#shes so cute though i want to draw her furry skin

[nyaiiaii]

big fan of the girlies

[pastadoughie]

MY NAME IS SPELLED WITF AN E AND NOT AN A get it RIGHT!!

hai! im rowen (he/him) and i draw thingse soemtimze!! im a queer (trans, intersex, gay) 17 (5-1-07) yr old furry artist :3 u probably know my blog for drawing many many silly kitties and miscilanious creechers, but i do other things!

i do requests (no ocs or fandom shit, ONLY silly) and i take commisions (i am working on a website to organize all the prices and stuff, but for now, just dm me if youre intrested)

i do all my art on mspaint (win10 ver.) unless explicitly stated otherwise, i just use the default pencil tool on 4px (the largest default size setting) witch is a round brush with no antialiasing

i use a drawing tablet, the XP-Pen Deco 1 V2 (Celeste, He/Him), and an ASUS Harman/Kardon i7 14.5 In. laptop (Chelsea, She/Her)

my blog mostly runs on a queue, witch is very long and only goes onse a day, so sometimes extremeley old artwork gets posted. for this reason posts that are recently posted are not nessasarily recently drawn. furthermore, asks sometimes take an extremely long time to post after ive actually answered them, so please dont resubmit things. (+ i have far too many askse to actually be able to answer them all. so asks that are very similar to things ive already answered, are extremely time consuming, or are just not that funny, are unlikely to ever be answered)

rebeast : is for reblogs of other peoples content

rowencatfanart : is for fanart people have made for me (if you make any please tag it as such, as well as mention me in the post)

the beast speaks : is for all my original text posts

retchid opinions : are for my own text posts where i actually say things of value and have an opinion on topics

screaming and scampering : is for when i say bullshit that doesnt matter

consulting thea council : is for polls of mine

rowens serious art : is for serious rendered art of mine

rowens liddol guys : is for sillies of all kinds that ive made

biblically accurate rowen : is for art of non-kitty me, for blacklisting purposes (i like to not be reminded i am a person when im scrolling thru my own blog) mspaint animations : for when i animate things on mspaint (onion skin is for cowards i let my heart guide me) rowens animatics : are for when i make, animatics, its really self explainatory. rowens advertising : is for when i advertise my products or twitch or commisions or whatever. for blacklisting purposes the mewsifixtion : is for when i give out easter eggs 2 ppl who send me asks. asks for this are currently CLOSED rowensumptions : are for when ppl send me headcannons they have abt me thru asks S teir wimpering : for the text postre ive made that r actualey funny rows gross old ort : for when i reblog old art of mine i tag all asks with the username of the person who asked them, so if u want to find a previous ask of yours i answered you can just search your own username i also try to tag asks i answer with the date of when they were sent to me, and the date i actually drew them, because the queue can make this confusing,,, i cant really retroactively see the send date of posts i made before this tagging change, so some we will simpley nevr know,,, dates are written in american date format. so month-day-year i always tag the software i use for each artwork, but its pretty much always MSPaint (Win10), though i occasionally do image editing in Asesprite

the gray and white kitty i draw most frequently is my catsona! he is not an oc and is specifically meant to represent me

i ask that you please do not use drawings of him as personal branding (such as pfps, banners, avatars, ect.)

the samething applies to my fursona, valentine, though his design changes too much to give an accurate ref for, i generally will specify in the tags

i am generally fine with people saying that my catsona is cute but please dont make any overly explicit comments about my fursona, or on my posts in general. i am a minor (i dont care if you say like, ouyhh bark bark i love men i get it hes meant to be attractive but use some common sense)

furthermore. for people who have blogs with alot of untagged sexually explicit content its best you dont interact with me, i have my age set properly, so i do not see sexual posts that are properly flagged, but if your posts ARENT flagged, and you interact WITH ME, then thats on YOU for exposing a minor for sexually explicit content

if you have minors DNI in your bio and make a whole song and dance abt how ggrrr!!! i block ageless blogs and minors!!! and then go and reblog my posts with sexual comments then thats on you. and not me.

i dont care that much frankly, about seeing joke posts abt penis or whatever, but there is a line. and if you are trying to curate a specifically adult space on your blog then you also have to put in the work to not intentionally loop minors into that

also. please do not act overly familiar with me, im a 17 yr old on the internet and not your friend. and while i am not opposed to meeting people on tumblr, there is a line and you need to actually build some kind of relationship with me before youre allowed to act like that.

u can find me on tumblr (duh) : @pastadoughie : my main @leftoverdough : is my reblog sideblog @scungledfiles : is the web graphics blog i run w/ my friend (@soggiedsocks) (though we havent been as active as of late cuz mentol ealness + i have been fopcusing moar on this blog) youtube : pastadoughie (i havent posted in 6 months ouhm, oops,) twitch : pastadoughie etsy : scungledthings (i also share this with @soggiedsocks, when contacting my shop you will most likely be talking to him and not me.) if you would like to contact me FOR COMMISIONS directly you can also do so discord : pastadough email : pastadough01@gmail.com PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ONLY BUISNESS INQUIRIES!! stupid shit should be sent via ask or tumblr dm. DO NOT FLOOD MY EMAIL!! i WILL block you!! --- Last Updated : 5-1-2024

[thishazbinamistake]

Howdy!

I am here to talk about Viv's horrible character designs.

From an animator perspective, they suck.

Here's why

1. The characters have way too much detail

For animation, more lines equal more work. You're going to be drawing them over and over, and it just creates more stress and work for the animators.

For example, I took one of the most egregious designs in HB (Beelzebub) and simplified it to be animation friendly.

(Can't send it here but I'll probably make a post about it or something.)

2. There's too much of 1 color

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RED??

Especially since they're in a primarily red background, they don't stand out AT ALL.

Like how am I supposed to see them if they blend in to the background??

3. I have no idea what half of them are supposed to be

Charlie is based off a doll?

Alastor is based off of a deer?

Katie Killjoy is based off of a praying mantis?

Angel Dust is based off of a spider?

Beelzebub is supposed to be well... Beelzebub?

When designing characters, they need to be clear on what they're supposed to be! And no, explaining it on Twitter does not count.

4. The animation reference sheets are garbage

No wonder there's so much animation errors. There's no facial expression sheets, lip sync guide, nothing. It's just a 4 angle turnaround sheet where the character is in complex poses all the time.

If you Google Lackadaisy's animation reference sheets and then look at HB's, it's like night and day.

I'm more than willing to send some examples (along with the edit I did) if you want

So yeah, what are your thoughts?

These are all great points! I think you summed up the main problems very well, but I'll elaborate on each of them. I'm no expert at character design or animation by any means, but I'll do my best to explain my points!

First of all, like you said, the character designs are way too complicated. Anyone who knows even the slightest amount about animation knows you want to simplify and streamline your designs as much as possible to make it easier on the animators. Vivzie is way too obsessed with her Deviantart OC lookin'-ass character designs to actually do this, even though it would seriously help to make the animation process way faster and easier. Beelzebub is seriously the best (or worst?) example of this.

I feel so bad for the poor souls who had to animate this. There are just way too many moving parts here, from her multiple arms, her wings, her markings, to her freaking lava lamp hair and tail?? It's just awful. And so many of Viv's designs suffer this problem, I could go on and on.

Like, I think it actually is a nice looking design, as a still image. Maybe not for the demon Beelzebub, but as a general furry OC, I think she's cute. But that's beside the point. I would love to see your redesign of her!

Next, the RED. So, most of the characters we see in Helluva Boss are red-skinned imps, which has been a common depiction of demons for centuries. One big problem I have is that there's little contrast in these designs. Let's look at our three main imps.

Aside from some white and yellow highlights, they're all mostly red and black. Their color palettes aren't distinct in the slightest! And, I mean, come on. Red accessories against what's almost the exact same shade of red skin? Really? It just doesn't look good. A little contrast here and there goes a long way, like... maybe make Moxxie's bowtie blue? Or Blitz's pendant green? I don't know, anything to help each character stand out, and help give them more visual intrigue.

It doesn't help that most of the backgrounds are primarily shades of red, too. Here's a few screenshots I found that really show this problem.

Look at all that fucking red. Like you said, there's such little color variation that the characters blend into the background. Now, to be fair, I did specifically choose these screenshots because I think they really highlight the problem, but this really is what so much of the show looks like. Granted, we do have a bit more variety in the different rings of Hell, each with their own main color, but this is still too much red, considering how much the color comprises the main characters' designs.

Next, like you said, Vivzie is really bad at making characters actually look like the things they're supposed to look like. Let's take Alastor as an example!

Oh boy! More red and black. So, Alastor here is supposed to be a deer. What's the first physical characteristic that comes to mind when you think of a deer?

Yeah, those big, impressive antlers! So... where are his? Oh, they're those tiny little forks on his head that are almost entirely obscured by his stupid emo hair. Like, come on! Giving him bigger antlers would have made him look so much cooler and more intimidating, and it would have been a great focal point for his design! It's such a missed opportunity. (I know he has bigger antlers in his scarier "demon" form, but you still could have made these a little more impressive.) And don't even get me started on those ears... they look more like fox ears or something. Like you said, a good design shouldn't need to be explained through supplementary material. We should be able to tell what a character is supposed to be just from looking at them!

Another great example is Angel Dust, who, despite being a spider, lacks so many distinct features we associate with spiders! He only has six legs instead of eight, he doesn't have pedipalps or chelicerae, and he also lacks that big old spider booty, which I think is such a missed opportunity, considering he is supposed to be in the sex industry. He isn't even remotely shaped like a spider, he looks more like a fuzzy stick bug or something.

Part of me feels like Viv is too afraid to make her characters look unique, so she just goes with the same, skinny humanoid design for just about everything. It's such a shame, because I really do think she is a talented artist who can make some really interesting designs. But then again, she also gave us Beelzebub, so... maybe not.

As for the reference sheets, maybe I wasn't looking hard enough but I couldn't find any official ones for the main characters, so if you could send those my way I would appreciate it! Though it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they were bad. I did look up Lackadaisy's and found them pretty easily and...

This is so freaking comprehensive and detailed, it's incredible! Look at all those poses and facial expressions!

Comparing Vivzie's works to Tracy's feels kind of unfair, since Tracy has been working on Lackadaisy for 17 years, and it really shows. This is leaps and bounds above Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel in quality. Rocky's design is tight; it's detailed, but not overly complicated. There isn't an obnoxious overuse of highly saturated colors, and there's such nice contrast between his fur, his eyes, suit, and tie, making his design very nice to look at. You can also tell so much about his personality and the world he lives in just from his appearance. It's such a good design, and Rocky is just one example from Lackadaisy! All of Tracy's designs are memorable and stand out from one another, unlike so many of Vivzie's characters, whose designs honestly feel interchangable.

So much thought and care has gone into Lackadaisy, and I seriously cannot wait for the full series, as well as all the other amazing indie animated series that have been coming out recently. It's sad that Helluva Boss is seen as the pinnacle of indie animation, when there are so many other series out there that are just.. better! Lackadaisy, obviously, but we've also got Digital Circus, Murder Drones, Monkey Wrench, and so many others that deserve way more appreciation than what Helluva Boss receives. And that's just from an art direction standpoint, we aren't even talking about writing. That's a whole other can of worms.

All of that being said, it's obvious that a ton of love and hard work went into Helluva Boss, and I hold absolutely nothing against the animators and artists at Spindlehorse. These poor design choices are a hallmark of Vivzie's art style, and they're simply working with what they've got. There is such wasted potential here because it feels like Vivzie is too afraid to step outside her comfort zone and design something that isn't a brightly colored, sharp-toothed twink, or skinny anthro wolf girl.

Anyways, that about wraps up my thoughts. Thanks for the ask, this was fun to delve into! And again, I'd be very interested in seeing you post your redesigns! 👀

[ilovekazuhaa]

after reading those hcs on being Julieta's youngest, i was wondering if i could request mirabel, isabela and luisa interacting with their little sibling, kinda like a part 2? thanks

Yes! This is such a cute idea and im so happy how it turned out! Hope u enjoy :))

What it would be like having Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel as older sisters!!

Part 1 > Part 3

Isabela Madrigal

Although she was the oldest and you were the youngest, you two got along great.

Isabela loves to teach you about flowers, helping you learn by playing a game. She would grow one and you would name it as fast as you can.

One morning before school she grew a rose and tucked it behind your ear. You’ve asked her to make one and tuck it behind your ear everyday since then.

“Remember, do what you want, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be your true self.”

Every morning when she greeted you, she would shower you with flower petals, same as when you got home from school.

You sat next to her every night for dinner. Whenever you didn’t want to eat a few of your veggies, she would help you hand them off to Antonio’s furry friends under the table.

When it wasn’t your mom comforting you. It was Isa. She always knew how to calm you down.

Hugging you tightly, you sat on her lap, head buried in her neck as you sobbed.

“Hey, it’s okay… Everything’s gonna be okay… Just tell me what’s wrong. I can’t understand you if you cry” she spoke softly.

When you saw how Isa changed her outfit for the first time, seeing all of the vibrant colors she added to her dress with her plants, you asked if she could do it to you too.

Adding it to your clothes, you two matched for the day, but it got on your skin too. You had an orange spot on your cheek for a month.

You often give Isa your “art” every time you came up with a new creation. One time you gave her a drawing of you and her holding hands. She has it hung up on a frame above her bed. She hasn’t told anyone about it and isn’t planning to.

“Do whatever you feel like doing in the moment. How else are you gonna know that you’re in the moment… you know?”

If she found out one of the other kids were bullying you, she’d make her way to their house, bang on their front door and when they opened, she would yell at the kids’ parents for not knowing how to raise their child. “No one messes with my siblings!!!”

She knew Abuela would get her in trouble for it, but she didn’t care.

“I have no regrets” Isa said, crossing her arms and looking away with a closed eye pout.

Luisa Madrigal

Luisa would be very gentle with you, never fully wrapping her arms around you when you two hugged, in fear she would hurt you.

Always careful where she stepped around the house, not wanting to accidentally crush you.

She always let you sit on top of her shoulders as she ran back in forth in circles, making the two of you extremely dizzy.

You two felt so dizzy that you guys just decided to skip dinner. You slept in Luisa’s room that night and climbed on her monkey bars. They were your favorite.

Whenever you went with your mama into town, you always saw Luisa working there, helping all the townspeople with crazy jobs. You were so impressed when you saw her pick up 7 donkeys and carry them on her back.

“That’s my sister!!! She’s so cool!”

Even though she was far away, Luisa heard your squeaky voice in the distance, freaking out over her super strength. She couldn’t help but smile and blush a bit.

Luisa typically took you with her wherever she went on her off days. She loved hearing you babble on and on as she relaxed on her hammock.

She took you to school every morning, helping take some weight off her mother’s shoulders.

She was also a big fan of your stories, like your mom. But she offered new, cooler parts to them.

“Wait wait wait, what if he grew wings, flew, AND shot lasers out of his eyes?!?!”

You were so mesmerized by her ideas, jaw dropping whenever she mentioned something cool like that.

Luisa loved playing rock, paper, scissors with you and always knew what you would pick before you picked it. It was always rock. But she let you win everytime.

“Aw, you won again, Y/N!! You’re too good at this, maybe even the best in the whole encanto!”

If she saw that you were feeling down, she’d take you to the river and you two would skip rocks together as you talked about life.

“Man, I’m so mad. Why can’t mama just give me brownies for dinner?? They have protein!!”

“I get where you’re coming from kiddo, but mama wants you to get all of your nutrients so you can get big and strong!!” your older sister explained.

“Big and strong… like you?” you asked.

“Yeah… Big and strong… like me.”

“Then why didn’t you say so?? I’ll eat my veggies everyday no problem from now on!!!”

“I’m glad to hear that. Can’t wait until you get strong so you can pick up donkeys too, kid” she smiled, ruffling your hair.

Noticing whenever Luisa was feeling exhausted and over worked, you hugged her. But you were only tall enough to reach up to her waist.

Feeling something grab her, she jumped, startled. When she looked down and saw you hugging her leg, snuggling your head into her dress, her heart melted. She just wanted to pick you up and squeeze you, giving you the biggest hug.

Mirabel Madrigal

Mirabel was the one you spent the most time with out of your other sisters, since she didn’t have a gift and you hadn’t gotten yours yet.

You always followed her around town, singing with the other children. It was so much fun.

She was always the first person that offered to take care of you.

When you were a baby, she was the first one besides your mama that held you first.

Mirabel taught you how to sew. Sure, you weren’t a professional, but you were getting there. She was so patient.

Since you two shared a bedroom, she would sing to you every night and you dozed off to the sound of her soft voice comforting you.

