#this was fun though! ultimate designs are always so creative :)

[accirax]

DRDT New Character Talent Analysis

WHO ARE THESE GUYS???? GOING CRAZY GOING STUPID

Ahem. 

As likely everyone has now seen at this point, DRDTdev made a very exciting announcement on Twitter– namely, that he’s been working on another fangan alongside DRDT! (Very relatable, once you make one fangan it’s kinda hard to stop.) Understandably, assuming this fangan is ever developed in full, it will be several years down the road, given that it would only be published after DRDT is complete.

However, we have these designs now, and I wanna know what their talents are, dammit! The blurb says that they are students trapped in a killing game, so I assume that they have been given Ultimate abilities. Thus, here’s my best shot and first look analysis. I tried not to look at anyone else’s work too much before presenting my opinions in order to get them out as fast as possible, so, sorry if I missed any major details that people have uncovered!

Notably, when I downloaded the images to my computer (so I could look at them without waiting for the website’s load time), all of them saved with weird number/letter codes. These probably mean nothing, although they do all end with “_o”, which could indicate that they were put through a code scramble of some kind. At the very least, the codes are a kind of convenient way to refer to the characters, so I’ll use the first three letters as a name. Also, I’ll be using they/them pronouns for all characters, since we don’t know how they identify.

We’ll start with the Protagonist, and go alphabetically by code from there. I’m so excited!!! Here we go:

I’m glad that this guy is basically confirmed as the Ultimate Teacher, because I honestly have no clue what I’d call them otherwise.

The main thing I noticed throughout their design was the repetition of red undertones everywhere. You can see them in two places: on the jacket, and in their hair. We know from the July 31st Q&A that characters in the Despair Time Fanganronpa Universe (DTFU) see blood as red, and that Monokuma’s color palette is black, white, and red. It’s kind of a suspicious color– the children’s hospital color theory of it all. O-or, maybe it’s just their favorite color…!

The bows in n9Z’s hair kind of remind me of the one on Peko’s sword case (sorry I didn’t put in a picture), although I doubt there’s a connection there. The gloves make me think of something fancy, the trenchcoat makes me think of a detective, the ID makes me think it’s something top secret… dude, what are you doing?

I guess there is the question of what exactly this person teaches. If we assume they’re the teacher Min mentions in A History of Hope’s Peak, it seems like the answer would be, “Ultimates.” If you want to teach Ultimates, you need to know and be able to do a lot of stuff, so that could explain the utilitarian design. They could have also initially had a background as something else, such as a government agent or employee of XF-ture Tech, before winding up as a teacher.

The fact that their eyes are always closed is also notable. Given DRDTdev’s penchant for putting important stuff in the eye designs, it’s possible there’s some important info in there that he's not ready to release yet. Like, if n9Z had black/red heterochromia or something, that would send us spinning. (Personally, I’m kinda hoping there’s an apple in there…) I also had the thought that n9Z might just permanently have both of their eyes closed, kind of like how Setsuka Chiebukuro of SDRA2 always keeps one eye closed. That would be a cute parallel to Min, whose eyes are always obstructed.

So, yeah. Ultimate Teacher, probably. Despite the fact that we more or less have their Ulimate talent, I somehow feel like we know the least about them…

My first impression of this person is that they’re definitely athletic in some regard. The ponytail that ends in a braid would be keeping the hair out of their eyes, and the athletic shoes would be helpful for running around.

About the marks under the eyes... While the comparison to my superhero design for Arturo is still a lighthearted jest, the reason for them being there may be fueled by the same reasoning. The superpower that @1moreff-creator gave Arturo was a skill that involved his vision, so I put those marks under his eyes as a natural mark that would mimic eye black. If you don’t want to read the entire link, eye black is those lines of paint (or sometimes stickers) that baseball or American football players wear under their eyes. While it’s not entirely scientifically proven, the point of the marks is supposed to be absorbing the rays of sun around the eyes to reduce the glare you would see. Thus, 0a6 may have these marks under their eyes to make it easier to see in a fast-paced situation (even though they're not particularly dark in color).

Additionally, if we didn’t already know who the protagonist was, I would guess it was 0a6. They have an ahoge in very much the same way that Teruko does, and they share an eye design with Hajime Hinata. The styling of their belt buckle also reminded me of how truth bullets are designed. However, 0a6 is NOT the protagonist, which must mean that these things mean something else. I don’t have much to say about the ahoge, but the eye design might instead imply that this person’s talent has to do with rejecting, opposing, or ending something. The bullet could be a regular bullet, and therefore imply that this person’s talent has something to do with guns.

