#scrutinies

[seirclys]

VADD Fashion Analysis 5: OG Penelope's dress(again)

Link to Part 2, which was also about this topic

im backk!!

Alright so, we can all still agree that her dress is pretty... uh, ugly

(Screenshots from Chapter 101 btw)

The dark purple bodice extends too far down to her mid-thighs. It also isn't doing her body any favors, as well as being EXCEEDINGLY PLAIN.

I mean, come on. This is OG Penelope we're talking about. She's the one showered in jewels, who goes out shopping on the daily like a maniac. Do you really think she'd wear this dress multiple times, enough for the game devs to think "Ah yes, this dress is perfect for the luxurious villainess"??

It, again, doesn't suit her. To be honest, I've tried redesigning it a couple of times, and I always start by taking off the ribbons and changing the skirt somehow. The sleeves, as well. All of them work "fine" alone but together it looks gaudy, which is not in line with the "mature beauty" she's supposed to be.

We know from a panel of her that the flower-patterned skirt isn't structured, so right now it looks like someone tried to pin it closer to her body to make a mermaid skirt, but failed.

(Chapter 75)

Now, consider this: We've seen a similar concept in another manhwa before, but executed perfectly. That's right, ladies and gentlefolk, I'm talking about... Roxana Agrece.(Sidenote, I like "Agriche" more tbh but I'll be using the official spelling T-T)

(Roxana, Chapter 33)

At first glance, most things check out.

Sleeves with a shoulder puff but flare out at the elbow, a dark/monochrome skirt that flares out, and a purple bodice/overlayer with ruffles around the shoulders, and even an additional layer poking out from the ruffles. The bodice on Roxana's dress technically reaches her mid-thigh as well.

(Roxana Chapter 34, VADD Chapter 4)

Additionally, Roxana wears an elaborate choker, while Penelope's is a simple leather band with a turquoise gem dangling from it. Roxana's dress is also studded with jewels and pearls. It also has a pattern with the seams reversed and highlighted with black.

Let's be honest, I've been looking more at Roxana's dresses while writing my own fic, Shrike, for inspiration(one of Penelope's dresses is an unintentional twin to one of Roxana's, discord moots iykyk), and the extravagance and maturity of Roxana's style suits what was described of OG Penelope, but something we don't see in the manhwa.

I love SUOL-nim's dress designs, but sometimes I think they're lacking in the extravagance that they're supposed to have. Either that or Siyeon has been having Emily pick out the least flashy clothes(which why would you even have that if you could be dressed in extravagance).

In my opinion, I think OG Penelope would wear gloves, especially given that Emily continuously stabbed her arms with needles. Long sleeves as well— it makes no sense that no one noticed when Penelope wasn't doing much to cover up her wounds.

Even Siyeon used gloves to cover up the needle marks.

Long sleeves as well, using the same logic. In particular, I also really like how the pattern for Roxana's dress was on the bodice while the skirt was left minimal(with rose embroidery and the emphasized seams of the gored panels), which drew more attention to her upper body.

On the other hand, the busyness of Penelope's skirt draws attention downwards, to the awkward, curtain-drape-esque quality of her bodice T-T.

This feeling of maturity is also why I wrote about og!Penelope parting her hair in a side part in Shrike(I swear I'm not lifting everything from Roxana pls)

[dqbhsxjuo]

Amateur BBW lesbians play then fucked by a hard cock PENETRACION VAGINAL Sexy obese hooker gets finger fucked and gives steamy blowjob BLACK GUYS ANAL SEX BAREBACK HOMEMADE Brunette fuck her patron Hot arab gals try foursome Rough ANAL Fuck Gives me the Best Orgasms and Makes me Scream: Amateur Ass Licking & DP Kinky Babies Esposa no Glory Hole Wife Doggy ending with cum dripping thick latina bajo su faldita de gordibuena/Upskirt Physician observse hymen examination and virgin teen penetrating

[theamazingian]

I forgot I never uploaded this, but thought it might be interesting. These are the first designs I did of the character outfits for The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Then, after seeing Ellen’s outstanding sketches, we smushed our ideas together to get closer to what ended up in the final game!

[ferraris-gf]

the actual duality of that race because i’m beyond happy lando got his first win but my heart is broken that logan dnfed his home race

[toolateforus]

Satellite-Officer Does His Work Lying On Bed Like Schoolgirl

[dulcesiabits]

You: Oh! Hi Ly—

Lyney: I want you.