Every morning when she woke up, she would wake you up right after and take your hand, leading you downstairs for breakfast.

Mirabel’s earrings were handmade, so when she gifted you a matching set, you were so excited.

Because of Mirabel, butterflies were your favorite animal. She knew so much and was always telling you little facts about them.

“Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?!”

There was a butterfly garden in the encanto, so whenever you two had nothing to do, there was no doubt you guys would be found there.

Mirabel often told you stories about your Abuelo Pedro because Abuela always used to tell them to her.

Every night, Mirabel told you the same story of how Casita was created and how the encanto came to be. You can now recite the entire story, word for word, the exact way Mirabel tells it to you.

When you were born, Mirabel made you a stuffed teddy bear. Putting it in your crib, you’ve slept with it every night for as long as you can remember.

Whenever you went out together, she always held your hand. It was so warm.

You always put your toys in her bag. She always tells you that she is making one for you and you’ll be getting it soon. Then, you can fill the whole bag with as many toys as you want.

One time, she let you try on her glasses. The lenses were so blurry, you couldn’t even see 5 feet in front of you. Looking around in her glasses, you somehow ended up cross eyed. Mirabel laughed at how silly you looked.

You were always worried that when you turned 5, you wouldn’t get a gift, just like Mirabel.

“What if I don’t get a gift?” you said, hugging your teddy bear. Mirabel got up from her bed, coming to yours and scooting close to you.

“You have nothing to worry about. You’re gonna get your gift and your door, and it’s gonna be the coolest ever, I know it.”

After looking up at her, you hugged her tightly, letting go of your teddy bear. “You’re the best sister ever, I wish you had a door” you said.

“You know what, you don’t have to worry about me. Because I have an amazing house..and an amazing family… and an amazing you” she said, hugging you back.

As if on cue, you layed down on her lap and dozed off to her singing softly as she stroked your hair.

[romeave]

if it's not too much trouble, could u do a fit rating of kawaii-chan/nana? there's quite a lot of variety i think! <3

sure anon!! kc has a habit of never looking at the light source so apologies in advance for the quality of the images.

MYSTREET FIT REVIEW- KAWAII-CHAN/NANA ASHIDA/KC

MYSTREET SEASON ONE - CASUAL

KC's first fit always gave me pink Miku energy? The miniskirt and the no sleeve top with the armwarmers are cute, but impractical as her all season fit. The color scheme of the fit is mostly good though!! The pinks are light enough to stand out from her hair, and the white looks nice. The gray bands on her arm are ugly and match nothing. Also I think they changed her back bow for this fit alone?

4/10

MYSTREET SEASON ONE - FORMAL

Not a fan. For whatever reason they lightened her skin for this fit (it goes back to normal after this episode) so the white sundress fails to stand out. The pink accents are similar in color to her hair, making it hard to tell wear her hair ends and the stripes start. Speaking of hair, KC's bangs were edited by an enderman casually removing chunks and placing them down wherever it wants.

2/10

PHOENIX DROP HIGH - CASUAL

The fit itself is cute!! The soft pink sweater with the purple miniskirt is adorable and the colors chosen go great together. The color of the sweater is similar in value to KCs skin, and the bright pink bows dont fit with the rest of the outfit. Maybe if the bows were the same purple as the skirt it would look better?

5/10

PHOENIX DROP HIGH - PJS

bunny pj,,,bunny slipper,,short hair kc

9/10

LOVE LOVE PARADISE - CASUAL

Extremely relieved the skinmaker used KCs hairbows as the color for the actual outfit. The fit looks intentional, and not just slapping pink all over her because thats her designated color. The design of the bikini is cute enough considering this is minecraft, and the shade of pink compliments her orange eyes without clashing with her hair. Not a fan of KCs change in bang style since the old one was unique to her, but the new one doesn’t look bad. This is also the season Jesson began using 3D models for all the furry characters, and regardless of how bad they may or may not look still disapointed they changed KCs ear color from white to pink.

8/10

MYSTREET SEASON 3 - CASUAL

This fit slaps!! The color pallete is simple, making the fit look equally cute and professional! The bright pink of her dress is in a similar cool shade as her hair, and the bows are also dress purple! The puffy sleeves are rendered well and the necktie draws the whole thing together. Mature KC for her buisness owner arc

10/10

MYSTREET SEASON THREE - MAID

I don’t really know why KC is in purple since the cafe uses extremely literal color coordination and Aph works here, but the purple used looks cute!! The actual design of the maid outfit is a neat maid outfit! The bows are out of place maybe make them purple?

8/10

MYSTREET SEASON FIVE - CASUAL

I like the fit in theory. Pastel pink is her brand and the pop of blue actually looks nice. However, the pink is really similar in value to her hair and the blue, and the bikini bottom and top have two different pinks for no reason? The bows are back to the earlier seasons warm bright pink, and dont match the fit. KC’s hair gradient makes the bow look like an extension of her hair.

4/10

MYSTREET SEASON SIX - CASUAL

I’m sorry the HD bows are ugly. S6 at least gives KC an excuse to not match the bows to her fit, but literally why is she wearing them they make her easily recognizable. The short sleeved hoodie is disgusing, and the purple is literally the same value as her hair. And the khakis? The khakis??

1/10

MYSTREET SEASON SIX - FORMAL

Why are her bangs straight? Why is the mask her hair color? Why are the ruffles rendered so unflatteringly? How did they find the worst shades of pink? Why is the center ornament yellow? Why the black shoes? Why does she stand like that? Who thought of this? Who approved this?

0/10

TOTAL SCORE - 5.1/10

[agent-cupcake]

just curious, what’s your favorite and least favorite character design? my least fav for sure has got to be female byleth for reasons i don’t want to get in to yep ok have a good day 😁

IOops this accidentally became a rant, sorry

Okay so, to preface this all, I’m not a character designer and I’m actually pretty bad at it, but my rule of thumb with really unappealing or fan-service outfits is whether or not it makes sense character-wise and how much it tells the player about the character. For example, I think we can all agree that there’s quite a bit of fan-service elements in Hilda’s design. Boob window. However, it’s not unrealistic to imagine Hilda picking out those clothes for herself. Her costume tells you almost everything you need to know about her character on a visual level. She’s confident, pretty, attention-grabbing, and high maintenance while the gloves and laced girdle give a nod to her Viking-maiden roots.

Taking it to female Byleth, I don’t think that her outfit works on either front. Her design is definitely my least favorite and it’s not helped by the fact that you have to look at her at all times. Whatever. The huge, solid mass of boobs, the buttoned bib, the big eyes, the feather hair, the bellybutton, the ripped tights, the booty shorts. She’s a merc out in life and death situations with an accessible, pale, tacky 2000′s “stab me” stomach cut out and a wedgie. Which could be excusable if, like Hilda, there was reason to believe that that her costume was character choice. But she doesn’t really have much character, and what there is gives the impression of a very stoic, dry, blunt person. I have no idea why they’d have gone that route when the sexual appeal of more “utilitarian” costuming (aka, form fitting armor that at least pretends to be functional) for characters like her is scientifically proven AND would say more about the singular personality trait she possesses. Okay, well, I know why they didn’t do that and I think it’s lame. This dysfunction of “character designer wanted a sexy girl but it’s kinda random and just shoved in the game without any thought” actually reminds me a lot of Xenoblade 2′s leading ladies, Hikari and Pyra. Although considering that their bad designs led to a lot of people hating the game for superficial reasons while accepting female Byleth’s design, I guess I’m just bitter. Jumping to a different comparison, then, look at 2B from Nier Automata. Her design is fine as hell which is kinda hypocritical of me considering that it's explicitly fan-service, but I think it also shows the most damning thing for female Byleth. Her whole look, despite having a dozen different element thrown in, is boring. Maybe it’s the colors (dressing her in all black and white would have been really interesting considering the colors of the three lords are so heavily emphasized as a part of their characters) or maybe it’s just the way the desperate elements come together. But, like I said, I'm not even slightly knowledgeable about character design and I know that despite Three Houses being mostly separate, they had to appeal to a larger aesthetic brand to which I have little experience with. And, ultimately, a lot of people find her cute or sexy which...To each their own, I suppose. I don’t pretend that fan-service doesn’t work on me (2B... Cloud’s arms in the remake... Seph's shirtless Smash skin...) but when it’s this obviously inserted in by the character designers rather than feeling organic in any way AND looks bad I'm just not super interested.

The other worst designs for me would be all four of the Ashen Wolves post timeskip. I don't think it's controversial to say that they didn't try with the clothes, even if I love their designs from the neck up (Yes, even Balthus. He looks like the type of guy that would let you sit on his shoulders at a rock concert so you could see the stage). While there are other designs I think are unappealing, those are for purely aesthetic reasons and so I can't maintain the opinion that they're actively bad or that I even truly dislike them.

As for favorite looks... I actually have a few so sorry you're getting all of them because despite the shit I'm talking, I actually really really love the character designs in Three Houses. 

Ferdinand's post timeskip is one of my favorite designs, if not my favorite. The hair, the coat, the armor, the spurs, the colors. You know exactly who Ferdinand von Aegir is just by looking at him. He’s wealthy, handsome, confident in his appearance, a hero, a princely type character, his battle form is mounted combat which is traditionally aesthetically reserved for nobility and leaders... I love it. The only reason I cannot say he IS my favorite is because of the three Lords. But before them, my honorable mentions include post timeskip Hilda, Dorothea, Lorenz, Felix, and Hubert. Granted, I could make a case for why I like almost all of the student’s post timeskip looks.

For the Lords, I obviously have to start with colors because, weirdly enough, Persona didn’t invent primary colors but are actually used as shorthand. Blue is the color of honor, loyalty, sincerity, sadness, and depression. Something I’ve always found very interesting is that blue is very rarely found in nature. To me, that’s always made it seem more lonely which, at least in this case, is thematically relevant. People call Dimitri boring pre timeskip and while I won’t defend his hairstyle (okay, actually, I probably would because he tucks it behind his ears and idk why but that’s one of the cutest things ever) I really like how unassuming he is. Bland. He’s supposed to be the plain shortbread cookie to caramel deLite Claude and strawberry meringue Edelgard. It is not in his character to draw attention to himself or stand out. To me, he kinda looks like an old Barbie prince, like he should have been named Dominic. Also I love the blue eyes/blonde hair thing and his more angular features. It really helps to sell him as the fakeout chivalrous prince type. Post timeskip, Dimitri's black armor is amazing. I love the fact that it’s a lot more intricate up-close with the different little shell-like pieces and the fact that his boots are furry. I love the big cape and the black and white fur around his shoulders. It’s really cool how they used his costume to change the shape of his in-game model to match the bodily proportions of the character art. It’s easier to see when you change his costume into the DLC ones, but the fur and cape build up his shoulders and chest look more broad while keeping that tiny little waist. The choice to give Dimitri an eyepatch is probably my favorite thing about this design. It’s genuinely inspired. Such a simple detail yet it tells the player everything they need to know about adult Dimitri when they see him post timeskip, in one frame the player can begin to understand the extent of his loss over the past five years. The subtle shadow under his eye in the first few Azure Moon chapters and the messy long-ish hair really help to sell the feral prince aesthetic as well, as it’s from those small cues the player gets that he’s exhausted (in more ways than one) and doesn’t maintain himself. None of these things are intentional choices by Dimtiri, they’re the result of what his character has been through.

Yellow is an intense, energetic color. Mostly, people think of it as being warm and inviting, the color of the sun and positivity. That intensity can be overwhelming, though, too visually demanding when compared to its primary counterparts. Don’t stare at the sun too long. Buuuut, it’s okay to stare at Claude. Claude not wanting to wear tight pants in either of his costumes is not only a mood, it is iconic. Pre timeskip, the softer lines of his silhouette makes him look kinda slouchy, kinda lazy. Like he’s not too concerned with appearances. But those adorably messy curls, the little braid, the clearly tended eyebrows, and earring make it clear that he DOES care about appearances and is very aware of his allure. And that’s before he even starts winking. It is honestly so in character that as many people picked him first on the basis of being thirsty, that feels like an intentionally Claude thing even if it was inserted by the designers. The contrast of his complexion with his seagreen eyes is gorgeous and instantly adds a kind of mystery and intrigue to him considering the setting... but it’s sf funny that nobody looked at bronze god Claude among a sea of white faces and thought something was up. Post timeskip, they used the same trick like they did with Dimitri to change Claude’s in-game model to match his canon appearance. The way they designed his uniform makes him not look as twink-ish, like he’s actually muscular and imposing and has the strength he’d need to shoot a war bow with a 120lbs draw weight. Also like Dimitri, you can instantly tell what Claude’s been up to. Like, he was very pretty pre timeskip but when he shows up in the Goddess Tower after those five years in all that gold, he demands your attention. Like a gentleman general with the excessive aesthetic ideals of the Alliance and details to imply his heritage. The quilted pants are amazing from both an aesthetic and practical standpoint. He’s a mounted unit riding a creature with scales, of course he’d want something on his legs for protection. And the chinstrap. I love that so much, it definitely makes him look more adult. He’s got such a cute soft baby face, it’s fun imagining him experimenting with different styles during the five years to get the most desired physical reaction to him as a leader. 

Frenchfries, meet forehead. No, actually, Edelgard’s design is really fantastic. Claude and Dimitri both have realistically colored eyes and hair and then there’s Edelgard. Dimitri shrugs off attention physically and Claude shirks it with a wink but Edelgard commands the players attention from the very start. Although I’m sure there’s a lot of things to associate with white hair and purple eyes, my first thought was Daenerys from Game of Thrones. Otherworldly beautiful by with an edge. Red, of course, is The power color. Strong emotions, love and hate. Red is also associated strongly with blood, which is very important to Edelgard’s plot. Granted, I think the red and black association is even more powerful than JUST red and red is the cheapest play to make in regards to displaying villainy (I mean, there are some pretty universally recognized associations with red and black and it led to people making some unfair comparisons between Edelgard and a famous dictator) but I think it was effective and well used and I genuinely enjoy its use in her case. Anyway, if I had a major complaint about her design it would be the weird ashy color of her hair whereas Lysithea’s hair is pure white. Which doesn’t even matter with the AMAZING hair horns. Ram horns can actually symbolize quite a few things, but their association with power and strength is pretty universal I think. They’re also used in demonic imagery. I love that THIS was her alternative to a crown. Edelgard views herself as a force of war and power before she thinks of herself as royalty. She also mentions that she isn’t super vain, but she loves to do her hair, so the hair being the most elaborate part of her look is entirely in-character. Edelgard’s ensemble is, like Claude, very militaristic. I love that they kept her in a dress that embraces femininity without showing skin as that wouldn’t really suit her Also, again, Edelgard demands your attention. She’s dressed all in bright bright red waving around a giant axe. She is a symbol as much as she is a combatant, someone to follow. I didn’t really mention their secondary lord costumes, but a girl in sexy armor is literally everything and I love that they had the balls to put their main sexy waifu girl in full body armor.

Okay I’m sorry I realize this was excessive and probably didn’t need explaining and I’m not sure I even articulated my thoughts properly but anyway I love their designs so here is the positivity I’ll put into the world.

[smol-and-grumpy]

EUPHORIA - Chapter 16

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: He’s Dean Winchester, owner of a shady night club. She’s a journalist who has been asked to write an article to expose the indecency and debauchery that’s going on behind closed doors. But he’s also Dean Winchester, the boy who sat next to her in class. The boy who was too cocky for his own good.

Chapter Warning: Flangst, NSFW

WC: 2871

A/N: This chapter fills my ‘striptease’ square for @spnkinkbingo Please share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear your feedback.

Beta’d by @deanwanddamons​ <3

This series is more than two weeks ahead on patreon!

Series Masterlist ~ SPN Masterlist

Become a Patron ~ Buy me a coffee

Once inside, Y/N couldn’t fight Dean anymore and she let him crowd her against the wall next to the entrance. His lips quickly finds hers again, his tongue invading her mouth and she tastes him, swallows his moan, drinks in what he has to give her. Her senses are flooded by him. 

She hears people working inside, hear them stacking bottles, scrubbing floors, but they are hidden behind a heavy curtain, nobody can see them.

Dean’s hands are on her thighs, skimming upwards along her skin, and he groans into her mouth when he feels that she’s wearing stockings. She bucks her hips against his touches, arches her back, wants him to touch more of her. Needs him to touch her fucking there.

But before Dean goes any further, he pulls his hand away and she winces at the loss. He knows, because he chuckles before he pecks her lips. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Dean thumbs over a number, dials it and pushes the speaker button. He holds it between them so she can see the caller ID. 

Sam Winchester.

“Dean,” Another male voice could be heard through  the speaker.

