silent minutes. They listen to the cars below, honking and humming. The people of New York wake and get to work. Children run through the park, playing with their dogs, with loving parents watching over them. A crazed man stands upon a block and yells about the end of the world, and a couple tourists watch in humor: How ironic.

Leonardo remembers dashing over the roof of the surrounding buildings with his brothers, observing the high schoolers outside the large, brick building, chatting and messing around. Donnie would always wish he could be like them, and Mikey would try to convince them that being a turtle was more fun. They’d talk about everything from movies and memories, to their futures and how they’d eventually have families and lives apart from each other; but of course they’d stay close. Leo always wondered about moving out of the city. Even in his middle age, he never left NYC. He and Raphael always hoped to go see the mountains in the west, maybe even take a trip to Japan. Mikey wanted to go to San Francisco and paint the streets orange. Donnie, on the other hand, had his sights set on Mars; He was definitely capable. They were all so capable.

Leonardo focused on a young girl who’d fallen and scraped her knee. She clutched her leg and sobbed, probably mostly in shock. Her cry was answered by an older girl- he assumed her sister. The taller girl picked up the child and brushed her hair back. He couldn’t hear them, but he knew the words like the back of his hand. “That’s why you should be more careful where you’re running…” and “You’re okay… I’ve got you…” He grins as she even manages to get the younger sister to laugh again. His heart steadies and he thanks god that they’re alive.

His thoughts are interrupted as someone approaches them from behind.

“Hey. Mikey wants to… hang out or something.” Donnie’s arms are crossed defensively over his plastron. His eyes stay focused on a pebble nearby, avoiding Leonardo’s gaze. “Said something about a park in the Hidden City. He’s getting ready so he begged me to get the other Leonardo…”

Well, it’s an upgrade, I guess. The taller of the two turtles smiles sweetly, “Oh- sure! I’d love to hang out with you guys-“

“I’m not going. Just you, Mikey, and Raph. Maybe April if she’s free. I have stuff to do…” The teen turns and disappears as quickly as he showed up.

Leonardo frowns and looks to Splinter, who shrugs. “He’s quiet. He just needs time…”

Leo nods. I know.

—

Michelangelo drags Leonardo over to a stand selling lemonade. “It’s not as good as Todd’s, but I figured since you don’t have lemons where you’re from, you’d appreciate it anyways!” He slaps some money on the counter- definitely his dad’s- and snags a strawberry lemonade for himself, and a watermelon one for his older brother. He watches with wide eyes as Leo takes a hesitant sip.

“Damn! This is good!” The older mutant’s smile takes up his whole face. “Great pick, Michael!”

The compliment gives Mikey a great sense of pride. He decides to continue the good streak and guide his brother over toward a mystic arcade. “Glad you like it! Donnie says it’s too sweet, but I think his taste buds are just wrong. Leo never came with me. He always ran off to go do whatever when we come down here.”

Leo frowns a bit at that. He slows and looks down to the pinkish drink in his hands. “Do… Does he spend enough time with you?”

Mikey stops when he notices the red eared slider’s change of pace. His confusion is replaced with a grin. “Totally! Donnie probably spends the least amount of time with me, but I don’t take it personally. He just likes to be alone. All of my brothers are great!” He lays a hand on Leonardo’s wrist, “Especially Leo! I know I might irritate him- er- you… But he still lets me follow him around. Just last week he took me to get pizza and we pranked Raph by tying a slice to a stick, and we got him to chase it around the hideout!” He pulls his hand back and continues toward the arcade, laughing and bouncing around, “He knocked over So. Many. Shelves! Splinter and Donnie were so mad about all of the stuff we messed up!”

“I remember that.” Leonardo’s smile returns and he chuckles, “Raph and Donnie paid us back by hiding fake tarantulas in our beds.”

Mikey squawks, “So gross!”

The pair approaches the arcade, finally. “Whatcha wanna play?” Mikey lets the taller mutant make a pick as they enter.

Leo smirks, “Bet I can beat you on that one game with flying pigs.”

“Super Hog Race 3?! You can’t even remember the name; I so got this one in the bag!” He playfully shoves Leonardo to the side and races toward the game.