You:

Lyney:

You:

Lyney: haha want to see a magic trick? Watch me pull a dove out of my hat

[singingcicadas]

Megatron's Opposite Day

"I free slaves"

This is Soundwave binding Ratbat but seeing as Megatron did the same thing to Pentius by putting his spark into Trypticon and reformatted Rumble and Frenzy into cassettes against their will I think he approves a lot of this practice

Megatron on Optimus and humans, after his defeat in All Hail Megatron ⬇️

he really salty

"I implant ideology" aka brainwashing

Decepticon cause = Megatron. nuff said.

"I liberate cities" says the person who let Nyon burn to make a point

Cities are too small, think bigger

Holding New York hostage.

"Like Autobots, they believe in the sanctity of life" which he doesn't. Kudos for being honest.

Allowing troops to do free-rein massacre is a reward for conquest. Nothing like some easy murder for de-stressing.

The Simanzi massacre which halved the Cybertronian population is off-screen so it doesn't deserve its own pic

"The revolution"

"We only feel good when we stand with a blade in one hand and a throat in another" "Let's make the entire face of the planet into our new gladiator arena"

What nice, confidence-inspiring revolutionaries. I'm sure they'll rule the population with benevolence after they've killed all the Necessary People with Necessary Violence. Final interpretation of what constitutes as Necessary is reserved for the sole discretion of Megatron, ofc.

Good goals.

Sentinel might be an absolute asshole but at least he's got one thing right: they're literally a gang of thugs who gets high off murder.

"The people are my utmost concern"

'The people': ................

"Battling for freedom"

Freedom of what? Function? Autonomy?

Religion?

the ability to choose whether to fight? on which side to fight?

Idk why they used the word "pogrom" for this, it's way too specific

Anyways it doesn't matter, they won't be missed.

Good for Bumblebee for calling him out. Screenshotted this just to appreciate Megatron's bitchy face ⬇️

Other urban legends:

"Megatron loves Cybertron" let's just burrrrn it

He did fight to save Cybertron in Chaos Theory but also made it pretty clear why he did it. It's not out of the goodness of his heart or any sentimental reasons like that. It's an ego/dominance thing.

Plus his wording when he's trying to convince Optimus to let him go with the Lost Light: "I broke the planet. And that, Optimus, is why I owe it to you - to everyone - to find a replacement."

Replacement.

In other words: I made a mess and can't be bothered to clean it up, so I want to get away from it and find somewhere new to start clean.

I don't think Optimus appreciates the favour.

"Megatron tore down a corrupt government" which is true, just too bad that he's worse

He's also, um, a closeted Zeta admirer?

"Megatron advocates equality" ???

Megatron x dictatorship is literally his OTP. They were inseparable for four million years. A lot of people died trying.

"Megatron cares about the Decepticons" no he doesn't. Not his troops nor its cause.

Like for one thing he treats them with complete scorn

Admits that the most useful thing about keeping Starscream around is that he can bully underlings into line

Wants to use the humans' nuke to get rid of his troops and reformat them into peaceful drones after they outlive their use because they were "too ruthless" for his perfect peaceful society

Has zero scruples about fighting Deceptigod, just affronted that his own soldiers are being used against him

And basically just drops the Decepticons like a bag of vermin after he surrenders. He never once mentions them of his own accord, other than to insist he has nothing to do with them. Even his surrender speech is something Optimus makes him do as exchange b/c he wants to go on parole. He wasn't planning on making a public address otherwise, he was just going to leave them hanging.

Looking at the publication timeline, Megatron started out as an established Evil McEvilson-type villain similar to how he is in G1 and it's not until Chaos Theory in 2011 that JRo really gave him a sympathetic backstory that drew his characterization away from the bloodthirsty pugno ergo sum warlord into someone who once held ideals about societal reform and remains convinced of his own moral supremacy throughout the 4 mill years of death and war, adding worldbuilding such as Functionism/oppression/government corruption as justification for the beginning of the Decepticon movement. But because the start of the Decepticons was already written in Megatron Origins and every evil thing he'd done up till Chaos Theory can't be retracted and they had to keep Megatron as a villain until his story was no longer central to the Autobot-Decepticon war line, and JRo didn't try to downplay the atrocities he'd committed (some of the most sadistically disturbing things Megatron did were exclusively in MTMTE flashbacks), but rather tried to distance him from them and placed the focus on the juxtapositions to emphasize change, this as a whole just resulted in Evil McEvilson getting turned into Hyper McHypocrite.

[mecachrome]

Alex Albon for High Performance

It was this weird thing, because — for example with Yuki, I wanted to take his seat! He was a potential candidate that I could replace. And I remember having that chat with Helmut Marko, and he told me at the time, "You need to driver-coach this guy." And I was like, "I'm not going to. That's a potential seat." And he said, "No, he's already signed. He's guaranteed." So I was like (throws hands), "Okay, fine. Then I'll help him."