Dean smirks at her as his tongue darts out to wet his lips, his other hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek. His eyes are on hers unblinking, as if he’s afraid that she’s not real, as if he’s afraid she’ll disappear with a blink of his eyes, “Yeah, uh, Sammy, I’m staying down here.”

“Okay, Jess and I have to leave anyway. Did you manage to find her?”

Dean tears his eyes from hers, looks down a little and she can swear that he’s blushing. It’s crazy how cute he is. He’s quick to lean forward though, kissing her nose to conceal the rise of color on his face, “Yeah, I did,”

“Good, tell her sorry. Jess feels absolutely horrible,”

Y/N has to frown at the statement. That was not her intention but in her defense, she felt absolutely shitty too.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dean shrugs, “I’ll see you in a couple of days, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,”

“Lock the door, Sammy,” Dean reminds his brother.

“We will,” Sam says and adds, “Say hi to her from us,”

“She says hi back, says she can’t wait to meet you two,”

Her mouth opens to say something, but Dean hushes her by placing his index finger to her lips. Sam talks about something else for a brief while, but she doesn’t listen, because she has her hands around the wrist of his finger that’s right by her mouth, parts her lips and lets it slide over her tongue to the back of her throat. Dean groans and she twirls her tongue around it with a mischievous grin.

Dean swallows hard, clears his throat, “Sammy, gotta go, bye,” 

He hangs up and places his phone back before he watches her tonguing his digit. Dean slides another finger in, his gaze is on her lips, watches her sucking in his fingers. She feels the heat rising in her face. 

His one hand sneaks around her waist, works it down and under her coat. Dean groans when he feels that she isn't wearing anything else than lingerie. Pulling his fingers out of her mouth, he lets them trail along her chin and down her throat, until he strokes them along her chest. He lifts one side of the coat collar to peek underneath, sees the lace bra and lets out another audible groan, “Fuck, baby, you wore that for me?”

Admittedly, she feels a little embarrassed, but she nods her head while her teeth tugs at her bottom lip, “Wanted to surprise you,” She says, because it’s true. She wore it with the intention to show him, maybe as a thank you that he helped her, and really it’s a win for her too. 

Dean’s lips widen into a bright smile, and he crashes his mouth onto hers, kisses her deep and rough and it’s all need and want . She didn’t know that she needs it right now but she does, she fucking does.Y/N melts against him. It’s hard not to.

After a while, he breaks the kiss. Her head’s spinning. His forehead rests against hers, his breathing is hard, ragged. “I need you to trust me,” 

She does. It’s just… she doesn’t know? She’s confused. But yeah, she does. And now she thinks she’s a complete idiot for not trusting him. 

“I do,” She mumbles, “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did,” 

His lips curve into a smile, “No, you had the right to be upset. I would be too, if it was the other way around,” He places a hand on the back of her neck, draws her close and kisses her forehead, “Do you trust me?” He whispers again, as if he wants to really make sure.

She nods with a smirk on her face, “Yeah,”

Dean takes her hand and smiles brightly, showing his teeth, his body relaxed visibly. As if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, “Come on, I have a surprise for you too,” 

Before Y/N could ask what it is, Dean pulls her along with him, dashes up the stairs and she has to run to keep up, which is actually really hard with her heels. Some employees are staring at them, but they soon went back to minding their own business.

He slows down when he feels that she’s lagging behind. No wonder, he doesn’t know if he could walk in those heels either. Dean weaves his arm around her waist, pulls her close, helping her go faster. He’s fucking giddy, still can’t believe that she’s dressed up for him.

They walk through the VIP room until they reach the hallway to the rooms. He determinedly walks to a room and slips in with her clutched to him. 

When he closes the door, Dean flops himself into a big chair and she walks in further. He watches her and takes the remote control that’s sitting on the table next to his chair, pushes a button for the music. It comes out loudly and they both jump and squint their eyes. He tunes the volume down with a chuckle.

Y/N walks to the pole that’s in the middle of the room. Her hand reaches out to touch the metal, letting them skim over the smooth surface. 

After a while, she turns around, her lips curving up a little and he kind of knows that she likes it. 

“Come on, show me,” His voice is raspy, his throat feels constricted, maybe it’s because of what he’s going to see, and it feels like fucking Christmas mornings where he wouldn’t get any presents but he’s excited anyway because he can watch Sam unwrap the present Dean got for him. But he’s even more excited now actually, because this time, he knows that it is all for him. 

She trails her eyes over him, and there’s something unspoken between them. She’s still not sure and he knows that he’s not going to force her into anything.  Hell, if she’d say that she wants out, he’d get up right away. The thing is, though, he knows — is actually quite certain — that she wants it. She’s just awfully shy and innocent and knowing that, makes his cock ache.

If she only knew how much she affects him and Dean’s kind of disappointed that she really thinks that he could fuck someone else when she’s really the only thing he fucking wants. Always have, probably. He just never knew it until now.

“Dean,” She whines, and stomps her feet, her hands up in the air and she lets them drop down to her side. 

It’s cute, he can’t lie and he chuckles, “What?”

“I can’t dance,” Y/N pouts. 

Cutest little fucking thing. He’s hard from just watching her throwing a tantrum because she can’t fucking dance. 

“You don’t have to dance, just show me,” Dean leans back in his chair some more and watches her walk towards him.

She comes to stand right between his thighs. Dean’s close enough that if he would reach out, he could basically tug at the knot that binds her coat together. But he doesn’t. Instead, he rests the back of his head on the chair, looking up at her and smiles.

“Promise me you won’t laugh,” She mumbles and she pulls her bottom lip up. Fucking irritating, is what it is. Because it’s too fucking cute.

Dean’s eyes widen. He doesn’t understand how she can think that he would laugh? Does she really think that he won’t like it?

“Baby,” Dean’s voice is soft, he likes the sound of the word. Likes how it fits her and only her. It’s not just a thing he says when he’s trying to sweetalk someone into fucking. It’s sincere, has more meaning to him when spoken to her, and he doesn’t think that he could use it on anyone anymore now that the rightful owner of that word claimed it for herself, “I promise, I won’t. You could wear a furry costume and you’d still turn me on.”

She laughs at that. 

Mission accomplished. 

And he’s not even lying. Would have to try it to know if it would be the complete truth. He doesn’t think that she’ll agree to wearing one, though.

“Fine,” She scoffs, feigning annoyance, but he can see right through that facade. She’s smirking underneath those tight pressed lips. 

Dean’s dick twitches when he sees her fingers working on the knot around her waist. He leans his elbow on the armchair, lays his head into the palm of his one hand, places his ring finger on his lips and he nibbles on it with his teeth to hide how excited he really is.

His eyes are on her face, he sees her looking down. She does not want to look him in the eye. At least not yet.

The knot opens up, and Dean’s watches in awe as she parts the coat. He starts to drool. It’s fucking embarrassing really. He swallows it down thickly before he exhales. He didn’t even realize that he was holding his breath.

She shrugs off her coat, lets it pool around her ankle. The lace of her bra doesn’t quite cover the peak of her nipples, the darker shade of her areolas. The fucking bra might as well not be there.

Don’t get him started on the panties. They cover enough, but they for sure leave too much to the imagination and boy, does Dean’s imagination run wild. His eyes widen some more when he sees that they are fucking crotchless. Jesus fucking Christ. He rubs his hand over his face, his heart doing somersaults.

Y/N’s shoulders sag down, and she tries to cover her modesty with her hands. 

“Shhhhh,” Dean hushes her, “Let me see,” 

He swallows again and his hand goes to his cock, strokes it through his dress pants, moans at the relief he feels by the friction his own hand provides. 

Dean sticks his index finger out, twists it in the air while he grins cockily. She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth again, rolls her eyes for the effect but he can see that little smile hiding behind it. 

She turns around and Dean bites back a groan.

“Fucking beautiful,” His voice is heavy, thick with arousal. 

Her ass is barely covered but the lace is clearly there. 

When she completes her twist, she begins to pout again, not knowing what to do since she said that she can’t fucking dance and Dean doesn’t even expect it from her because it’s enough for him when she can dance on his fucking cock — which she’s exceptionally good at. 

“Come here,” Dean takes his hands off his cock to pat his lap. 

The pout is still there but she comes willingly and Dean pushes his thighs together to let her straddle him. Her knees are placed on either side of him and she sits right on top of his cock which stirs at the feeling of her heat. 

His arm sneaks around her waist, one hand strokes at her skin, fingertips trailing along her cheek, the pad of his thumb paints along her bottom lip, evens out her pout. 

She bites on this thumb playfully and Dean chuckles. He’d love to kiss her but he can’t quite take his eyes off of her body. His fingers trail downwards, past her throat and she cranes her neck. He grabs a hold, chocking her lightly and she fucking moans, the sound of it goes right to his dick. He loves how much she likes to be choked by him. 

Dean closes his eyes briefly, imaging his cock buried deep in her throat, imagining the bulge he left there when he fucked her face last. He’s drooling some more at the thought, and swallows down his saliva audibly. 

Hesitantly, he lets go of her throat with a whine from her. His hand has now reached her chest, and he feels the material of her lace beneath his fingers. Her nipples are peaking, and she shudders when he runs the pad of his thumb over it. Dean goes underneath the fabric, tweaks at it with his thumb and forefinger, making her arch in his grip but he’s holding her tight, his hand spans over her back. 

“Fuck,” He mumbles, feels her wriggling in his lap, grinding down on his already leaking boner and he feels the material dampen. She’s turned on as well.

“You like it? She asks, moving her hips to coax another reaction out of him, that little minx, and Dean bites back a groan. 

“Love it,” He answers, his voice deeper than usual.

His hand goes back up, places it on the back of her neck and he pulls her down, making her crash her mouth on his and Dean groans into her mouth at the slide of her wet tongue against his own. Groans because she’s fucking finally dancing in his lap, grinding down on his hard cock, wetting his goddamn pants with her slick. 

The kiss is much anticipated. It starts soft and slow and  grows heavier, grows more demanding. Dean kisses down her throat, and she has her arms around his neck, fists them in his hair, fingers digging at his scalp. Just on that right side of hurt. 

Dean’s mouth finds her nipple, sucks at it through the material of her bra, uses his teeth to scrape over the hard little nub and she keens, grinding down harder into his bulge. He feels like seven-fucking-teen again when they make out like that and it isn’t bad. It’s like he’s making up for lost time. 

He worries at her other nipple, pulls the fabric away this time so he can twirl his tongue around the peak, sucks as if his life depends on it, and she digs her nail deeper into his scalp while her movement picks up. He’s so close to creaming his pants and that’s not normal is it? She has no idea what she does to him. 

Y/N’s panting hard above him and Dean wonders if she can come like that. If she can find release by only grinding on him. She’s close, he knows because she feels her body tremble. Feels her thighs squeezing together and his dick is trapped underneath her wet pussy. 

Looking up at her, he rests his chin on her chest, “Come for me, baby, can you do that?” He licks a broad strip up her chest and her throat, nibbles at the flesh on her chin, “Be a good girl and come for me,”

“Fuck,” She lets out a breathy cry. His hands are on her hips now, helping her grind down on him, harder and faster. 

“Come on,” 

“Dean, fuck—”

His name sounds so fucking good when it comes out of her mouth in a choked moan. It makes his dick throb, can’t lie about that.

He claims her mouth, breathes “Come” into it, and she does, twitching and shaking above him and he has to actually hold her tight not to let her fall. 

“Good girl,” He smiles, as he pecks her lips and nose, “Such a fucking good girl for me,” Dean sees her smiling back at him, her face laced with that afterglow, blissfully content. Abso-fucking-lutely pretty, “You look so beautiful when you come,”

He lets her come down from her high, hopes that she’s not too tired because the fun has actually just begun, “You okay?” Dean asks. Can not not ask. He’s so obsessed with knowing that she’s okay.

“Yeah,”

Her lids are heavy but she looks at him with lustful eyes. There’s a grin tugging at her lips — cocky is what it is — as her fingers start to work on his belt. 

“Nuh-uh,” Dean says, and brushes the tip of his nose against hers.

“Nuh-uh?”

Her shoulders sag, there’s a slight pout and Dean kisses it away. 

“You’re not too tired?” He whispers.

“Nuh-uh,” 

There’s a smile on his face, “Then come with me,” 

Chapter 17

[ribbonetteart]

I redesigned Rouge!

A LOT of notes about her redesign below:

Again, much like the Cream redesign, I’d like to start with the disclaimer that I don’t hate Rouge’s current design! I think her current look is cute but I did take some issue with it here and there, and here was the checklist I had in mind when redesigning her:

Put some red on her! Her name is ROUGE

Ditch the jumpsuit. I get the impression that the “sexier” aspects of Rouge make her appear older than she is, so I wanted to try making her look more like she’s 18.

Wing arms!!! There’s nothing wrong with putting the wings on her back but I wanted to emphasize her being a bat.

Give her a new alt outfit. In Sonic Heroes, Rouge got a new outfit that was quickly retired. I wanted to give her a debut outfit and a new outfit that would stick around.

Switch out the heart motif for a diamond motif. I think the heart motif is cute! But I think making diamonds Rouge’s thing is more fitting since she loves jewels more than anything.

Rouge’s Body

The 1st reference sheet is Rouge’s bare body. She’s still got white fur, but her body is gray. I actually came to the decision to give her gray body fur last-minute; I wanted to give her a white belt in her 2nd outfit, but her white midriff made the 2 things blend and I needed some contrast. I drew (ba-dum-tssh) lots of inspiration from Honduran white bats, and thus I gave her a little bat nose and smoky colored wings (I actually wanted a more gray-ish purple wing color, but my scanner gave me this gray instead. the gray-purple is more noticeable in the other reference sheet though).

I gave her a furry body because I thought it was weird that other Sonic character’s bodies had fur and Rouge was just all skin, save for her head. She has chest fur now because I thought it made her look more like a bat and because I’m not that comfortable with an 18 year old baring visible cleavage all the time, so this hit 2 birds with one stone. I kept her arms and legs furless, again, to make her look more like a Honduran white bat. I also wanted some more body diversity within the sonic cast, so I gave Rouge a plumper body and wider legs since she usually uses her legs in combat.

I wanted to keep her skin tone similar to the one she has in Sonic Adventure 2, but I ditched the eye color. I really wanted to put some red on her somewhere since her name is Rouge, and making it her eye color means that she has red on her all the time, so I thought it was perfect. On one final note regarding her body, she’s got visible nails now! Her old, beta name before it was “Rouge” was “Nails”, and I imagine she uses her nails for digging or combat so I made them more prominent.

Rouge’s Clothes

“That Government Spy Rouge the Bat”: SA2 G.U.N. Agent Rouge

Her 1st outfit would be her outfit in her debut appearance while she’s an agent for G.U.N. I still wanted her outfit to look trendy without looking too much like a uniform as she is supposed to be an undercover agent in SA2. The decision to use a blue analogous palette was to make it look even more like a police uniform.

Her gloves are short, half gloves. With arms on her wings, obviously her opera gloves weren’t gonna fit comfortably. The cropped gloves fit more comfortably on her hands without bothering her wings.

Rouge’s uniform is a sleeveless turtleneck and a “skort”, or, shorts with a skirt on it. The skirt flap has a pocket where she stores anything that won’t fit on her utility belt.

She’s also got piercings now! I think they suit her for someone who’s obsessed with jewels.

Her boots aren’t flashy, but they’re a chunky heel with metal soles to pack a harder wallop in her kicks.

Fly in the Freedom: Post SA2 Rouge

With this design comes with a bit of a rewrite. Rouge no longer works under G.U.N., free-lancing or not. After the events of SA2, she’s quit and gone on to do her own thing (however she’s still a grade A thief).

Overall, her new post SA2 look is rather asymmetrical compared to her more uniform look in the 1st design. I thought the asymmetry would convey her new rebellious, independent status and contrast more with the uniform she sported prior to when she took order from G.U.N.

I wanted this design to look more cohesive with team dark. Her Sonic Heroes outfit made her stick out from the other team members as she had a more purple and pink color palette compared to Shadow and Omega’s red, black, and gold. For her palette, I wanted to incorporate more of those colors to really make her look like the leader of Team Dark. The reds are mostly located on her diamond motifs, and the gold on her is on any metal she’s adorning.

Her outfit includes a cropped leather jacket, dark purple-ish black form fitting pants, white knee high boots, and white leather utility belt and cropped fingerless gloves. Since she no longer has a skirt flap or pocket to store extra items, I gave a her a little fanny pack at the back of her belt. I gave her a cropped jacket to make her look a little more rebellious, seeing as her teammates are rebels of their own. The leader of an edgy team has gotta look edgy herself, I figured! The dark make up is also to help with her new, bold and edgy look.I also wanted to show off Rouge’s chest fur and the deep V neck of the jacket does that well!