For whatever reason, the hairstyle already made me think Ultimate Archer at first glance, so with the gun thing, I’m going to submit my guess as Ultimate Sharpshooter. This talent (and other slight variations of it) shows up pretty commonly in fangans (Kiyoka Maki of DRA, Desmond Hall of P:EG), and for good reason. It’s a talent that gives off a cool vibe, a potentially level headed yet aggressive personality, and can obviously be involved in many cool murder tricks.

My other guesses besides Ultimate Sharpshooter are in a similar ballpark– aforementioned Archer, Ultimate Bounty Hunter, Ultimate Spy, etc– but I could be way off track. I don’t see any weapons on 0a6, which would be weird for any of those talents. It could be more of a Debater type talent (with the eye symbol and truth bullet), or the blue gloves could hint at something more scientific (a la Charles and Arturo), although I don’t see the benefit to the sporty under-eye mark in either of those cases.

3Km is interesting, because they’ve got a lot going on. Hexagons, fire, zebra print– put it all together, and what does it mean? One interpretation is that their personality, too, is a lot.

I was immediately drawn to the markings on the left side of 3Km’s face, because I don’t know what they are. They could be angry veins, but… I don’t think veins really work like that in the shoulder. It’s far more than the typical anime stylization, not in the same place, and they don’t look particularly angry, so that's probably wrong. In that case, it’s probably a scar. But, what kind? Acid? An animal? Fire, like the symbol on their shirt?

Let’s move on for now and take a look at their pants. There’s a zebra pattern, which could imply a connection to animals/zoos or travel/Africa. The kind of pants they’re wearing are called chaps, which, hey, are typically ridden by horse riders! They’re meant to protect the rider’s legs from “thorny vegetation, extreme temperatures, and the animals they work with.” That definitely makes it seem like the zebra is important, as an equine animal.

Thus, my guess for this character is Ultimate Wild Animal Tamer. They wear chaps and gloves to protect them from the untamed animals they work with, yet they may have gotten a scar from a taming gone wrong. They’re strong so that they can get the upper hand, and the fire and piercings could speak to their rebellious, similarly wild personality. @venus-is-thinking also suggested that, as a Wild Animal Tamer, this character could work in the circus, which could further explain the flamboyant clothing and fire motif. They definitely seem like a character who could be putting on a show.

As for the other character pictured… that person is almost certainly 3Km’s sibling, likely a twin. However, as a fellow member of the killing game cast, we’ll get to them later! For now, let’s check out somebody else.

This character is one of the ones that I’m the most baffled about. They don’t wear a lot of symbols or field-specific clothing, so, it’s kind of a shot in the dark.

They definitely seem kind of fancy, what with the super swirly hair. Square scarves also typically seem to be worn in professional circumstances for stylish people. They’re wearing a lot of layers (including said scarf and a sweater), so it’s possible they work in a cold environment? Or maybe they just naturally run cold. There’s a lot of draping elements in their clothing, between the folded jacket and two-layered skirt, but that doesn’t really correlate to a specific location or profession.

The eyes patterns are also weird. They’re very spiky and not perfectly circular. What they reminded me of first were either an explosion, a loud noise, or a circular blade distorted while spinning quickly. Glasses are typically associated with nerdy or smart characters (like Eden and Charles), but anyone can wear glasses, so I wouldn’t use that as a huge selling point.

Anyways, the combination of fanciness, loudness, and potential nerdiness made me think some kind of talent incorporating a voice and art. I had ideas ranging from Ultimate Opera Singer to Ultimate Art Critic. In the end, I settled on Ultimate Stage Director, mostly as a vibe check. I could imagine this character ordering writers, actors, and set designers around with the goal of following their vision. A person like that who’s used to being in charge could be an interesting figure in a killing game. Again, though, I don’t have super strong feelings about this, so I’m extra looking forward to learning more.

I was going to slam dunk this one as the Ultimate Shepherd until @fuji-iri pointed out to me that there’s actually a sewing needle pattern in their eye! I’m kind of glad, because it gives me more to talk about and might explain some of the weird things I noticed if this character were the Ultimate Shepherd.

Besides the sewing needle, the eyes are definitely reminiscent of a sheep. Same with the braids in their hair– they’re arranged in a spiral reminiscent of a sheep’s horns. The cloud-like pattern on their cloak, as well as the soft-looking trim, seem fluffy and wool-like. 9lt definitely has a sheep motif, but that doesn’t mean it’s the talent exactly.

9lt’s bell hints at that concept. Although sheep often wear bells, according to google images, they’re more often regular bells than the circular bell depicted in their outfit. It seems like sheep can wear these bells, but they’re more commonly seen on cats.