“Hey! That's not fair, you- What?! No! Don’t pick the hardest track!” He stumbles a bit more slowly after the youngest brother, beaming from ear-to-ear.

~*~*~*~*~

( Hey guys. I just wanted to give a little PSA. If any of you are experiencing ambiguous grief, please seek out help. It honestly usually doesn't correlate with death. For me, for example, I had a horrible falling out with a girl I consider my sister. It was that feeling of having something there for so long, and then it’s suddenly gone (sometimes it feels like As If someone died.) In the longterm, if not dealt with, it can cause severe mental distress. Please reach out to someone, write it down, read about it, and remember- I’m going through it too, I’m here if you need someone to just talk to. I know that a lot of time, the characters we latch onto and build around are so important because we relate to them so much. This story is very heavy, and I want you all to know how important it is to understand why these characters mean so much to us. Make like old Leo- give yourself time to grieve, time to recover, and surround yourself with love. Anyways, I love you all, please continue to read and enjoy. <3 )

[biolizardboils]

head’s still full of Mother EarthBound Thoughts so im gonna spill some here. (warning this’ll be super messy and also contain big honkin’ spoilers for all three games)

for context i played and beat EarthBound after it came out on Wii U, then Mother 3 in 2015. i tried Mother 1/Beginnings at some point, but sadly my immunity to Old Game Jank doesn’t extend past the mid-90's. im a relatively young Mom Fan is what im trying to say here

i havent seen anyone here talk about the vid they put out for the Switch ports?? pls watch it its so cute and in-line with the games’ humor! lets all get to know Ness!!

im still watching Curiomatic’s Mother 3 vid daily and im still noticing new details and shit. and their website's so good too?? felt!Boney has my whole heart

my brain's been on fire imagining how the other two games would look in the same style. and like. it feels criminal to ask so soon after 1 and 2 got Switch ports, but a full 3-games-in-1 remake would be so good for the series for two big reasons:

1. it could fix 1/Beginnings' Jank and tighten its translation, bringing it in line with the other two, and

2. its the one situation i can think of that would force Nintendo to localize 3. like can you imagine if they remade the whole series and then left it in Japan?? people would have their heads!

not to mention a game with a modern 3D engine would be leagues easier to edit than the sprite-based original. cus while im scared of NoA over-censoring the game as much as the next guy, there are a few things in it that could’ve been done more sensitively, and that altering wouldn’t harm the plot if done right. i doubt i need to name specifics

also on the selfish side, i just wanna know what would change in terms of visual design. i wanna see all the enemies move in battle and Pippi with beady eyes like everyone else and how they’d officially differentiate Ninten’s design from Ness’s, and most of all i REALLY wanna see official art of Beginnings!Giygas. i wish to grasp his true form so bad it makes me look stupid

not that i dont like the fandom’s agreed-on designs!! far from it, i love them!! like Giygas having red-and-black eyes as foreshadowing is genius and whoever first came up with it deserves an award

i made a party playlist in case 3 ever got localized back when i was more hopeful about it. how far back, you may ask? i included this unironically. that far lmao

one of my fave things about the series is how, despite being made in Japan, it pays homage to so many distinctly Western pop-cultural concepts that it’s instantly nostalgic to the average English-speaker. the Spielbergian coming-of-age film, the dot-eyed yet contemplative comic strip, the kitschy B-movie monsters, the King-esque entities conveying the loss of innocence, the pairing of psychedelia with an insistence on peace over war. for a funny parody of America, it’s fascinating how right it feels at the emotional level.