I thought Rouge’s heart boots were cute, but since I’m replacing her heart motif with diamonds, I wanted to adjust it to fit the diamond motif. She’s now got diamonds at the toe of her boots as well as the sole. I made them wedge heels because I imagine they’re easier to run in.

Inventory

On her utility belt, she’s got a flip phone: good for quick contact and disposal. She also has a few pouches, probably to hold smoke bombs or something. I also wanted her to keep her treasure scope from SA2, so it’s also got a place on her belt.

Other inventory items include her compact, perfect for touching up her make up or finding pesky lasers (which is a spy trope I think? It’s probably not scientifically sound but whatever it helps her find lasers).

And of course, Rouge’s bat bomb! It functions much the same as Rouge’s bombs have throughout the series (Sonic Battle, Sonic 06, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle), I just adjusted its appearance to reflect this redesign.

I also decided while I was at it to take the guns away from Shadow and give them to Rouge; I don’t see why the ultimate life form needs a fire arm when he can shoot powerful concentrated beams of energy from his hands while the secret agent (who is more likely to be equipped with that kind of weapon) would be without it. She has her pea shooter on her leg holster concealed by her boots (Which is why I tried making her boots a bit bigger than her legs as opposed to being tight fitting).

Hair

Finally, Rouge has got some new hairstyles! For her SA2 look, I wanted to keep the trademark Yuji Uekawa spiky hair he tends to draw on his sonic characters, but I definitely wanted to change her hairstyle; I just personally wasn’t a fan of her current style. I wanted something that looked mature and chic, so I gave her a layered bob. It’s also symmetrical to fit the uniform look she’s wearing.

And Rouge gets another haircut for her post SA2 look! It’s much wavier, and she’s got bangs now. For this style, I was inspired by 1. the Finger Waves hairstyle, 2. those little curlicues that agent Honeydew has from Dexter’s Laboratory, and 3. Marilyn Monroe’s curly hair. I wanted to add some elegance to Rouge’s look and I think the curly hair really brings that aspect of her character out.

If you’ve made it to the end of all of this then like holy crap thank you so much for reading all of this and I love you

[theodora3022]

Since you wrote about Yandere Villians with Y/N having a cute fairy quirk, how about a Yandere Hero having a Y/N with a monstrous quirk? SO...you pick the hero! Pick any male hero who you believe can handle Y/N. You do such amazing writing.

Y/N have to wear a face mask to hide the muzzle she wears going outside. Y/N have a quirk where she goes on a frenzy. Her eyes turn red, her veins pop out of her skin, she starts growling and trying to bite anyone near by. A monster who craves to rip flesh and bones. Y/N can turn on her quirk if she feels so much anger or fear. Y/N doesn't want to hurt anyone. She wants to live a quiet and alone life.

Wolf

Pairing: Best Jeanist x f!reader

Warnings: light yandere content, power abuse, threats

Thank you so much for the compliment, dear anon! I went soft with the monster idea that I just made the reader into a werewolf...hope it is still good! I was torn between Kiri and Best Jeanist! I really like Best Jeanist, I wish he got some more screen time ... Maybe I’ll do another one for the shark boy later.

Some groundwork:

When your quirk manifested at four years old, you were not surprised: you come from a family of Mutant quirks, after all.

Your quirk, wolf, means you can transform into a wolf anytime. The longevity is unknown to you since you barely use it. Even in your normal human form, you still have wolf ears and tail. You also have a sensitive nose, just like canines. You (hair color) fluffy fur is the same color as your hair. In acient times, before quirks become a thing, you would be seen as a werewolf.

While transformed, it is hard to supress the wolf’s wild instincts, the desire to hunt, to kill and consume raw meat (extremely difficult if you are hungry). You hate it, being like a beast instead of human. You had outbursts in the past that nearly killed one of your friends. There fore you stay in human at all times.

So most of the time, you just kept a muzzle near you, just in case you would lose yourself to the beast again.

You always feel this...strange sense of difference between you and normal people, so all of your friends have mutant quirks. You kept your social circle small, only letting those who are deemed trustworthy close to you (you told them to run if they see any signs of you getting wild)

You always had a soft spot for animals, therefore you decided to work in a pet shop. Dogs especially loves you, maybe because your canine quirk. Cats not so much, as they had left quite a few marks on you when you just started.

Now you are the assistant manager, the salary is decent, so you do not look for anything more. You never thought of having a romantic relationship because you do not trust yourself: you do not want to hurt the person you love. So even if you had crushes you just kept those feelings hidden until they went away.

Best Jeanist/Tsunagu Hakamada

Did you know his favorite animal is wolf? Therefore he is a furry

Being the No.4 pro hero means taking on lots of stress, so Tsunagu decides to have an animal friend at home who he can talk to freely, without worrying leaking information (I mean how can animals pass on information).

He went into the nearest pet shop, hoping to find a furry companion, preferably dogs.

What he did not expect is to find you there, with those literal puppy eyes and fluffy ears sticking out of your hair, tending to the puppies.

Tsunagu met people with similar quirks before, and he finds them aesthetically pleasing. But seeing you with a litter of adorable puppies, laughing and petting them? He felt like his heart just melted.

“Hello sir. How may I help you today?” You put on your usual smile. Tsunagu is wearing his civilian clothes, so he is just another customer to you. A fashionable one, though. You took notice at his stylish blonde hair.

Tsunagu would ask you about all the options for adopting a puppy. However he is only half-listening: he is drawn to how your ears twitch towards any abnormal sounds...

“Oh, my ears? Sorry if they are distracting. It’s part of my quirk.”

Would get you to talk to him as much as possible, with lots of polite questions.

When you bid him good day as he walks out the door, holding a poodle puppy with its supplies, Tsunagu is determined to see you more.

You are warm, like a ray of sunlight in this stormy world. Having worked as a pro hero for so long, dealing with many negative things so often, make him attracted to positive people. Those furry wolf ears and tail only added to his admiration.

Whenever Best Jeanist is not needed at his agency, Tsunagu Hakamada would find excuses to drop by your shop. Whether it be buying new accessories for his puppy or simply need some advice on her, he would find a way to talk to you, to hear your voice.

Until he become acquainted with you enough, Tsunagu finally asked for you name.

“I’m (y/n), and you, sir?” “Tsunagu. Tusnagu Hakamada.”

Never have once you associated your friendly customer with the No.4 Pro hero of Japan. Tsunagu is charismatic and talkative (at least to you), never putting on airs like Endeavor. Since he wears a mask, the public does not have a good idea what he looks like.

Then you noticed those small gestures, how Tsunagu’s hands would “unintentionally” brush against yours when you hand over his paid items, how his body would lean in slightly towards you whenever you are talking. Or how his lips would curl upwards whenever your tails wags with excitement. You also seen him way more frequently compare to average customers.

“He got a crush on you.” One of you co workers, teases after Tsunagu left the store.

“No he doesn’t.” You blush, although considering her hypothesis.

You seen some of his clothes in fashion magazines, one of them costs more then your monthly salary. Tsunagu is clearly a rich man, a fashion designer perhaps.

“Ms.(y/n), sorry if this sounds intrusive, but do you have a lover?”

That was...unexpected. “No, I do not. Why did you ask, Mr. Hakamata?”

That saves him trouble. Best Jeanist has got this flawless reputation for years, he prefers not to taint it. But if he must, Tsunagu would not hesitate. You belong with him, and him only. “Well, it’s possible such a beautiful lady like you already has a significant other.”

“Mr. Hakamata...I-” You were not sure to blush or to smile. Now it is clear to you: This blonde is interested in you. However you do not know what to respond.

“Call me Tsunagu, please.”

The next day you would find a lily bouquet wrapped in denim on the store counter?! Who use that as a bouquet wrapper? Flatter as you are, you still find this unsettling. He did not show up for the rest of the day, which gives you time to think.

Tsunagu is handsome and kind. He seems like a perfect choice, but you wonder what he would say if he saw you as a bloodthirsty wolf, feral and hungry for killing.

You decide to turn him down, not wanting to give him false hope.

Some minor villain is causing trouble in the streets when you were walking home. You were just going to sprint away at first, but in the corner of your eye you saw a mother with her toddler daughter being corner by the villain. The way the mother tries to protect her child triggered something in you. You have to do something!

“Grr!!!” Suddenly a piece of flesh is ripped off the villain’s leg. The villain screams in pain, but you dodged every last one of his attacks while leaving deep bite marks on him. Soon the sidewalk is stained crimson with blood. You know the two had already gotten away, you should stop now. But the wolf instincts got the better of you. You crave blood, lots of it. The growing pool under you is not enough.

You heard police sirens, someone yelling for you to stop, but the wolf is not willing to. It seems it would not be satiated unless this villain dies a brutal death.

Streams of fibers wrapped around you, restraining you until you cannot move anymore.

When you regained consciousness, you were in a clean jail cell, still in your wolf form. You assumed that you are being confined in a hero agency since you just lost control.

The door cracked. It is Tsunagu! What is he doing here? And why is he wearing a jean mask?

Then you saw the rest of his outfit. Demin jeans suit from head to toe, the...the No.4?

He is Best Jeanist? What is happening now?

Tsunagu wanted to take things slow, he wanted to date you normally, letting you know everything about him, but this seems like too good of an oppertunity to pass up.

“(y/n), can you understand me?” He crouches down with a concerned look on his face.

You nod. You are not able to speak human languages while in wolf form, another draw back.

“Do your clothes come back when you transform? Or do you need some clothes?”

You left your clothes behind a dumpster before, so you just shook your head. If you were to transform now, it could be quite embarrassing.

Handing you a denim dress, Best Jeanist leaves to give you some privacy to change.

After you are dressed and back in human form, he took you to his office.

“I know you must have lots of question right now, but please allow me to explain somethings first.”

“The villain is in bad shape. You did quite a bit damage on him. His blood loss is immense; he is still in the ICU as we speak.”

Why don’t you just let him die, he’s a threat to society anyway. You ask yourself, silently.

“However, while he is a villain, you still hurt him too much. And it’s not even self-defence. You are not a hero, it’s illegal.”

You tense up. Would you face charges for this? For trying to protect other people.

“Would I go to Tartarus? For how long?”

“Oh, come now. As long as I have any say , I won’t allow that to happen.” Your eyes lit up, wanting to thank him.

“You can be my wife instead. Stay with me, and no charges would be pressed.”

What?

You know he likes you, but just asking to become his wife like that? Without dating first.

“Tsunagu, I... you...this...” He finds your stutters cute, as he traces his fingers along the edge of your wolf ears. Best Jeanist had been wanting to do that for so long, he worked so hard to restrain himself.

“Your choice. Either face court charges, or you can be with me, all is well.”

Tsunagu Hakamada is confident about his chances. An innocent, adorable civilian like you will not last long even in the most outer cells of Tartarus.

Tears slides down your chin as you give a reclutant reply. “I’ll...be with you.”

Who could have thought Tsunagu would do such a thing? He is always so nice and friendly. But now here he is, threatening you with this crime?

“Perfect.” Snapping a denim collar around your neck, he lifts your chin, forcing you to look up to him. “I can’t wait to get you home; you would be such a lovely little wolf. My little wolf.”

“Should you ever try to leave me, I’m sure Tartarus is always avaliable.”

[umbry-fic]

A Palette Full of You (5)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Noishe Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving Rating: G Chapter: 5 of 6 Word Count: 4186 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 14/06/2021

Chapter Title: A Brand New World

Chapter Summary: On a day in the park, Lloyd helps Colette with her art in the most unexpected way. In the process, he comes to a conclusion.

(Colloyd Week Day 6: Quote Day: "Let's go explore the new world together!")

Notes: Chapter 5 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! (I might have cheated with this prompt.) Fluff galore.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

14-years-old

"Whoa there, Noishe!" Lloyd exclaimed, sidestepping in an attempt to dodge the excited dog bounding towards him through the grass of the park. But Noishe was far too quick to fall for a ruse as simple as that, making a minute adjustment to his path within seconds. Noishe pounced on Lloyd and knocked him to the grass with a happy wag of his tail, Lloyd yelping in protest at the predicament he'd found himself in - Noishe was practically on top of Lloyd, resting two paws on Lloyd's chest and pressing down as if to assert his triumphant victory.

"Noishe, get - off!" Lloyd struggled to get the sentence out against Noishe’s weight. Noishe was no small dog, after all - he was almost half Lloyd’s weight. Not enough to pose any real danger, but enough to make Lloyd feel like he was being slowly crushed by a very furry van.

He patted Noishe on the snout, but to no avail. Noishe didn’t budge, his favourite squeaky toy, shaped like a bone, gripped in his mouth. The toy was slathered in slobber, slowly dripping onto Lloyd's face. Lloyd was used to this by now, but that hadn't succeeded in reducing how disgusting the experience was. He’d need to borrow some tissues from Colette later.

Lloyd sighed, raising his hands in a sign of surrender, hoping Noishe would get the memo to let up. When Noishe got like this, nothing but a really hard push would get him off, and Lloyd was just not in the mood to expend that much power.

Surprisingly, Noishe conceded, taking his paws off Lloyd's chest and dropping the squeaky toy into the grass. Lloyd sat up, taking a deep breath and letting sweet air flood his lungs again.

Noishe barked to get Lloyd's attention, pushing the squeaky toy back towards Lloyd with one paw. He lay down onto the grass with his snout pillowed on his paws and ears drooping, seeming to stare straight into Lloyd’s soul with wide eyes in what Lloyd had termed "the Noishe stare" - the pleading look that Noishe whipped out whenever he wanted something. The best alternative to words.

“Do you want to throw it this time, Colette?” Lloyd asked, retrieving the toy from the floor. He knew Colette loved pampering Noishe, and she hadn’t played with him at all since arriving at the park. She hadn’t had a chance, despite sitting quite close by on the stone wall surrounding the tall rain tree in the middle of the park, too busy staring at her sketchbook.

“Colette?” Lloyd called out again as he craned his neck to look behind his shoulder, perplexed at the lack of an answer. Had she heard him?

It certainly didn't seem like she had. She was still in the exact position he’d left her in when he’d taken Noishe to run one round of the park. Dressed in overalls, her hair in twin braids that rested on her shoulders, legs kicking back and forth with the heel of her sneakers hitting the stone wall, the laces on her right sneaker undone and flying everywhere. Tapping her pencil against her cheek, brow furrowed, she stared down at the sketchbook resting in her lap. A palette with quickly drying paint sat next to her, the solitary paintbrush still dabbed in midnight blue. There was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, courtesy of the morning sun, soon to be the afternoon sun as it continued to rise.

Maybe she was running low on inspiration again?

“Noishe, catch!” he yelled, throwing the squeaky toy as far as he could, where it landed in a row of bushes. Noishe practically hopped a full ten centimetres into the air, bounding off with a resounding bark and freeing Lloyd of his presence.

“Hey,” he said softly as he seated himself next to Colette on the wall, hoping not to startle her. As he’d suspected, the page of the sketchbook was still utterly blank, save for a messy circle in pencil with dabs of crimson filling it.

“Oh, Lloyd. You’re back from walking Noishe?”

There was silent panic on Colette’s face, screaming "that much time has passed already?".

“No ideas, huh?” he asked.

Colette set her pencil down, shaking her head. “Yeah… Why does this always happen whenever I have to get things done? It’s so infuriating...”

“Isn’t that what always happens? The moment I start trying to get all my homework done, my motivation just disappears. And then I’m left with a pile of undone homework.” Plus a bunch of all-nighters to clear that pile.

Colette sighed, running a hand down her face. There was a tiny fleck of yellow paint by her eyebrow that kept drawing his attention, standing out on her face. She must have unknowingly put it there. He was close enough that he could just reach out a hand and help her get it off, but he held himself back. He'd just tell her about it later. “I have to get my competition piece done by the end of the month, though… There isn’t much time left. Even playing with the paints didn’t give me any good ideas. This is hopeless...”

“Don’t worry too much,” he reassured her, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m sure the idea will come to you eventually! And once it does, you’ll be fine.”

Colette tended to be a slow starter, but once she got into the swing of things she could go for hours without stopping, an almost manic glint in her eyes as she slaved over the tiny details. When she got like that, he had to tap her on the shoulder to break her out of her trance and physically drag her off to take breaks.

Colette puffed her cheeks out, pouting in disappointment. “I thought the change in scenery would help, but it doesn’t seem like it. Sorry for dragging you all the way out here.”

“Come on, don’t apologise! Noishe needed a change of pace too. Look how happy he is,” Lloyd said, gesturing to where Noishe was still busy digging for his toy. The bush obscured most of him, leaving only a wagging tail visible.