There’s also a strong focus on pastel colors in the design, particularly pink. The design is very fun and childlike, it’s silhouette appearing smaller due to the large bow and lack of visible arms. (They’re also just pretty short.) The cloak, which obscures most of their body, kind of reminds me of Toshiko Kayura of P:EG. Small, cute, and childish, yet kind of mysterious and strange: that’s the vibes this design is giving me.

Given the sewing needle, it’s tempting to give this character a talent in fashion design. They do have a very specific style, which could play into their designs. However, with the strong connections to animals and fluffiness makes me think that they actually might be something along the lines of the Ultimate Plush Maker. It’s cozy and cuddly while also involving the sharp eye (of the needle) that a creator needs to have.

Now, this is a character with a lot going on. They’ve got symbols all over and a really fun hairstyle, so, let’s see how it could all fit together.

One of the aspects that first caught my eye was the flower in hwR’s hair. I’m pretty sure it’s a dandelion, which could be read in a couple of ways. The first is that a dandelion is a weed. hwR could be a character who often isn’t wanted, but manages to persist regardless. Secondly, dandelions have a lot of medicinal benefits if you consume them. So, hwR could be a character focused on health, especially in alternative ways. Thirdly, there’s the superstition that blowing on a dandelion will grant you a wish. I’d lean against this one because the dandelion isn’t… ripe(???) enough to be blown on yet, but the interpretation is still there.

The bunny symbol also has a lot of interpretations. As I listed out in the image, some options are good luck, longevity, opportunity, and adventure. The white rabbit is also a main character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which DRDTdev is clearly familiar with if the LGI MV is anything to go by. Generally, rabbits are also fast, cute, and known for multiplying. White rabbits seem to have generally positive connotations, which is a good sign for this character.

Other symbols include the crescent moon and sparkle type shapes, which seem to indicate nighttime or mystery. The symbol in hwR’s eyes is a spiral, which is also mysterious and could have to do with hypnosis. Apparently they also represent the circle of life, which could be suspicious…? Dying and living, killing games, and the like.

Anyways, with all this supernatural and superstitious imagery, I feel like the talent has to deal with something similar. I’m not exactly sure what to call it, or what the specific niche is. The one I wrote down in my notes was the Ultimate Alternative Medicine Practicioner, tying in the medicinal uses of dandelions and therapeutic uses of hypnotism. However, that title is a mouthful, and there are definitely other options. I sort of wanted the talent to just be someone who believes in spiritual practices, but given that a spiritualist is apparently someone who believes in talking to ghosts, the best name I could come up with for that was Ultimate Believer. hwR could also be something like an Ultimate Fortune Teller or a straight up Hypnotist, or a Lucky Student who really leans into the title. There are plenty of options, but I think it’s something in this genre.

This guy is fun! The fashion is pretty plain so there’s not a lot to work with, but I’ll give it my best shot.

As compared to 8CT (the one with the curly hair), Jfl at least has the very obvious symbol on their shirt to point us in the right direction. I’m pretty sure those are audio levels, which means that their talent probably combines something with sound with something with technology. I don’t know why they would need a lot of pockets or a hat with a visor for that, but hey, always good to be prepared.

The hat is pretty plain, but there is that green square on it. It may just be a large tab, as appears on many baseball caps to show off a logo. This one is blank, though, so it could be something else. It kind of looks like the press marker that appears on stereotypical reporter hats in, like, the 1920s, but those weren’t typically lime green, either (unless the black and white movies are fooling me hard).

The overall color scheme plus the fingerless gloves sort of make this character look like an Ultimate Hacker to me, but then I’m not sure what the connection to the audio levels are. They could also be something more like an Ultimate DJ, but the hat, jacket, and cargo pants make me feel like it’s something a little more active/outdoorsy. Thus, I’m going to go with the kinda-compromise that this character is the Ultimate Podcaster. In my mind, they would do some field reporting first (hence something that looks kind of like a reporter hat), and then come back to their home office and talk about it to publish in a podcast.

With my argument about the clothes feeling more outdoorsy, I have a few ideas for what the podcast could be about. The first is something along the lines of hunting cryptids. Jfl goes into the woods, looks around, and then reports their findings in, like, a ghost log. A little more in the realm of realism, Jfl could tail important figures around, either as a paparazzi-type person or someone who’s unraveling a conspiracy, and then release a report on them. That could also get Jfl involved in some kind of scuffle with XF-ture tech, which makes me lean more in that direction.

With the fish scales, knA is pretty obviously nautically coded. Their talent probably has something to do with water, but, in what way? Let’s look at the other details.

Just like Nico, knA has slit eyes. In Nico’s design, it was meant to make them look catlike, due to their profession as the Ultimate Pet Therapist. Similarly, 9lt has horizontal slit eyes, which are meant to make them look like a sheep. It seems like these elongated pupils are meant to make us think of animals, so knA’s talent probably heads in that direction. They also have a catlike mouth ( :3 ) and wear a collar, which (like Nico) makes them lean feline. Maybe it’s a catfish? Or maybe that’s more of a personality beat.