speaking of psychedelia, i wanna plug this amazing prog rock cover album that deserves more love. like holy shit, youd think this is how some of these songs were always meant to be played. ive never had a drug trip cus im terrified of messing up set and setting, but to have my first while hearing this played live would probably feel beautiful

speaking of more psychedelia, last month i thought Polka Dot Tail by Ween sounded super familiar, and i just realized why: it sounds like Magicant (the second one). i might try to make a mashup later idk

ive been meaning to watch a vlog of Camp Fangamer’s EarthBound Bash 2015 for years and this week i finally did it! shit looked like so much fun, and i cant think of another game series that’d make for such an immersive event. i could only find one extended video of the Mother 3 bash they did a year later, but it seems like an equally transformative event, if not more despite Lucas being a mannequin

listen....i know people have done the math and ruled it out as a possibility....but i still really like the idea of Ninten and Ana being Ness’s parents. i just think its cute and neat and also opens up some opportunities for angst (something something the fear of your kids inheriting your personal battles)

bonus points for Lloyd being Dr. Andonuts cus i think itd be funny if he was the only character to appear in all three games

while im here confessing my fan sins, lemme add that i treat Smash Bros as canon cus it gave the world such gems as Ness’s eyes being purple and Boney having leg warmer fur

man i remember first seeing Porky in Subspace and thinking he was trapped in the spider-mech thing and i had to free him.... ah, the innocence of youth

removing Lucas from Sm4sh was a bitch move but the trailer when they put him back was honestly SO worth it. like him returning Ness’s favor from Subspace?? everyone noticing he smiled more and being so proud of him?? that was the best day of my life

speaking of bitch moves im still confused by how u get Claus, Hinawa and the Masked Man’s spirits in World of Light. like what the fuck did Nintendo mean by that shit. their placement and the fights themselves are such a specific gut-punch that its hilarious. killing two gods wont bring Claus back

but also its...nice to think that Lucas got a chance to see them again. like maybe one of the other fighters who knew his deal freed them and brought them to him, and everyone let them have a moment before they fought Galeem and Dharkon. imagine Claus being all “told ya we’d meet again someday :’) let’s go beat up that angel thing together!”

also cus Smash made me so used to it, i refer to all PSI moves as PK. even the ones that are PSI in both languages, like Magnet. PK Sue me

so like... im a twin. my sister and i love each other more than anything. we played 3 together, and quickly agreed that i was the Lucas to her Claus. what happens between them in the game is my absolute worst fear. ive had nightmares since childhood with the same basic theme -- losing her to a decision i can't sway her from -- so the final boss and the "hasty brother" line after gutted us. when youre literally linked from birth, it's hard to imagine life without, and even harder to prepare for the possibility. this game forced us to do so, and it hurt like hell, but it strengthened our bond in the process.

theres already a hundred essays about it but i love how 3′s ending manages to reflect every player’s wishes. everyone’s got their own idea of what Lucas wished for, so here’s mine:

the entire planet was purified and made habitable again

all the Chimeras were split into their original animals (but some of them chose to be friends still, so there’s at least one kangaroo and one shark that hang out often)

everyone that Porky abducted from other time periods were sent back with their memories intact (so Dr. Andonuts gets to be with Jeff again and is also less likely to be employed by another asshat)

im one of those people who thinks Lucas didn’t revive anyone who died, because it doesn’t feel right after the characters spent three years coping with it. (all the power to people who disagree tho, it’s all cool!) instead, i think he wished for a new place to honor everyone they lost, resulting in a beautiful new cemetery hidden in the sunflower field outside Tazmily. strangely, it contains lots of gravestones that no one recognizes; one with a haiku written on it, ten crosses lined up in two rows of five, even one the size of a bug; and at the very back, a swirling metal statue engraved in an alien language, lying between two stones marked “XX”.

and finally, i think Lucas wished to meet whatever force was looking after his world all this time, so he could thank them personally... and thats how you, the player, ended up in the game :)

im still utterly charmed by the image of the player, struck blind from being pulled into another world, being lead by the hand (and pokes in the back) to meet Lucas,,, like its okay sweetie you can say goodbye as many times as you need, im so goddamn proud of you!!! ill see you in Smash okay???

i think thats everything i wanna say? uhhh heres a fanmix i made six years ago

[the-laridian]

Wordcount 13 July 2022

Crossover: 648. Some writing, mostly plotting where to go next since stuff is being rearranged from the original draft.

Survivors: 1138. Love is in the air, clothes are on the ground.

Survivors discussion: 566. Figuring out where to go with the next plot points.