How could he help her? It’s not like he was any good at art - he couldn’t even draw an apple. What came out when he tried for art class resembled a slimy blob. He did, however, love seeing her create. Loved watching the joy in her eyes as her hand danced across the paper. Loved witnessing the beauty of the final product, because everything Colette touched became a priceless treasure. How could it not, with the care she put behind every deliberate action she took?

So he didn't know much about techniques, but he knew enough about Colette to know that she loved doing art. That was really all that mattered, wasn't it?

Maybe he could push her on…

“Okay. How about you just start?” Lloyd suggested, picking up the paintbrush and pulling it across the paper, a trail of midnight blue left behind.

"I... don't know," Colette replied, taking the brush back and staring at it in her palm like it held all the answers in the world. "It needs to fit the theme and it needs to appeal to the judges. So it needs to have some significant meaning..." She sounded miserable, her shoulders hunched, and Lloyd hated it.

"Does it really matter what others think the meaning behind it is, as long as you know what it is?" Lloyd said, cocking his head. He’d never gotten that part, but he supposed he’d never drawn for anyone else. It sounded like writing an essay. In other words, horrendous.

"Hmm. I guess that's true," Colette conceded, beginning to turn the paintbrush over and over in her fingers. The corner of her mouth was starting to perk up in the beginnings of a small smile.

"And if someone doesn't understand it, I can just explain it to them for you," Lloyd said, well aware that it was an incredibly stupid idea.

"That's... definitely not how it works." Colette replied, breaking out into silent laughter as she set the paintbrush back on the palette. She covered her mouth with her hand, the tip of her thumb coated in dried green paint.

There. A laughing Colette was a much nicer sight.

Before Lloyd could think up of anything else funny to say, Noishe's loud bark cut through the air, alerting Lloyd to the fact that his dog had retrieved the squeaky toy and was on his way back. A quick scan of the park showed Noishe barrelling straight towards them on a crash course - one that inevitably ended with Noishe headbutting Colette’s legs. The toy dropped from Noishe’s slack jaws onto Colette’s sneakers, Noishe collapsing onto his haunches. Lloyd winced, watching Noishe shake his head, as if to shake the stars from his vision. That must have hurt.

“Awww, good boy,” Colette squealed, having hardly felt the impact from Noishe’s collision. She bent down to pick up the toy, dangling it between two fingers without any care for the drool she was coming into contact with, reaching out her other hand to scratch Noishe under the chin.

Noishe, dizziness forgotten instantly, raised his head to expose more of his chin, a happy grin on his face. Colette laughed over Noishe’s cute behaviour, dropping the toy into her lap and proceeding to give him a good rub behind the ears with her other hand. Being attacked on two frontiers with rubs, Noishe could do nothing but howl contentedly and push his head closer to Colette. A slight breeze picked up, brushing his skin and causing the leaves of the rain tree to rustle above their heads. The ends of Colette’s braids were caught in the wind, a small, ecstatic smile on her face.

There it was again. The little flutter in his chest, like a butterfly had replaced his heart and was beating its wings as hard as it could. He was enraptured by the sight before him, the colours all around Colette suddenly more vibrant, much like the pools of paints she’d squeezed onto the palette. The deep green of the leaves, the gold of Colette’s hair, the azure of her eyes, the pale peach of her skin, the brown of Noishe’s fur. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope, giving him a window to a beautiful new world he had yet to experience but longed to, the key to which lay in taking Colette’s hand. He never wanted this moment in time to end, watching a joyful Colette being completely adorable, without a care in the world. It was now that he wished he had Colette’s skill at capturing features on a page with nothing but a pencil, for he wanted to engrave this moment permanently into his heart.

He could recognise a crush because of the countless ones he’d already experienced. When had his original platonic feelings melted into more? The signs had been there, even if he’d failed to recognise them until recently. Slowly, but surely, he’d fallen in love with his oldest friend.

His feelings towards her had both changed and remained constant. He felt the same warm happiness filling him from head to toe that he experienced from being close to any of his crushes, but it was both more intense and calmer, all at the same time. It was the recognisable joy he had always derived from being in Colette’s company, just deeper. It was safety, in the way she had always provided a safe haven - the one who knew all of him, even the parts of himself he hesitated to share to those he did not trust completely.

“Lloyd?” Colette asked, freezing as he leaned closer and used his nail to get rid of the fleck of yellow paint, thumb lingering for just a moment on her face. That life behind all of her animated mannerisms could be felt beneath the surface of her skin, running straight up into his arm and into his heart, jumpstarting it. His gaze flickered to her parted lips for just a second before he tore it back to her eyes, knowing full well he was on a collision course that could not be stopped. She was his sun, drawing him in with inexorable gravity and giving life at the same time.

Noishe had paused in his movements as well, staring at Lloyd with what seemed like knowing eyes. But that was impossible. Noishe was but a dog.

“You had paint on your face,” he mumbled, lowering his arm but not quite shifting away.

She blinked, staring into his eyes with a blank expression, the silence stretching on for an uncomfortable period. Lloyd swallowed, wondering if she’d seen right through him, no matter how improbable that was.

“Oh! Thank you.”

The silence was broken by Colette’s cheery voice as she seemed to return to her senses, sound rushing back into the world as she continued playing with Noishe. She didn’t seem to have caught on to him. He didn’t think she would, not for some time, perhaps not ever.

That was just how she’d always been. Oblivious to the attention she received, even though she had the kindest, most open heart he knew. She was so perceptive sometimes, able to pick up others’ negative emotions and rushing to comfort them, but seemed utterly blind and deaf to matters of the heart. She never seemed to get crushes. Not any that she confided in him, anyway. He’d never held that against her. Feelings were confusing. He knew that from firsthand experience.

It was quite possible she didn't swing his way at all. But it didn't really matter to him, for he didn't want Colette to change who she was. An awkward, kind dork that always had good intentions at heart. That was who he’d fallen in love with.

He had faith. Faith that they would always remain in each other’s lives - like a binary star system, caught in each other’s gravity and revolving around a common centre.

That was enough for him, whether these feelings grew stronger or faded with time. Who knew what the future would hold? Only time would tell.

Noishe, deciding that now was the time to stretch his legs again, pulled free of Colette’s touch. He reared up and placed both paws onto the palette, right on the paint that had not yet dried.

Lloyd shot to his feet, but it was too late to stop his rascal of a dog from running off. “Noishe! Wait!” Lloyd yelled in exasperation as he took off after Noishe, who was busy leaving colourful paw prints all over the grass, leaving Colette to stare after the two of them in astonishment. “I need to clean that paint off! Oi! Noishe!”

But Noishe paid him no heed, starting a game of cat-and-mouse - or rather, human-and-dog.

~~~

Colette knew she shouldn’t be giggling at Lloyd's predicament, but she couldn’t help it. Lloyd was still chasing Noishe around, even though Noishe had been caught multiple times. Each time, the dog had somehow managed to wriggle free, leaving more and more paw prints of paint on Lloyd during the struggle - on his arms, his class T-shirt, his shorts, even his hair.

It was a colourful sight to witness, to say the least, and it had given her mind something to mull over, finally.

Colette smiled, flipping her sketchbook to the next page and putting pencil to paper, the lines and curves flowing naturally now that the brick wall once blocking her path was gone. There were still only shadows of ideas rolling around in her head relating to the competition theme, but what she was sketching now had nothing to do with her art club competition.

Rather, it had everything to do with the scene before her: a boy pretending to be frustrated but unable to hide the grin on his face, and a dog who was clearly having the time of his life.

Hm. How to express it properly?

Maybe an assortment of colours would work...

~~~

27-years-old

"Lloyd!" Colette squealed as Lloyd purposely brought the roller brush across her arm, leaving a line of lavender against her skin. She flinched away from the mixed sensation of the smooth roller and the cold, viscous liquid. "That tickles!"

"That's payback for the black you got on me before this." Lloyd grinned, putting the brush back against the wall and rolling another broad line, putting the finishing touches on the swirl he’d been working on.

“That’s the last galaxy finished!” he declared, dropping the brush into the bucket of paint, where it plopped to the bottom, the metal handle banging against the sides.

“Just the stars and the doggie in the spacesuit left to do. We’ve made good progress in two hours! Good job us!” Colette cheered.

Lloyd took a step back and surveyed the wall of their bedroom, currently painted with swirls of purple and pink, done over a base of pure black that had been finished an hour ago. The room was suffused with the thick smell of paint. The swirls on the wall were a little messy, and didn’t quite resemble the perfect concentric circles of the Milky Way. But it was pretty good for a complete amateur like himself. The original idea had been for Colette to paint the entire thing by herself, since she was the one who knew what she was doing. But she’d insisted he join her, and he was so glad he’d heeded her suggestion. It was incredibly fun to see the colours come to life under his fingers, and doubly so because he was doing it with Colette, watching her get progressively splattered with more paint. There was, as Colette had said, still some work to do, but the final product would hopefully resemble the beautiful starry sky they’d seen on their honeymoon, recreated here for them to wake up to every morning.

Painting one wall of their bedroom was just a single part of the larger plan to decorate the plain little apartment they’d bought for themselves, something that made sense to give their home a personal touch. They’d handpicked and already bought the furniture, most of which had been moved in with the help of the friendly moving company. Their belongings were packed neatly into cardboard boxes, the majority of which were still stacked in corners, waiting to be unpacked.

“Shall we take a break first?” he offered. “Your arms must be tired. We can have a change of clothes and then rest in the living room on our new sofa.”

“Okay. But first… Boo!”

Before he had any time to react to that surprising reply, something poked him in the nose. Lloyd flinched away from the wet sensation, looking down to see Colette grinning mischievously, a thin brush in hand that she had used to do small strokes and which she had just attacked him with.

He rubbed his nose with his thumb, his thumb coming away stained in magenta. He resisted the urge to sneeze, blinking hard. Wow. It really was ticklish.

Schooling his face into an exaggerated shocked expression, he placed one hand on his waist and leaned closer to Colette. "Was that on purpose?"

She stuck out her tongue, eyes glinting with a cheeky light. "Maybe?" she replied, dragging the first syllable out and popping her lips at the end of the second.

Hm. Trying to act as cute as possible to prevent retribution, was she?

Well, it wasn’t working - no, scratch that, it was. Not that he could ever get mad at her in the first place.

But two can play at this game.

"If that's the case..." Lloyd turned her around by the shoulders, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him until her back was flush with his front, resting his chin on the top of her head. Colette let out a startled squeak in response, unsure what to expect. “I’ll just have to trap you here,” he whispered into her ear, his fingers reaching for her sides.

As if realising what was about to happen, Colette let out an alarmed squawk and tried to escape, but it was far too late. With the greatest approximation of an evil cackle he could manage, Lloyd dug his fingers into her sides, squiggling them around as he began the very effective counterattack that was tickling. Colette's greatest weakness.

“No - Lloyd - Stop!” Colette protested, squirming in his grip until her voice dissolved into peals of breathy laughter. Her fingers went slack as she lost her grip on the paintbrush, which fell against the floor. The floor was, thankfully, covered in a layer of newspaper. No leaving paint on the new marble tiles for them.

He was practically rubbing magenta into the old shirt she’d borrowed from him to wear for today, as he moved his fingers up and down, trying to hit every ticklish spot he knew. A little hard to do with all the moving around Colette was doing, but still manageable.

He finally stopped after what he deemed as an acceptable amount of time for enacting his revenge had passed. He didn’t want to go too hard on her, after all.

Colette was left breathless in his arms, glad for the recovery time - she wouldn’t have survived any longer. She could hardly walk as it was.

He released Colette from his grasp, satisfied that he’d won… whatever it was that he had just emerged victorious in.

If she was covered in random flecks of paint before, now she was practically engulfed in it, both sides of her shirt a muddied magenta from all the rubbing. If not for the different outfits, the pout on her face and the much greater amounts of paint everywhere, he would have thought he’d been transported back in time. He could still vividly recall the day all those years ago that she had handed over the drawing she’d started in the park, of him and Noishe, each stroke done in a different colour until the paper resembled a rainbow. And on that thin piece of paper he could see the hours of painstaking care she’d put into a piece that was never to be submitted for anything, her only reason for making it that she wanted to, both for herself and for him. All the intricate details, picked up by an observant eye and translated to paper with skill.

“A thank-you gift. For all your help,” she’d said, the newest song she had recommended to him blaring out of the earpiece that had fallen out of his ear, dangling by his neck. “Besides, I never did give you something in return for that seashell.”

"You still remember that?" he'd replied in astonishment as he'd accepted her gift with shaking hands.

Even now, he still kept that drawing, placed neatly in a clear folder for protection, along with all the other pieces of art she’d gifted him over the years. (Unlike most of his other documents, even vital ones. Those ended up in crumpled balls scattered everywhere that needed to be found in apartment-wide scavenger hunts.)

Her art was an excellent way to understand the world as she saw it - in a completely different way than him, for no two people could see the world the same way, and that was what made forming bonds with others all the more special. In her art, he could see the way she perceived beauty in everything around her, especially how she perceived it in people: as something to be admired and appreciated, but nothing more.

Now that he was free to take her hand in his, they could explore all the brand new avenues that had opened up in front of the two of them. And he would happily do so with her, finding out all the hidden nooks and crannies and all the secrets stored within this shiny new world, recording every second he spent with her into precious memory.

“That… that wasn’t fair,” Colette said in the present, bending over with her hands on her knees and pausing in between words to catch her breath. “That first time was an accident! You were the one who escalated it!”

Her words of protest didn’t match the bright smile on her face as she straightened up, hands held behind her back. She stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. A peace offering, perhaps? To call an end to the paint war before the flames of carnage could consume all?

The next words out of her mouth, however, were not what he expected to hear.

“You’re not off the hook yet,” she muttered against his cheek.

In a flash, Colette attacked with her weapon of choice - revealing the paintbrush she’d somehow managed to retrieve without him noticing, hidden behind her back.