[lesbiancorvoattano]

weird how people on this site talk about women with eating disorders as like people partaking in a cringy, problematic internet trend, and not people who are suffering one of the deadliest mental disorders due to a society that values thinness above all in women

[seirclys]

ML Flower Meanings in VADD Chapter 90

In leaked screenshots of Chapter 90, where they announce the placements of the hunting competition's participants, the four MLs— Derrick, Reynold, Winter, and Callisto— are shown surrounded by flowers.

Of course, all of us know that SUOL-nim is fond of putting small details into her work(and I make my English teachers proud by overanalyzing things), so here's a quick breakdown of the flowers and their meanings.

Derrick Eckhart: Blue Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are a multitude of species, the majority of which are native to East Asia. Their name comes from two Greek words, which together mean "water vessel". This refers to the shape of the flowers, but can also be to this genus's tendency to need a lot of water. Hydrangea colors can be all over the place due to soil pH, and in theme with that, they have varied meanings, especially when taking into account different cultures.

Blue Hydrangeas symbolize regret, apologies, and forgiveness.

This could mean that Derrick is regretting how he treated Penelope and is trying to ask for her forgiveness(unlikely, but let a girl dream). Perhaps it can also be Penelope's regret in trusting Derrick during the trial, and him immediately blowing that chance to high heaven and into hell the second he opened his mouth.

Sidenote: I originally thought they were chrysanthemums because I got blinded by ML sparkles. (I need to sleep.) I'll add my original explanation for chrysanthemums below.

Blue Chrysanthemums, which I thought Derrick was depicted with, symbolize a love that is over and how the person has gotten over the pain.

It could be referring to how Penelope no longer trusts Derrick as of the end of Season 2, and how she has decided his route to be unviable.

Blue is also the color that Derrick is associated with throughout the novel: his ribbon, his clothes, and not to mention, the teaser image dropped during the series' release countdown.

Reynold Eckhart: Pink Roses

Roses are a ubiquitous sight in any situation that necessitates. With over 300 species and tens of thousands of human-bred variations, roses can have many different appearances and meanings. Even a difference in the shade can have a new meaning.

Reynold is shown with pale pink roses in the background. The specific variety is unknown, but it looks like a Belinda's Dream Rose or a Royal Highness Rose to me. Both of them have the pale pink color and classic rose shape(which I have no idea whether or not there's a rose species for that common shape) and also the petals curl down and form semi-triangular shapes.

Belinda's Dream on the left, Royal Highness on the right

Light pink roses convey a sense of femininity, grace, and comfort. They convey gratitude and sympathy.

Perhaps, like with Derrick, the pink rose symbolizes Penelope and Reynold's emotions towards each other. Gratitude towards him for believing her during the trial, and Reynold's comfort and sympathy towards his sister.

Pink is also the color Reynold is associated with: not just in his hair color, but also in promotional images as well.

For novel readers, we know that Reynold's affection indicator turned pink and that the colors share meaning with rose colors(at least speculated to be so).

Callisto Regulus: Red Roses

Again, as with Reynold's section, roses are ubiquitous and have many different meanings. I'm not sure about the rose variety, but they look to be the same 3D asset.

However, I would like to take a shot in the dark and say the red roses in his panel are Chrysler Imperial Roses or Super Hero Roses.

Chrysler Imperial Roses I chose for the way their blooms are tight with the outer petals being looser and curling in to form triangular petals. They are said to have thick stems with noticeable thorns.

Super Hero Roses are not as tight, but share the triangular petal curls and have bright oval-shaped leaves. They also look very overexposed when photographed because of their brightness.

Super Hero roses on the left, Chrysler Imperial Roses on the right

Unlike Reynold's pink roses, Callisto's red blooms are seen with rose thorns, something that was overlaid with Eckles' introduction in the beginning chapters of the manhwa, denoting his danger.

Red roses symbolize love, passion, commitment, faithfulness, and loyalty. They denote reciprocated romantic love and a strong relationship.

Unlike Reynold, I think Callisto's roses are mostly his feelings towards Penelope, and no, I'm not saying this as a Callisto main.

Throughout the story and in the future of the manhwa, Callisto is steadfast in his loyalty to Penelope, committed and faithful to his love for her. Of course, those who have read the novel also know that Callisto is the endgame ML, and his gauge color becomes red.

(I'm sorry I somehow wrote so much for Callisto even though he was supposed to have the least— Reynold already had the explanation about roses)

Winter Verdandi: Wisteria

Wisteria is a vining shrub and member of the pea family. They can come in various shades of purple, white, or red. They can have many different meanings, but symbolize romance in the cultures where they are native.

It's seen as a symbol of everlasting wisdom because they can grow for over a century, and their sprawling vines represent the continual search for knowledge.