Also today: cut a few more 2.5" squares. Finished the Vicar Max art I posted earlier. Go me! :D

I am also bailing from the stitchalong for 2 reasons: 1, I made a big honkin' mistake and don't feel like starting over, and 2, it's really hurting my eyes.

Total for today: 2352

Total for July: 83,984

Total for 2022: 1,146,155

[sshbpodcast]

Which Starfleet uniforms “Make It Work” as they “Make It So”? (Part 2)

By Ames

You’ll recall that last week A Star to Steer Her By checked out all the Starfleet uniforms from the first pilots through Enterprise (if you don’t, check it out in Part 1 here), and today we’re judging more modern trends. One thing you’re going to see repeatedly in the newer iterations of Star Trek is just a lot of strange nods to branding that strike us as counterintuitively capitalist, bordering on Ferengi. Just deltas everywhere all of a sudden. Listen to our in-depth discussion on the podcast episode (this activity starts at 53:40) and thumb through all the designs below as we prepare to crown some fashion winners and also to say auf wiedersehen to some potato sacks. 

[Images © CBS/Paramount, Star Trek Timelines, Ex Astris Scientia, probably others]

Star Trek (2009) and Into Darkness

Talk about a heavy-handed uniform. Having the texture of the material just be lots and lots of little delta shapes is just too much. Way too much. Overall, these look like soccer practice jerseys, the pants all look like they don’t even fit, and wowsers do the women get screwed over! Poor Uhura gets neither sleeves nor pants nor anywhere to even indicate her Starfleet rank. These uniforms might be more sexist than the TOS uniforms which featured most of Nichelle Nichols’s buttcheeks. Whose idea was this?

USS Kelvin In the 2009 film we get to see a flashback to George Kirk’s USS Kelvin, and it’s a kinda of strange look. While we’re all about just having Totally Normal™ pants and Totally Normal™ belt, the piping on the top makes it look more like an incomplete scuba suit somehow. The colors could also stand out more since they’re fairly muted. And turquoise, tan, and white? What is this department combination? Hard pass on these ones.

Star Trek: Beyond

Beyond changes things up by looking way more classic and what a relief! Sure, the cut is still pretty athleticwear-looking, but everything is chicer, the collars are more reminiscent of the classic TOS look, and the entirely unnecessary delta patterning is gone! Also, thank whoever gave Uhura sleeves and rank stripes again. Sure, we knew she was going to be in an extremely short dress no matter what, but now it at least feels like she’s a member of the same crew.

USS Franklin I forget the plot of Beyond but suffice to say there’s a different duty uniform that we see on the crew of the Franklin, and it looks like a nice cross between the Enterprise and TOS eras we discussed last week. It’s like a straight-up flight suit with the bonus of looking more streamlined. It’s got functionality. It’s got belts. The color blocking is fun. And I may not be able to speak for the whole podcast, but those mad pockets are absolutely everything!

Yorktown In the same vein as the Franklin, the starbase Yorktown has a similar duty uniform variant that is just as functional and just as sharp. Again, the color blocking catches the eye and makes everyone look nice and shapely – seriously, look at that leg patterning! The big honkin’ belt somehow works in ways I can’t articulate. I would seriously add that zip-up jacket to my wardrobe. What’s not to love?

Star Trek: Discovery

Seasons 1-2 We’ve reached present-day Trek and some really stunning uniforms that we start off with in Discovery. The blue color harkens back to Enterprise in a nice nod, the tailoring looks great on absolutely everyone, and we’ve got pocket sightings for extra points. The department colors in the side panels do get confusing because it is nigh impossible to tell which color is which, especially under show lighting. The one thing we could really do without is that self-referential nod in making the patterning within the panels more damn deltas. This way to the gift shop, everyone!

Season 2: USS Enterprise In season 2, Captain Pike rolls in in the USS Enterprise like a freakin’ boss, complete with more familiar-looking uniforms that only his crew gets to wear for some reason. Jury’s out on what people think of those massive black collars, but the gold, red, and blue that we all love do look gorgeous. The flattering cut of the uniforms seems to be the same as the Discovery uniforms, but the side panels and extraneous deltas are thankfully gone and not particularly missed.