And so the paint wars continued, laughter and yells emanating from the small bedroom as thoughts of finishing the wall or even taking a break were completely forgotten in favour of more chaos.

~~~

Next chapter

[sludgeb0mb]

So, lambert and keira mommy kink?

Its not like lambert doesnt know hes got some hangups, ok? Hell, after everything hed been through its amazing hes only got a few. But fuck if this wasnt the worst one.

Keira knew, almost right from the start, that lambert was missing a sort of guidance. He could have a focused, strategic mind when he was calm, but other times he would lash out like a child. Keiras heart hurt for him, as a sorceress she knew all to well the pain of losing ones childhood.

Lambert had known a lovers touch, but needed the nurturing of one as well. She had been nervous at first, not wanting to be tied down by some man-child, but he wasnt anything like that. He deferred to her at any opportunity and encouraged her to do as she will. It was still in lamberts usual way, a dismissive noise when she suggested he fetch her something, but then returning with it before sundown. The way his golden eyes would shine when she praised him won her over, in the end. He was just too darling to resist.

He was useful. And sweet. And funny. And it was just natural for keira to lean in to her need to care for him, to fill the holes in his heart as best she could.

"Will you be a good boy for me?" Her cock--a soft polished wood with a metal core, was slick against him. The runes carved into the metal inside allowed keira to feel it as intensely as if it were her clit rubbing against him. Lambert whimpered below her, arching his back more to get closer to her cock while nodding into the pillow in front of him.

"I'm being good, Mommy. Please,"

She tutted, Lambert had so little patience, he was always begging for it when theyd only just started. She cant blame him, he was missing this so badly, and the heat pooling in her belly responded to that neediness.

"Okay baby, but remember we go at my pace. You dont ask for more than I give. Isnt that right, sweet?" Her thumb pushed down on the base of her cock, directing it toward his loosened hole, tip circling the rim in a way that had him tense with the urge not to push back even more.

"Yes, please mommy I wont be greedy, I promise." His voice sounded watery, as if he was going to cry already. Keira wouldnt be swayed by his tears, though. She knew when to be firm with her boy.

Keira pushed into him, just enough to allow the head of her cock to get past his rim, sighing as the magic of the toy allowed her to feel the heat of him. Lambert didnt bother holding back his moan, too focused on trying to be good and still for keira. He was whining deliciously, and as keira slid further into him it became drawn out, his voice fraying as she reached the hilt.

"Thank you, thank you," he was babbling into the pillow he was holding on to, whole body shaking with unspent energy while he waited for his mommy to fuck him. Instead, keira ground her hips against his ass, feeling the way his fur tickled her sensitive skin. Lambert was so masculine, all rippling muscles and dense, dark body hair, but when he was like this he was just her boy. Sweet and gentle and ready for her whenever she wanted.

She fucked him at a maddeningly slow pace, small thrusts that rubbed her cock over his prostate constantly while she held his hips in place. Lambert was leaking precome all over the sheets, but keira had already planned on washing them. Each slow drag felt like heaven for her, she didnt have to worry about shooting off or going soft after coming, so she could take her own pleasure at the slow build she preferred, though she knew her boy wanted more. He was sweating with the effort of it, and she leaned over his back to run a hand through his hair, causing her cock to be as deep inside him as possible. Lambert shuddered as her nails ran against his scalp, fresh tears springing to his eyes from the frustration of too-slow pleasure and her gentle touch. Her tits were pressed against him, the feeling of them so foreign with the feeling of a cock inside him. He felt cared for, but also like he was being forced to endure a punishment, and it was too much. He began crying in ernest, trying his best not to writhe on her cock even has his hole tightened around it.

"Whats wrong, baby? I thought you wanted whatever mommy gave you." Her voice was sickly sweet, unable to refrain from mocking him just a little so she could watch him cry harder. She could feel the way he tightened on her cock, trying to get more pleasure from the slow fucking.

"I-I do mommy, but," he sniffled, trying to gain composure. That wouldnt do, keira thought, and she slammed into him exactly once, her hand in his hair balling into a fist. He practically screamed, hiccuping as he tried to breathe through his sobs.

"But what, baby? If you dont like it, mommy can get you a nice plug to sit on." She wouldnt, of course, the hot clutch of him was too good to pull out. but his reaction was worth it, a hand flying up to cover the one in his hair, holding it there.

"No, no! I like it mommy, I do! Please dont stop." The poor thing sounded absolutely miserable, but she reached down to pat his cheek affectionately, making him relax a bit.

"There you go. I know whats best for you, dont you forget." He shook his head, kissing into her palm with reverence. It was a heady feeling, to have such a fierce, independent warrior reduced to this on the end of her cock, one that keira didnt see herself giving up any time soon.

She resumed the torturously slow grind of herself into him, feeling her own muscles twitch and clench as her pleasure built. She reached down around lambert, her hand ignoring his cock completely to stroke and fondle his balls. They were incredibly tight, had been drawing up since she entered him, and she loved the weight of them in her palm. Lambert gave a low moan like a man in pain, and she could feel the slick of his pre smear across her wrist. Fuck, she was getting close herself.

Nimble fingers stroked the smooth skin behind his sac, pressing as she bore down onto his prostate. Lambert jolted, his body uncomfortably hot as he endured her touch.

"Mommy, please, Im close." Lambert could barely get the words out between his tears, and keira barely bit back her moan in time. She removed her hand, giving a light slap to the head of his cock and enjoying the startled noise that came out of him.

"Didn't you promise not to be greedy? If youre a good boy and make mommy come, then Ill let you. If youre bad and you cant stop being greedy, then you get nothing. Will you be good and make mommy come?" Lambert was crying so hard he couldnt respond, but nodded. She stroked her hands soothingly down his back and sides, waiting for him to catch his breath.

"Thats my good boy, there you are. I know its hard, but you are doing so well for mommy. Here, im going to get ready for you." Keira pulled back, sliding out of lambert and making him gasp at the loss, his cute hole clenching around nothing. She reclined onto the bed, supported by a few of the many pillows they had amassed. Lambert dutifully held his position, though the shaking of his body told her that it was killing him.

"Come here, darling." She called to him, managing not to look surprised at the speed in which he turned to face her, crawling up her body and placing sloppy, desperate kisses wherever he could reach. She guided him until he was positioned over her cock, looking at her with red, puffy eyes and wet lashes. Her stunning little boy.

"Go ahead baby, remember that this isnt for you until after mommy gets to come." He nodded, lowering himself onto her cock so fast that he winced, but gave himself no time to adjust as he fucked himself on it. She pulled his hands forward to grab her tits, holding onto them with his thumbs pinching her nipples against the lower knuckle of his index finger. She smiled at him, watching him shakily try to return it as he used himself to get her off.

And gods, it was working. The magic of her toy allowing her to feel every movement, her pleasure had been building and now it was ready to crest, and her gorgeous boy working hard for her sped it along. His cock was nearly purple, bouncing with the rest of him and totally untouched. His balls looked close to bursting with how tight they were, and she knew he was so close he must be teetering on the edge but was holding back because she had told him to.

It only took a moment more until keira was coming, hips snapping harshly up into lambert as she did, the bedding below them soaked with her slick as her cunt clenched around nothing. She fucked into him a few times, riding out her high as lambert panted and whined above her. His favorite thing in the world was to please her, but watching her fall apart while he had to wait was a unique form of suffering. Keira knew this, and waited until the last of her aftershocks had faded before running her hands along his furry thighs, feeling them twitch and strain under her touch.

"Good boy, you did so good helping mommy come. Do you want your turn now?" He nodded furiously, but didnt move. She hadnt told him to.

"Go ahead baby, you deserve it. Let me feel you come on my cock." Lambert shed more tears, this time in relief as he fucked himself onto her for his own pleasure. Keira was a bit oversensitive, but hardly had to endure it as lambert came across her stomach without ever touching his cock, fully seated on her and grinding the head of her toy in the perfect spot. He managed to moan out a "thank you, mommy," as he shuddered and came, but it was barely intelligible.

Anytime they fucked like this, lambert was asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow, barely able to clean himself up as he drifted off. That was fine, he had worked so hard to listen to her that keira didnt mind. She kissed his temple before getting up to remove and clean her toy. When she crawled back into bed, lambert was cuddling close to her, making her feel dwarfed by his size as he wrapped his big hands around her waist. She carded her own through his messy hair.

"Did you like that, baby? I wasnt too mean to you, was I?" He sleepily shook his head, nuzzling against her neck.

"No mommy, s'good. Thank you." Keira smiled to herself, feeling boneless and sated and stupidly enamored with her boy.

[thesilkenlair]

(Casey Here!)

As much D&D as I play, you'd imagine I would eventually get around to illustrating some of their most iconic monsters! Which is to say, the ones that I personally find the most iconic. Which is to say, the ones I memorized when I was reading my dad's monster manual at age nine. Purple worm - Sandworms never go out of style. I've seen a lot of rad designs for this bugger over the editions, but I favor the slightly less reptilian older takes for this particular critter. It's kinda basic, but sometimes that's what you want. It's like a shark or a crocodile: Just flat out unchanged across the ages. Hook horror - I've heard it rumored that Gygax used a small Gigan figure to represent this monster. I can't verify that, but it definitely sounds right. Hook horrors are one of the very first things you meet when you play around in the caves, and they kind of remind me of the Father Deep monsters of the Hork Bajir homeworld that way. Mind flayer - Mind flayers! Basically, take all of your Dracula conventions and dip them in a fresh coat of Lovecraft. There's that old "decadent aristocratic upper caste system who literally eats the poor, but still somehow comes across as less evil than the actual real life 1%" setup that will never stop being relevant. Though personally, I see mind flayers as the first alternative for folks who want to play that monster-who-feels-the-urge-to-eat-their-friends-but-refuses-to-do-it shtick but don't want to deal with vampire baggage. You know, the furry option! ... Slimy? Rubbery? Do we have a word for anthro-cephalopods? I'm only a casual furry. Gelatinous cube - I'm not apologizing for giving this one a slot. Froghemoth - So, back when I participated in my very first long-term campaign, I played a druid. You've met Talia before. Naturally, I was chomping at the bit for the day I finally got to turn her into a froghemoth, and celebrated the day my wish was finally granted and she was allowed to chug human-supremacist-cultists like popcorn. Yeah, okay, the froghemoth is one of the classic vore-monsters. But it's a charming design in its own right. Kind of a freaky Hanna Barbara critter, like you'd see Space Ghost fighting. No matter how many artists draw it, they can never shake that inherent goofiness that third edition tried so hard to purge. I would probably cram them somewhere onto Fronterra if I was sure they were public domain. As is, I'm 99% certain that this is what Visser Three turned into when he ate Elfangor. Tarrasque - D&D's original kaiju! Kind of just takes the name and nothing else when it comes to its mythological origins, but I don't mind. The Tarrasque is that endgame "let's test the players" final boss monster... Or at least it's supposed to be. My DM reskinned it for our final Pathfinder session, and one of the PCs still nearly killed it in a single turn. Also, he let Talia turn into one, so maybe Pathfinder is just bullshit? Regardless, the Tarrasque has one of those simple, iconic designs. I've heard rumors it was based on the concept art for Fallout's deathclaws, and like the Gigan-figure, I can't verify this in any way. With its reptilian features, twin horns, spiny carapace and grabby fingies, it has an undeniable lizardlike quality that I can't help but find charming. Kinda feels like a more refined version of Zilla? Though for an insatiable eating machine, I notice a lot of artists give it very little belly to work with. Come on, this guy eats entire cities! Give him somewhere to put it! Rust monster - An icon of icons, the rust monster! Drawing its origin from a bizarre Chinese "dinosaur" toy, later designs have made it more insectoid in appearance, but never feeling QUITE like anything Earthly. It's the four limbs. Between the four limbs and the tail, it's hard to tell if it's an arthropod mimicking a vertebrate or the other way around. I'm pretty sure this is part of what inspired my ossaderm creatures for Fronterra. Also, Ryla can turn into one in our campaign. I have no shortage of havoc to wreak when the opportunity comes. Behir - Dragons in D&D are kind of... extra. Godlike beings, paragons of whatever personality trait they represent. Whenever there's something uber powerful in D&D, it gets compared to dragons. It makes them kind of unapproachable. Behirs provide all the essentials of a dragon - Serpentine body, scaly skin, horns, sapience, breath weapon, taste for human flesh - wrapped up in a smaller, weirder, IMO cooler package. You know, your Lambton Worms. A lot easier to port in and out of adventures, a lot less of an event when they show up, but still a formidable force in their own right. I like the behir. The behir knows how to taunt me just the right amount. Bulette - Another Chinese "dinosaur" figure monster, the bulette is actually another one I associate with Talia. Whenever we faced a problem that didn't have a glaringly and immediately obvious solution, she would turn into a bulette, whether it was for beating up robots, digging through obstacles, trampling smurfs, navigating labyrinths, distracting slashers with cute dog tricks... it was kind of her signature form. But shenanigans aside, the bulette is just an excellent monster. While the "land shark" shtick may be common, there's a lot more going on with the bulette's design. It's rumored to be a mad wizard's creation, as he combined a snapping turtle with an armadillo and mixed in a helping of demon blood to taste. Personally, I always considered that to be a neat little rumor to flesh out the world, but never assumed it to be true. The bulette just feels too naturalistic for that. Like some kind of protomammal or crocodylomorph, or weird triassic monstrosity. Magic and demons and dragons and so on DO affect the ecosystem. I always figured the bulette was just something that evolved to compete in this new biosphere. Owlbear - This one, on the other hand, I fully believe the "mad wizard was bored" explanation. Another chinasaur critter, the owlbear is frequently made fun of. What makes it scarier than a regular bear? It can't fly, so why have owl parts at all? Why trade fangs for a beak in what is at best a latural move? Well, first of all, fuck you, owls are creepy motherfuckers, and that alone is enough to justify it. But secondly, that's part of its charm. Besides some improved vision, the owl DOESN'T make it more dangerous. What makes the owlbear dangerous is that it's an insane, Frankensteinian monstrosity roaming uncontrolled through the wilderness! It doesn't need weaponry, its sheer temperament is enough to make it a worthy opponent. Sure, the practical threat might not be hugely above that of a bear, but storytelling isn't about numbers. Any asshole can go outside and get eaten by a bear. The owlbear is part of this world. The owlbear is a reminder of what magic can do. Someone somewhere actually made this thing, for whatever reason, and now the world is irrevocably changed because of it. Owlbears go beyond practicality. They bring the lore! Also, bears don't have very good eyesight, so the big owl eyes probably make them better hunters. Flumph - Is that a Japanese-style martian? Do we just have aliens in D&D? Dear lord, I love them! Okay, the flumph has got a sizable hatedom. And that hatedom can eat my ass, because the flumph is precious and perfect just the way it is! Flumphs are designed as a sort of sidekick-type creature. They're not very good fighters, but they bring knowledge and lore to the table. Whether they're aliens from some far off star, seeking your aid to prevent catastrophe, or psionic natives of the Underdark eager to bask in your positivity and hopefully stick it to the tyrants they're forced to share real estate with. My group generally treats them as straight up aliens, benevolent but strange. Course, we're all pretty strange, so we get along just fine. Otyugh - Okay so, the aberration creature type implies that this is something from another world that doesn't belong. And yet otyughs, which are aberrations, are an essential part of this world's ecosystem? Okay, I can buy the idea that an alien organism adapted to our world and is now a key part of it. Fronterra's got a TON of that. It just feels like after a point, the otyugh would be considered a beast? Otyughs are great. Every ecosystem needs a decomposer, and every fantasy story needs at least one dive into the sewers. Otyughs provide both, and are intelligent enough to keep the plot moving if it hits a snag. There's always going to be garbage, refuse, carrion, decay, things that need to be broken down and processed. Carrion crawler - The carrion crawler is pretty similar to the otyugh in that it's technically not considered a beast, and therefor must have its origins elsewhere, but feels so integrated into the ecosystem that it just feels like it belongs. They usually can't talk, so they're not just reskinned otyughs, but I still consider them pretty essential. Otyughs find a singular spot where waste is dumped and shovel it down at their leisure, while carrion crawlers skulk through the tunnels, actively seeking their food. The crawler got one of the most radical redesigns on the transition from second to third edition, but I can't really choose a single favorite. The oldschool tentacle-faced cutworm looks like it could be a real animal, while the googly-eyed Halloween decoration feels like it could be from another world, merely having set up shop here. Could there name apply to two wholly different creatures? If so, then I'm not sure which one mine would be considered. I kinda mashed them together into something that doesn't quite feel like either. But I like it for what it is. Maybe I'll sneak it onto Fronterra. Aboleth - Tentacled, telepathic sea creatures who turn humans into slimy minions, who remember everything their race has ever seen, and who are always plotting something behind the scenes. Yeah, the aboleths really crank up the Lovecraft elements. Actually, between the mind flayers, the flumphs and the aboleths, even the most oldschool D&D covered quite a few essential Lovecraftian bases. The flayers are your corrupt yet still recognizable humanoids who can be considered truly evil, the flumphs are benevolent-yet-bizarre guardians who know more than you, and the aboleths are the truly unknowable, sinister intellects. The fact that they can barely function on land honestly only adds to that, IMO. They're inherently difficult for a party to reach, and they offer some nice underwater adventure seeds. Not enough adventures go underwater. There's this perception that the ocean is bad for storytelling because so many writers lack the creativity to make it work. I wanna run an underwater adventure now. Beholder - Icon of icons! THE D&D monster! The beholder! Paranoid, jumpy, always five steps ahead and twenty steps perpendicular! Beholds are fun in just about every way. Between their wacky, diverse designs, their elaborate lairs, their eccentric personalities, their bizarre powers, you're never gonna run out of fun with beholders. Remorhaz - It's always been a thing that bothered me with environment-based monsters. Why does the ice monster who lives in the cold use ice as a weapon? Aren't most of the things it encounters going to be resistant to the cold? Sure, a cone of cold will still kill a polar bear, but a lot of the monsters in the tundra are outright immune to cold. A while dragon's not going to get much use out of its breath weapon fighting frost worms and frost giants. That's one reason the remorhaz sticks out to be. We have an icy tundra beast whose insides are a scorching furnace, which it can intensify and weaponize as it sees fit. Which also conveniently explains why its design - a sort of cobra-esque centipede - invokes warm-weather creatures, despite its icy environment. It's a nice subversion of the usual tropes, plus it's just a memorable, cool looking critter to begin with. On a smaller note, the remorhaz feels like a good loophole for Ryla's "no cold weather morphs" rule. Turning into something elementally affiliated with ice is no good, but a non-magical monster that survives the cold by superheating its insides? That seems perfectly viable to me!