Mauve wisteria means "passion, hidden beauty, intellect and wit, and devotion".

Lavender wisteria conveys "delicateness, refinement, grace, wealth, and royalty."

White wisteria, which can be seen in the panel, implies "healing, purity, health, youth, rebirth, and mourning."

In Korea, wisteria symbolizes a devotion that transcends death.

In VADD, Winter has a secret identity as an information broker and a wizard. The continual search for knowledge and eternal wisdom is something that is characteristic of Winter. He's also one of the most refined and gentlemanly of the MLs.

Fans of the novel will know that Winter rewound time and is the cause for the time loops, all to let the original Penelope have another chance at defeating Leila.

The white wisteria may primarily mean "rebirth", tying back into the time loop that he created.

[bigfatbreak]

I love reading about all your AUs so much! They’re all so creative!

I’m curious about the people of Paris in your villains AU. Like obviously Adrian and Mari are the villains but how do the people of Paris fear them. Is it similar to Hawkmoth in the original timeline? Or are they considered more or less of a threat?

Keep up the good work and make sure you’re getting plenty of rest!

the issue is, Paris is really split on the whole notion. Nekydallon and Pavo clearly are willing to go to strange lengths to find the "miraculous" they're looking for, but neither of them attack citizens, and Nekydallon exhausts herself helping the people of Paris.

They cause trouble, but, nothing that... can't be fixed? Meanwhile, Felix Furvus and Coccinella seem to act as though they're Paris' defenders, but- some citizens ask - defenders from what?

Many people see Nekydallon as a faceless entity who's worth admiring, with Pavo as her stalwart representative into the world. Those who've been her champions don't lose their memories like they did with Hawkmoth, and note that she sounds soft and quiet, and delicate. She never demands anything, and she feels like a friend who's letting them borrow her power to do what they need to do, but, easier.

Doctors and Nurses find that, being bestowed with a power grants them to operate with better accuracy or with steadier hands, or they're capable of clotting and healing deathly wounds with mysterious powers. Some Akuma are capable of healing life-threatening illnesses or diseases, or at least helping people cope with the pain.

Firefighters find themselves with the power to spring water from their fingertips or to smother fire with the flick of their hands. Some can suddenly carry six people at a time without breaking a sweat to evacuate a house.

Retail workers in the middle of getting robbed suddenly have the power to fight back. People being kidnapped are suddenly granted the power to escape. Victims have a butterfly bond to them and they find the strength to stand up to their abusers and/or escape their clutches.

Marinette works very hard as Nekydallon. She can hear Paris' woes, and doesn't hesitate to try and assist whenever she can. The rest of Paris sees butterflies as a good omen for the most part, though some are deeply suspicious. However as a whole, its the black cat and ladybug that people are most suspicious of, as they hear a lot of talk but don't see results like with Neky.

[alightbuthappypen]

MXTXNet Valentine's Event | purple | family |

The three of us must be together forever

and never be parted.

[l-wandering-etranger]

oh and another take that I feel the mxtx- specifically mdzs fandom needs to hear is that none and i mean none of the characters have any set morality. this applies to their mindset, actions, feelings- the entire point is that you see where all the characters come from and recognise their actions. none of them are completely 100% good or bad. the point of the entire novel isn't to see and judge their actions. it's to see where they come from, what mindset requires those terrible or honourable actions. is it okay to call out a character on their actions? yes. but please for the love of mo xiang tong xiu remember what caused those actions and whether your call out is necessary instead of making posts like "character A was just trying his best and character B came and ruined everything that's why I hate character C". no. almost all the characters are shitty to some extent albeit in different categories. recognise that and you will appreciate mdzs even more.

[justanotherhh]

feel like canonically blitzø is a real fucking hottie, and then infer from that some angst around how that's been one part of his dwindling sense of self and now he's in his 30s he doesn't know how long he'll be able to coast on that (but also almost funny because 30s is not old, it's not even middle-aged, he's preemptively angsting here)

but also im imagining he fixes things up with stolas, fizzarolli, and verosika, and all of hell's gossip is like "feral imp bags three of the most well-known celebrities in hell... somehow"

[manglam-marfach]

I have a CRYSTAL CLEAR vision of postcanon chillaios political marriage fic where dozens of suitors are vying for Laios's slightly sticky hand & he is. oblivious. Which almost causes a major diplomatic incident. Someone (Kabru) tries to delicately explain that he should probably take a spouse already and Laios is like. Oh cool. Chilchuck? Wanna get married? And Chilchuck who had resigned to let the weird Thing he had for his old coworker die quietly has to fucking deal with THIS now.

[mag200]

MAG142: Scrutiny

watercolor & ink // kofi