Season 3 When we jump 900 years in the future for season 3, we see some really sad Starfleet uniforms. Apparently the look of the 32nd century is just frumpy. The department color swatches are fine (if you don’t stop to think why they’re still using the same color palettes after so much time has passed, which we won’t), but the primary grey color everyone wears as a base is super bland and flattering on no one. And the length: just wrong. Someone, please think of the belts going unused!

Season 4 Since the greys were just not going to work and everyone was looking like drywall, season 4 decks everyone back out in the normal department colors (plus medical white for a treat!). The colors are so much better – really, just that improved things tenfold – but the shape is still not our favorite thing. I’m not kidding: go back and look at the The Wrath of Khan jackets again and tell me a really obvious belt isn’t the answer to fixing this. I’ll wait.

Star Trek: Picard

Hey, you’re back! Moving on, when we look at the uniforms in Picard, it’s like a love note to the designs we saw back in TNG, DS9, and Voyager. The black bodies with department colors on the shoulders are something we’re all very used to at this point, and the tailoring looks pretty decent to boot. But look closer. What the hell are all these deltas doing in the patterning of the shoulders and collar?! Did the Ferengi design these knowing they could sell them to fans, because that’s the only way this makes any sense!

Picard flashback We also see in a flashback the design from, presumably, somewhere between Nemesis and Picard and while we wonder for a hot second what ever happened to the First Contact uniforms with the lavender quilted shoulders, that fizzles quickly. What we have now are uniforms that just look fast! It must be those racing stripes: they make the uniforms go faster and also somehow look like hockey jerseys, and is that such a bad thing?

Star Trek: Lower Decks

In the timeline, we squeeze in another uniform variant that must go just before the Picard flashback ones, because of course we do. And even though these are cartoons and can only depict so much detail and tailoring in the art, we get the impression it’s still very like the TNG uniforms but with a nice off-center front enclosure. It’s a little unclear, however, where the top ends and the pants begin. Or perhaps it’s another jumpsuit, who knows?

Sneak Peak! Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

We haven’t seen these in action yet while I’m writing this, but we got a taste of the new Strange New Worlds uniforms in the character teaser. Because you just knew they weren’t going to go with the existing costumes from Discovery when they could design unnecessary fresh ones! Time will tell, but so far they look incredibly similar to the very athletic Beyond uniforms, the bulky black collars are gone, and there’s some nice shoulder patterning that probably isn’t deltas for a change!

—

Now that we’ve seen all of the uniforms walk the runway, which ones are getting fashion commission deals and which ones are getting mocked in the tabloids? Here are our calls, with lots of honorable mentions since there’s so much to choose from:

Favorites

Ames: Enterprise

Honorable mentions: Yorktown and DS9/VOY

Caitlin: The Next Generation (seasons 3-7)

Honorable mentions: Discovery (season 1-2) and Yorktown

Chris: Discovery (season 2, USS Enterprise)

Honorable mention: The Wrath of Khan

Jake: The Wrath of Khan

Honorable mention: DS9/VOY

Least Favorites

Ames: The Motion Picture

Dishonorable mentions: Discovery (season 3), Star Trek (2009), and “The Cage”

Caitlin: The Motion Picture

Dishonorable mentions: Discovery (season 3) and Beyond

Chris: The Motion Picture

Dishonorable mention: TNG (seasons 1-2)

Jake: Discovery (season 3)

Dishonorable mentions: “All Good Things…”, The Motion Picture, and TNG (seasons 1-2)

Must Haves

Not everyone can pull off the scant, but which uniform does each of us want to wear to a convention right now?

Ames: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”

Caitlin: Discovery (season 4) or DS9 (seasons 5-7)

Chris: The Wrath of Khan

Jake:  The Wrath of Khan

—

Phew! That’s a lot of closet space to sort through. And we’ve still got racks to go because in upcoming Blogtivities we’ll be covering admiral and dress uniforms, so keep your pants on until then! Catch us here for more, listen to episodes over on SoundCloud and every other podcasting place, give us your own fashion tips over on Facebook and Twitter, and maybe don’t cover everything in deltas for no good reason. It’ll just come across as tacky.