[glacecakes]

Alchemy Lullaby (6/?)

Chapter 6: Varian makes a friend! Too bad it's not human. Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Eugene have a mini crisis.

Sorry for the delay! I wanted this chapter done a few days ago but my cat is very sick atm. She has a vet appt in 7 hours, hopefully we'll get her back to normal! She's not dying just a nasty infection. tbh I'm not majorly thrilled with this chapter but whatever it's cute it's harmless. Warning Varian is feral and eats a worm

Read the rest here 

The palace gardens sprawled out, carpeting the world with green. Small feet raced across bristles of grass, pale skin contrasting the dirt that was quickly sticking to his toes. Varian giggled at the sensation, marveling in it. It was so different from the dirt lining Corona’s roads. He didn’t have to worry about dust kicked up by horses or sharp trash. 

The six months on the street left Varian more mature than his fellow kids, though Varian thought he was just born smart like that. He hopped around, happily examining everything he could, from the way the grass blades danced to a small ladybug crawling across a leaf. His eyes sparkled with a childlike wonder as he explored.

The ladybug flew around him, circling to land. Varian followed it in rapid circles. He spun around and around until he was too dizzy, and fell to the grass giggling. He seized the opportunity. Being closer to the ground meant new things to discover! He crawled along until he reached the flower bed. Small buck teeth stuck out of his grin, face flush with delight as a butterfly landed on the morning glories. But wait, what was that wiggling? Ooooh….

From atop the castle porch, his father sat with his girlfriend and family. “He’s getting more and more adventurous everyday. It’s…. Both great and terrible?” He ran a hand through slightly messy hair. His legs hadn’t ached this much since his thieving days. 

The king hummed in agreement, narrowing his eyes at where Varian played. He’d invited both of them to tea, but the smaller chair sat long abandoned. “Yes, he is certainly… spunky.”

Rapunzel snorted into her cup. Her mother elbowed her in the sides. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Eugene continued, not noticing the women. “I adore him, I love him! But he drives me crazy sometimes. Like, the other day. He flipped out because I didn’t cut up his grapes. Grapes! I say ok, I’ll cut your grapes in half. He flips out at that too.” It had certainly been a sight, Varian screaming like he’d been stabbed, wailing on the floor while Eugene sat there and let him cry it out. 

“Children have a hard time comparing emotions and memories,” Arianna placed a soothing hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “They think the simplest upset is the worst thing that’s ever happened to them.”

Eugene gave her a blank stare. “I know the worst thing that happened to him.”

“Which one, the abandonment or the kidnapping?” Rapunzel muttered into her tea. Arianna elbowed her harder, and the princess coughed up some tea. 

“My point is,” Arianna paid no heed to her daughter slowly dying. “Varian is still very young, it’s going to get easier.”

“Eugene!”

The man in question turned to see Varian racing towards him. One hand tucked into his pocket, holding his treasure close. The other stretched out to grab his dad’s hand. “Eugene! I got you somethin’!”

The man in question placed a hand over his heart delicately. “For moi? Oh, kid, you shouldn’t have!” Varian dug his toes into the pavement with a blush. “But uh… what is it?” A flower, perhaps? If that was the case he might actually melt.

The child pulled his hand out of his pocket and placed a crumbling pile of dirt into his hand. And atop the dirt was… worms. 

So many worms. 

Like, did the kid dig up every worm he could find? 

“...Thanks….?” Eugene managed, trying not to drop the whole pile in disgust. He couldn’t break the kid’s heart like that! He trusted Eugene enough to share his interests! 

“I saw you were all having snacks, so I brought some!” Varian chirped. “See?” He grabbed one from the pile and before Eugene could scream, placed it in his mouth.

Frederick nearly gagged, while Rapunzel couldn’t hold in her laughter any longer. She laughed harder when she saw Eugene’s horror-stricken face. Her boyfriend’s eyes were bulging out of his sockets, one twitching slightly, mouth slack in pure shock and agony. 

Finally he snapped out of his trance, leaping forward to pry his mouth open. Instead of standing still and letting him, like a good boy, Varian shrieked and raced back into the gardens. The kid was fast, too. He’d mastered evasion on the streets, so Eugene was really no challenge. Especially when there were trees to climb into and bushes to hide in! Choosing the later, Varian ducked into a small brush. He covered his mouth. 

“Varian, come on! Worms aren’t for people, they’re for animals, like birds, and raccoons…!” 

Speaking of the latter, soft chittering filled Varian’s ears. He turned around and came face to face with a raccoon. 

He’d seen some before, and even joined a few in scavenging through city trash. But this one was tiny! It’s fair fur was bristled and puffed up, the creature backed up into the bush’s branches. Varian scooted forward, and it skittered in fear.

“It’s ok, I’m hiding too!” Varian whispered through a mouth of worm. Wait! Eugene said raccoons eat worms, right? He spit it out. The poor creature wiggled weakly in his palm as he held it out. One sniff, two, and then the raccoon ate the treat. Its whiskers tickled the child’s palms, and it licked the hand when there was nothing left. Varian broke into giggles. “It tickles!” Slowly, like he saw older kids play with their pets, he reached out his other hand and ran it through soft fur. The animal nuzzled into the touch.

“I’m Varian,” He grinned toothily. “I’m four and a half! You’re a baby, like me, right?” The raccoon glanced up, its beady eyes staring deep into Varian’s. 

The child opened his mouth to speak more, only for large hands to yoink him out of the bush. 

Eugene stared down disapprovingly. “Young man, we have snacks right here! Why on earth do you need to eat worms!?” 

Varian didn’t seem guilty in the slightest. “It’s like spaghetti!” 

“Wha- I- It is definitely not like spaghetti!” Eugene ran a frazzled hand through his hair. He glanced back at the table, silently motioning his eyes between Rapunzel and Varian in a clear plea for help. The princess shrugged. 

Well, he could explain to Varian why it was bad to eat worms later. One thing at a time. “Come on, Varian, let’s go get your teeth brushed.” At this Varian groaned. He’d already brushed his teeth today! Now he had to do it again? Reluctantly the small child let Eugene drag him back inside.

He glanced back at the bushes, where his furry friend poked its head out. “I’ll be back!” The child whispered.

-

Frederick stirred his tea, brow furrowing. “It gets easier, huh dear?”

The queen didn’t look up. “You’re just mad Varian didn’t draw you into his family portrait.” 

“He drew Quirin but not me-!”

-

Varian ended up spending the rest of the day indoors, much to his chagrin. Part of him assumed it was punishment for trying to eat the worm (he kept telling Eugene he didn’t eat it, but Eugene didn’t believe him for a second), but in actuality, it was because an old friend of Eugene’s stopped by. Eugene had been helping Varian brush his teeth when Rapunzel poked her head in and let him know of their guest. The second Lance laid eyes on him, he wrapped the toddler into a crushing hug. “Flynn! I can’t believe I’m an uncle! And you didn’t tell me! Imagine my shock, I’m visiting Corona and I find out you stole a child!” 

Varian squirmed, alarmed at the sudden hug from a stranger. Wait… Flynn? As in, Flynn Rider? Flynn Eugene reads about every night before bed Rider? Varian opened his mouth to ask, when he was cut off. 

“Hang on, you stole Varian?” Rapunzel’s brow furrowed. “You said you picked him up off the streets!” 

“I did!” Eugene exclaimed. “I just… picked him up right in front of his abusive mother.”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow, heavily amused. “Did she relinquish her parental rights?” 

“Well, no, but,” Eugene sputtered. 

Gripping her hair in distress, Rapunzel shrieked, “Eugene! You kidnapped Varian!” 

Eugene flinched. “She kicked him!? What was I supposed to do?”

“Get the guards!” 

The princess was near hysterical in fury. She laughed. “Ok, no one panic. We just broke the law and kidnapped a child, so technically we don’t even have full custody of him and if anyone found out Eugene would go to jail and Varian would go back to his biological parents!” She gasped for breath, before turning to her boyfriend with unblinking eyes.

Oh damn was he in major trouble. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Lance chimed in, readjusting so Varian was on his shoulders. “How about you and I go for a walk, I’ll tell you about the crazy stuff me and your dad got into!” With that, he promptly bolted out the room, Cassandra following shortly after. 

The door shut behind her, and Eugene was alone with his death staring him in the face. 

“Eugene, what on Earth were you thinking?” She moaned, running a hand through long blonde strands. She paced back and forth. “You’ve only been pardoned for 6 months and then you go and kidnap a child! In front of his mother! You’re so lucky she didn’t try to find him! Or press charges!”

“Because she abandoned him!” Eugene crossed his arms. “Blondie, I never lied. I found him on the streets, he said his mom left him. We ran into her by coincidence, and she kicked him when he tried to hug her.” His voice shook at the memory. Even now, after Varian was in his new, loving family, thinking about her made him sick. 

“I get it, I technically kidnapped him,” He looked down at the floor. “But I don’t regret it for a second. And I’m not giving back. I’d be sending him to his death… or worse.” 

There’s quiet for a moment. And then Rapunzel sighs. Her furious facade fractures. 

“I don’t want to send him back, either.” She lets out a weak laugh. “I never saw myself becoming a mother so soon. But whatever he needs… I want to be there for him.” Her eyes hardened. “And I can’t do that if he’s not officially your son. If he’s never your son, he can’t become our son someday.” Gently, she took his hands into her own.  

“I know,” Eugene whispered. He leaned down, resting his forehead on hers. “I’ll make it official, I promise.”

-

“You’re making it official!?” Eugene yelped.

The king raised a confused eyebrow. “That’s an odd way to put it, but sure. We’re holding a ball to welcome Varian to the castle.” 

Rapunzel looked like she had swallowed a whole lemon. “I don’t understand… why are we doing this?” 

“Because your father is mad Varian doesn’t like him,” Arianna piped up, not looking up from her book. The man in question’s eye twitched.

“Varian is Eugene’s son, and therefore he will be royalty when you two get married… and part of our family.” The last part was spoken harshly, more directed at his wife. Frederick paused to think. “He is legally your son, right? I know you found him on the streets, but did you ever find his parents?”

Eugene and Rapunzel shared a look. It was a silent argument, panic in both of their eyes. 

“Nope,” she said. “No parents!”

She ignored the horror on Eugene’s face. 

Frederick glanced back and forth between them, eyes critical. It was if all the air had been sucked from the room, the only sound came from the ticking of a clock.

Frederick brightened. “Well, alright!” He turned around, oblivious to the sighs of relief from both Rapunzel and Eugene. “He’ll need a bit of teaching, some basic manners, and ballroom clothes…” Rambling filled the room, ideas and plans and lessons.

“Are you sure about this?” Eugene whispered. 

“Yea!” Was all Rapunzel could muster. “We’re in this together.”

“...This is gonna go terribly.”

“Probably.”

-

The next week was one of the best and worst weeks of Varian’s life. 

Well, it probably wasn’t nearly as bad as his weeks on the street, but to a toddler, boring was just as bad as dangerous. And by god was it boring. He had to sit and listen while Cassie and Rapunzel taught him how to eat, how to dance, how to stand– 

Since he was still very young, he didn’t need to learn anything particularly tricky, it was more about manners. Saying please and thank you, bowing, that kind of stuff. But to a feral child who stole to survive, he couldn’t care less about not slurping soup and introducing himself.

“Ok Varian, let’s try this again.” Rapunzel curtsied to the child. “My name is Rapunzel de Sonne.”

Varian bowed, back straight, just like Cassie told him. “I’m Varian Fitz…. Fith…. Fitzbert.” Cassandra snickered. 

Rising back up, Rapunzel sighed fondly. “Fitzherbert. Your name is Varian Fitzherbert.”

“Fizzybee.”

“Fitzherbert.”

“Fibucket.”

“Fitzherbert.”

“Fitzfuckbert!”

She turned white as a sheet at the last one.

The highlight of his days came around lunchtime. Cassie would catch up with Eugene and Rapunzel, discuss something or other that Varian wasn’t really interested in. He’d eat his sandwich, grab his apple, and then trek into the garden where his friend was waiting. 

The first day after the worm incident, he’d brought his apple to eat for himself. But the little raccoon had stolen it right from his hand. Varian was shocked! 

“I used to steal apples too!” He told the raccoon. “But Eugene told me it wasn’t nice to steal from people. And then Uncle Lance showed up, and apparently Eugene used to steal! Like me! And that’s why he likes me so much!” The animal chittered.

“Can you keep a secret?” Grey ears flicked in Varian’s direction. “I wanna be like Eugene when I grow up.”

The raccoon blinked. It didn’t seem to understand Varian, but that was ok! He liked having a friend. And it seemed his furry friend did too! He climbed up onto Varian’s shoulder, nuzzling into black hair. Varian giggled wildly. 

“That tickles!” He squeaked, and the raccoon purred. Tiny giggles slowly faded into the ether. A small head peeked over the bushes to see Cassandra happily enacting today’s lessons. Eugene’s knees buckled at the story, and little Varian sighed.

“I keep messing up,” He whispered. “I don’t wanna make Eugene sad… but this stuff is so… stupid! And boring!” He pouted. 

The raccoon purred louder. Vibrations rung in Varian’s ear, calming him. The child smiled once more. 

“You’re really soft, and nice, and cuddly,” He cooed. Carefully, his tiny hand patted the animal on the head, and he got a lick on the cheek for his efforts. “I wish I could take you with me! Then it wouldn’t be so boring.”

After the ball, he’ll introduce his friend to Eugene. They both loved him, they were bound to get along, right? 

Right!

-

“Oh, look at you!” Lance clasped his hands together, eyes lighting up. “You look so handsome in your suit!” 

Varian squirmed, uncomfortable in the suit. It had only been a few minutes and he was starting to feel hot in the getup. Its ruffles scratched at his neck, and the coat was tight around his torso. And the shoes pinched in all the wrong places, making it hurt to walk. He felt so stiff, so unnatural! A few tears budded in his eyes as he fidgeted.

“Where’s Eugene?” He mumbled. 

“Right here. Looking good, hairstripe!” Eugene poked his nose, prompting happy kicks. “You ready to show those stuffy nobles why you’re the best?”

“Yea!” Instantly, Varian forgot what he was so upset about. Eugene was here! Eugene made all his problems go away. He eagerly toddled into the big, outstretched arms, relishing the hug. They separated, but Eugene still gripped onto his son’s hand. The throne room opened with a flourish, revealing a massive crowd. Nobles of all sizes and creeds, from all over Corona and then some. They all stared at the little family, some with polite smiles, others with thinly veiled disgust. 

Ohhh boy. Varian squeezed Eugene’s hand a little tighter. 

“You got this, kid. Just remember what Cassandra taught you,” the man whispered.

Rapunzel stood from her throne. “Lords and ladies, I present the Fitzherbert family for the first time!” She shot the two of them an encouraging grin. The hall erupted into polite applause as they stepped into the room. 

Now that their introduction was over, it was time to mingle. The King had made sure to invite a few noble families, so Varian wasn’t the only kid by a long shot. Still, he clung to Eugene’s leg like a limpet, hiding when scary faces got too close. He let Eugene do all the talking, his cute face was charming enough. Some noble ladies would lean down to his level to say hi, and of course Varian would say hi back, but it was all too much! Outside of introductions, he had no idea what to say. Eugene seemed to know what to do like it was second nature, effortlessly exuding charisma. As long as Varian behaved, Eugene would do the talking, and the nobility would be on their side in no time.

Just another reason Varian wanted to be like Eugene.

“He’s so precious!” One woman gushed, reaching down to pinch his cheek. Varian winced but didn’t complain. 

“Hello, I’m Varian Fitz...fitzbert.” He mumbled. Oh no! He still couldn’t get his own last name right! He hid his face in Eugene’s pants. The woman didn’t seem to care though, in fact, she seemed to love it. 

“So polite and quiet, too! Not like my Shelby, that’s for sure.” She motioned for a boy to come to her side. No more than 9, his frizzy red hair was slicked back into a neat ponytail. “Shelby, this is Varian, he’s the princess’s stepson.”

“Ah, not yet, we’re just dating,” Eugene flushed. “But he’s just as much her son as he is mine.” 

Shelby rolled his eyes and waved to Varian, but the little boy didn’t wave back. He looked big and mean! When Varian was on his own, a bunch of older kids used to taunt him. They’d take his food, or push him into puddles, or throw things at him! Shelby looked like a kid who’d do the same. 

“Hey,” Eugene whispered. “Why don’t you go out to the garden? I think that’s where the other kids are playing.”

Garden? Varian could go see his friend! He nodded eagerly, slipping away from Eugene, but not before giving his leg one last hug. 

He didn’t notice Shelby silently following him. 

The gardens were completely different at night. During the day, sunshine filtered through the trees, bathing everything in a whimsical glow. Varian could happily get lost in that grove for hours. But once the sun went down, everything became quieter, more peaceful. The flowers all closed their buds and the bugs went to sleep. Tonight, the only life was the children playing around in the grass. 

Varian was the youngest of them all. He shuffled on the balcony, unsure of how to get down there without being seen. 

“Hey, everyone!” Varian whipped around to see who yelled, it was Shelby! “The little tyke came to play!” 

All eyes turned to him. Varian shrunk under their gazes. He didn’t want to hang with the big kids! He just wanted his raccoon friend!

Just as before, Varian bowed. “I’m Varian Fitzberhert.” 

One of the kids laughed at his butchering. “Hey, pipsqueak. I’m Tyrone. And my mom put me in charge.”

“Did not!” A girl piped up. “You’re in charge of your siblings, not all of us!”

“We’re all related, it counts!” 

“Does not!”

“Does too!” 

“You’re all related?” Varian butt in. Heads whipped around to stare at him and he regretted it. 

Tyrone smirked. “Yea, all nobility is part of the royal family, dummy. But you’re not part of the family. You’re just some dumb, poor kid.”

Varian stomped his foot in frustration. “No I’m not! Rapunzel’s a princess, and she’s gonna be my momma someday!”

Shelby laughed from behind him. “That doesn’t count! Where’s your real mom?”

“Um...”

The kids circled around him, growing closer. Their faces all showed malice, darker and teasing. Just like the ones from the street. “Your real mom. Where is she?” Shelby repeated.

A single tear swelled in Varian’s eye. “I dunno…”

“Exactly. Not Corona. Cuz she’s some random peasant.” The boy got up in Varian’s face. “And so are you. Just a dirty street kid who the princess took pity on. Well don’t get used to it.” With that, he pushed Varian down. With a cry, he tumbled into the dirt. His hair brushed a familiar bush, leaves getting stuck in his stripe. “You’ll be back on the streets when she gets bored.”

No… they wouldn’t do that, would they?

The thought alone was scary enough. That tear fell. Then another. Varian hiccupped, sad and alone. 

The bush behind him rustled, and a familiar tongue licked the tears away from his cheek. 

His raccoon friend burst from the bush, launching itself at Shelby with a screech. The kid flailed around, crying for Tyrone and the others to help, but they scattered. The wild animal jumped off of Shelby and onto the ground, hissing. Not letting anyone dare get close to Varian. 

“What is that thing!?” Tyrone shrieked. “Get it out of here!”

Varian tilted his head. Had none of them ever seen a raccoon before? “He’s just my friend!” 

The kids didn’t seem to take that as a good thing. Instead, they all bolted up the steps of the balcony, back inside. He could even hear one of them crying for their mom. 

The toddler glanced at his friend, confused. What on Earth was that all about? The raccoon didn’t seem to care, purring and nuzzling his friend.

“I gotta admit, this party has been a pretty big success,” Cassandra muttered. She, Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance were hanging out by one of the bannisters, taking a break from socializing. “I keep hearing everyone talk about how cute Varian is.”

“I know from experience, rich folk are willing to overlook your past if you give them something nice to look at,” Lance joked, elbowing Eugene. The man rolled his eyes but smiled. Neither of them were wrong. 

“Speaking of Varian, where did he go?” Rapunzel asked.

Eugene pointed to the patio door. “He went to play with the other kids.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the balcony doors burst open, sending a flood of kids inside. They all scrambled to their respective parents, babbling about a creature, dirt, gross, tell the king to make it go away!

“What on Earth…?” Eugene muttered. “Where’s Varian?”

He poked his head out the still open door, and gasped in horror.

Varian sat on the grass, covered head to toe in dirt, laughing and petting a raccoon. An honest to god raccoon!

“Varian!” He yelled. “The heck are you doing?” 

Varian glanced up and grinned. “Hi Eugene!” Standing up, he toddled over to his family, the raccoon following right behind. Eugene’s yelling prompted another noble to peek outside as well, and gasped.

Varian came up to the door, staring at both Eugene and the noble. He bowed perfectly. “Hi, I’m Varian Fitzherbert, and this is my friend, Ruddiger!” 

[moomingitz]

I'm not sure if you have played the Nuts & Bolts Banjo-Kazooie game but what are your thoughts on the character designs in it?

Unlike a lot of people who obviously have never even touched it, I actually have played and finished it. So I think I can say I have an actual informed and unbiased opinion of the game and the aspects of it, and not just say, “Muh childhood! I feel so betrayed! :’C “.

For characters who returned in, Nuts & Bolts, I’m gonna have their designs from the first and second games side-by-side with their designs from the latter game for comparison sake. Gotta start with the two main titular characters, of course.

Banjo and Kazooie

If these two embody all of the positive aspects of the first two game’s art direction, well then their character designs in Nuts & Bolts embody all of the negative aspects of that game’s art direction.

I get what they were trying to do by making Banjo and Kazooie look more blocky. They wanted to imitate the polygonal look of the N64 games. But with all of the textures and detail this game has unlike the N64 games, it just doesn’t really work here. The appeal of their character designs was the rounded cartoonish style and googly eyes. Banjo especially is not the most flattering to look at. Ugh, his eyes! Kazooie looks better, but she doesn’t really look like a breegul anymore and looks more like a cartoon goose, and the feather detailing is making me think of Viva Pinata more than an organic bird.

It’s not like the art direction is automatically bad, because besides one other character, the other character designs in N&B aren’t half bad. I would say some of the designs themselves, when divorced from the blocky aesthetic, are actually improvements over the older designs. But for some reason the two main characters got the worst of it. While the in-game models actually look better than the more detailed promotional stock models, these two still look off in the game itself.

Bottles

They made him look really cute here. I like how they not only gave him that suit and tie to help him better fit his role as Showdown Town’s info guy, but he now has claws like an actual mole. It’s nice to see his model in Smash kept them.

Mumbo

I don’t like it. Something about it just looks off. It’s probably the more blocky look for his head and the overalls, but N&B Mumbo looks like the douchey Jock Chad type you wanted to avoid in high school.

Gruntilda

It’s pretty cool. Seeing how Grunty had been reduced to a skeletal head by the end of Tooie, I always thought eventually having to resort to using an artificial body was the only appropriate next step. This wouldn’t be the first time she’s done that, too. She put her spirit into a mech in the GBA game(which took place in between the first and second game).

Humba

This is one of the redesigns in Nuts & Bolts where I think it was an improvement over the original one. Humba now has a design with more character and thought put into it, instead of just looking like someone wearing a cheap sexy “Native American” costume.

But, the crux of this redesign is how Humba doesn’t even look like the same character anymore, and for some reason she even looks younger compared to her original Tooie design. I seriously thought she was a different character when I first saw her Nuts & Bolts redesign. Maybe they could at the very least change her facial structure to resemble her old one and give her back the dark brown hair she originally had. I think that would help make a difference.

Klungo

For most of the part I like this one. I like how his coat looks all tattered up, and the stitches in his skin show you all of the abuse he’s had to endure from Grunty; or maybe they came from accidents in the lab. His head structure however, I don’t know. I like the more rounded look of the N64 one more. At least it’s not this.

Jinjos

This one I’m mixed on. I like the spotty details on their N&B design, I actually prefer to draw their snouts more like this, and they no longer look like they’re trying to set me on fire with their stare. However, the Jinjo’s eyes in this game make them look like they’re sick.

However, the game’s more jagged aesthetics works perfectly for the Minjos.

King Jingaling

I like it for most of the part. The new outfit definitely fits him. Remove the Bingo motiff and it would make for a good new permanent wardrobe.

Captain Blubber

It’s Captain Blubber, but with more detail and some minor changes with his outfit. Not much else to say, really. His eyes are all baggy now for some reason. I guess it was from all of the, well, blubbering he does.

Boggy

I like the outfit they gave him. But the face, man. It’s the same problem I mentioned about Banjo’s design in this game.

Jolly Roger/Dodger

Out of all the redesigns in Nuts & Bolts, I think this is the best one. It’s not only a vast improvement over the old one(not like I thought it was bad to begin with of course) and a fun looking redesign, but it makes me wonder what the hell happened between Tooie and Nuts & Bolts for someone like Jolly to go from being mayor, to some shady dude selling Jiggies and pirated video games on the black market.

Also, I think Jolly has the best alternate outfits in the game, too.

I do wonder why his skin pigmentation went from an olive green to a pale lime green, though. But even that could be explained with how some frogs can change their skin color as a method of camouflage; that would only be fitting with Jolly going around doing illegal stuff.

Mr. Fit

It’s Mr. Fit, but with more detail and being more in line with the game’s more blocky art direction. It strangely works in this character’s case. I actually think he looks better in Nuts & Bolts.

LOG

I don’t care how much y’all want to keep crying about how LOG “ruined” your childhood, he looks cool! It’s a simple design, but still a clever and well done one. This is actually how I would imagine an all powerful God of video games if there was one. His head is not only a TV, but the fact his face is PONG is a nice touch; he even plays a game of PONG with himself in one of his idle animations. He even has cute little computer mice, too!

Piddles

I like the color palette and she reminds me of Halloween. But, what the hell is going on with her body!? I guess they wanted to make it look like her front torso was tall and imposing in a more stylistic sense(judging from her concept art), but it just looks like she has a long giraffe neck if anything.

Trophy Thomas

He looks more like a “furry” character, but you know what? It mostly works for the type of character he is: A douchey egotist, who thinks he’s such hot shit that he placed a giant statue of himself on top of his house. He even has hipster looking thick rimmed glasses. Also, it’s nice to see a male anthro character have “hair” for a change, instead of it just being a female specific design element.

This is one of those cases where the character’s in-game model looks better than the detailed promotional one.

Change up his head shape some and I can see his character design easily transferring over to the first two game’s more round and cartoony style.

Pikelet

He’s a cop, so he’s a pig. Can’t say much else, really. It serves it’s purpose.

[scary-lasagna]

Ooh! I really like the o/c one! Wondering if you could write something fluffy with her and toby? Though Honestly I Ship Her With Jack XD So Maybe That Too? Only If The Owner Of The Oc Is Ok With It!

OOp, sorry I didn’t see the Jack ship part! ;w; It’s a little long, but they seem to suit each other

A New Guest in the Roger Household

"AUBREY!"Aubrey squinted at the bright light flooding in through the curtains, trying to register who was screaming at her at barely 7:30 in the morning. And the thought of the full moon in the next few days was putting extra weight on her good night's sleep."AUuBAbeY!""wHAT?" She kicked off the cover, got tangled in them, and then proceed to fall off the bed with a 'thunk'.thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthUMP. Toby had a unique knack for making everything as loud as possible, including running up the stairs.The door to her room swung open, revealing her disheveled boyfriend. His hair was a mess, branching out every which way...and was it streaked with purple?"How'd you get on the floor, sw-sweetheart?" He looked down, setting down the bright colored shoebox he was holding. She flinched when it moved."Toby what the hell is in there?" She asked as he picked her up under her arms to stand upright."I was hoping you would ask!" He exclaimed, pushing his goggles into his fluffy hair. "So, I know you like animals and stuff," He picked it the box, that didn't seem to like being handled. "So I found this thingy, I'm not really sure what it is, and I'm kind of afraid it'll attack you if I open it." Aubrey blinked glancing between her significant other and the box, "Y-You brought an animal home?" Her voice softened and she stepped closer, raising the cardboard top ever so slightly.And a little snoot popped out, followed by a large set of eyes and big fluffy ears."Well, yeah, it started following me, and I thought it was a puppy at first," Toby started as Aubrey picked it up, her unusually colored eyes examining the animal before it squirmed out of her grasp and crawled along her arm. "But I wasn't sure that dogs acted like that.""Okay..." She mumbled as the pup started to nibble on her ear. "So what do you think is?""I was hoping you would know." He smiled a little sheepishly under his mouthguard."Tob's..." Aubrey picked the puppy up, who was clinging onto her fingers with its sharp teeth and claws. "I think you may have stolen a wolf pup.""A-A wolf?" His dark eyebrows raised as he stepped closer. From the foresty smell and speckle of dried blood, it was safe to say Toby found this little guy at work."He probably took to you since you smell like me." The wolf pup yipped and started looking around the dark-colored room.Aubrey was about to add on but she had to double take at Toby's hair. "What'd you do to your hair now?" She asked, setting the pup on the ground to roam."Uhh, i-it may or ma-may not be paint since I-I couldn't find any hai-hair dye so we couldn't be one of those cute matching couples." "Toooby...no...That's not how it works." She reached up placing one hand on his cheek and the other on the plastic that stuck to his hair. He couldn't help but ever so slightly lean into her comforting touch."Tim said it would work.""Tim also told you to warm up a metal spoon in the microwave to scoop out the ice cream easier.""W-Well, yeah-""C'mon," She huffed, taking his gloved hand and leading him to the bathroom. * * *Meanwhile, the wolf pup had made itself at home under Aubrey's bed, pulling out all kinds of wonderful drawings. "I used to always laugh when my mom dried my hair with a towel." Aubrey was dealing with Toby's hair, some parts she chopped off, but other than that it didn't look too bad. Aubrey smiled softly at Toby's words, stretching the scars along with the tips of her mouth.She kissed his shoulder before tossing the stained towel in the laundry room on the way back to her room.Then she stopped.All of her drawings, paintings, sketchbooks included were strewn about along the hardwood of her room. Some were undamaged, some unfortunately ripped but still salvageable, and some beyond rescue."Oh shit.." Toby whispered, nudging past the brunette and flatting himself on the floor. One of his pale arms stretched under the bed and caught the furry culprit. "All of my drawings.." She whispered, pushing them all together in a pile and stacking them messily."W-well some are still good, babes." Toby walked forward hesitantly, the pup squirming in his fumbling grasp. "Some." She mumbled, putting the stacks on her nightstand. "I guess I can't blame the kid though." She smirked lightly, standing and turning towards the brunette and furball. Toby let out a sigh of relief, happy to see Aubrey didn't get too upset, it was a puppy after all. It's not kuke it knew any better."..If]]]]]]]]]] we keep him, he can't stay in my room until he's trained." She outstretched her hands, taking the fidgeting pup out of his scarred hands. She sighed, and like clockwork, the voices started up. Around an hour after she wakes up is when the voices get loud enough to argue over her daily routines. She tried to suppress the growl that escaped past her stitched lips, a warning for her condition to piss off until later. Not like those voices tend to listen to her. On top of that, the hormones around the full moon just amplified everything.She was about to put the wolf pup in the guest room, but her boyfriend's arms secured her torso in place, pulling her onto his lap and pulled her close like a teddy bear on the monotone blankets of the bed.With a gentle kiss on her neck, he squeezed her a bit too tight for comfort. And somehow she knew everything would be alright. And suddenly those voices started to fade. Yes, they were afraid of that aloof brunette who thought acrylic paint was the same as hair dye.She was happy, she didn't want to be alone. Even if it was just more a few short moments. The comfort of knowing Toby was by her side was enough to keep her head above water and the voices quiet. The pup successfully wriggles out of her pale fingers and found his way into her button-up pajama shirt. It was actually Toby's, and the scent of him keeps her abandonment anxiety at bay in case Toby leaves for work in the early hours of the morning.The tiny needle-like claws prickled her skin as it climbed to her shoulder, nestling into Toby's dark damp hair.Perhaps that pup has found his way into a most loving family of a troubled boy head over heels for a violet-eyed brunette, and a lovely werewolf that cares for him just the same.

[irradiatedsnakes]

Hi! Do u like talking about ur own canons for TMA? Can I ask what you hc Daisy as when she goes full hunt? I’ve seen werewolf daisy and eldritch creature daisy but I’m curious about ur view on it!! Also.. is it ok if I draw fanart of ur furry tma au bc... they’re so cute 🥺 I especially love that Tim is an iguana, u don’t see many of those!!!

oh man i dunno, actually! ive seen some very cool interpretations though. the problem for me is my personal taste in monster designs/body horror is usually veeery different than the sort of tone tma monsters have- tma’s usually a lot more..subtle? and stuff that only really works as an audio/written medium, not a visual one. like the hunter from mag31, first hunt, which is described by the statement giver as:

“As I recall it goes, “Once met the duke, ‘bout midnight in a lane behind St. Mark’s church, with the leg of a man upon his shoulder. Said he was a wolf. Only difference was, a wolf’s skin is hairy on the outside, his on the inside”. Looking at this thing that wanted to kill me, it’s the only way it’s the only description that feels right.”

like, how on earth do you draw THAT without totally downplaying the weirdness/horror? if i do a hunt daisy i want her 2 feel genuine to the tone of the show which isssss..hhaaarrddddddd.....(my eyes jon design is mostly self indulgence in that regard, but i feel like any sort of Eye Horror Design is gonna be closer to feeling tma-y whereas Wolf Monster can very much not be so i let that one slide)

there’s a few ive seen that i really like that i feel work well in the ways i mentioned before, but i don’t...remember...who drew them. soooo. i’ll reblog this if i find them again? yea.

and absolutely thats ok omg!! just make sure to @ me in whatever you draw, if you do!!! id love to see!!! ;w; and yesssss scalie rights. i specifically made that furry au no mammals allowed cus i feel like theres just TOO MANY ANTHRO MAMMALS and bird/reptile/insect/etc anthro designs are super underutilized.