On the other hand, knA’s eye pattern has two circles in it, a larger one that goes around the long pupil and a smaller one that’s sort of hidden behind it. In context, this most reminded me of a sonar/radar system, which sailors use at sea to make sure they aren’t running into anything. Through that lens, the belt(?) that wraps around their leg reminded me of an anchor wrapped around a post. That’s kinda confirmation bias with the water thing, but it may have been intentional.

To be honest, I was really back and forth on whether to call this character the Ultimate Angler or the Ultimate Diver, but by the bolding, you can tell I settled on the former. I liked Ultimate Diver because it would place the character more among the fish (why they’re coded as an animal) as opposed to someone who catches them. But also, cats are known for catching fish, right? Plus, my interpretations of a sonar and an anchor would connect the character to a boat, which is less important for diving and more important for fishing.

Now this is the character that seems to be the talk of the town! And for good reason, too: they have a lot more recognizable imagery that specifically ties them to DRDT than anybody else.

First off, there’s the obvious XF-ture Tech logo, shaped like a hexagon, which appears on u1l’s jacket. That certainly connects them to the company in some way, whether they’re an employee or just someone who received some merch. This is extra interesting given that u1l wears the same pin that Min has on her design. In A History of Hope’s Peak, Min says she was sponsored by XF-Ture Tech, so maybe this guy was, too? It could be a kind of alternate company logo. Or it could have some kind of bug to listen in with. That’d be fun.

Otherwise, it’s pretty nondescript. They have regular eyes, a regular shirt, and a regular ol’ pink tie (other than the connection it may have to the Sleepy MV). The jacket is tied really weirdly at the bottom, kind of looking like a fish tail, but I think it’s a normal jacket. The boot design kind of reminded me of Xander’s, which could indicate that this character has to be prepared to run around.

Pinning down u1l’s talent is kinda hard because… honestly, I kinda feel like they’re just “Ultimate XF-Ture Tech Guy.” Like, they’re clearly connected to the company, and may be here as their representative. Thus, in my notes, I called this guy the Ultimate Technician.

A technician is “a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant field and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles.” Is that vaguely tech-ish as hell? Yeah. Is XF-Ture a tech company that also does vague other things? Yeah. Ultimate Technician lets this u1l have a lot of skills yet not have to elaborate on it at all, which is something that I feel like they would enjoy. Just like how they might enjoy how all of us are chomping at the bit to learn more about them, and yet, we probably won’t hear anything for a while…

A very pretty addition to the cast! I love their vibes. Time to figure out what they mean.

There’s a lot here that signifies wealth. The crown hairpin is very obvious in that regard, as is the cape. Purple is often thought of as a color of royalty, and uBg is wearing a lot of it. Same with the cape– it’s an article of clothing often worn by kings. Their eye pattern contains a diamond within a circle. Diamonds are a jewel; wealth, royalty, etc.

This character also has some elements of promiscuity to them. Garter socks (which is what I think is what they’re wearing on their left leg?) are typically thought of as a sexually-charged thing to wear, and their other leg is fully exposed (oh my!). You can also see their bra peeking out from under their shirt, as well as some cleavage. Is this related to talent, or just to personality? I’m not sure.

While it’s tempting to go with something more along the lines of Ultimate Celebrity or Ultimate Heiress, I’m actually kind of partial to my interpretation of Ultimate Treasure Hunter. They wear a crown because it’s the treasure they’ve won, and there are diamonds in their eyes because that’s what they’re looking for! The cape could read as more of a heroic/adventurer thing, and the gloves also feel like ones belonging to someone more active. I’m aware this has nothing to do with the promiscuous aspects, but… like I said, that could just relate to personality! Plus, if you’re traveling the world searching for treasure, you might want a chance to tour the people, too.

Finally, we’ve returned to the probable sibling of 3Km, the potential Ultimate Wild Animal Tamer! If the similar color schemes and eye designs weren’t enough, the fact that their little chibis were obviously paired together makes it pretty obvious that they’re related. Assuming that everyone in this cast is the same age (18+), they would be twins.

However, I also want to propose that 3Km isn’t the only character XWu is “related” to. Remember how I mentioned that the XF-Ture logo was a hexagon? Well, the pattern in 3Km and XWu’s eyes is a hexagon. Could they also have a connection to XF-Ture tech, and thus, u1l? Maybe they’re part of the family who founded the company. It’s a big stretch, but it’s possible. Just wanted to bring it up.

Back to XWu, it’s interesting that they’re probably the twin of 3Km, ‘cause their designs are pretty opposite. While 3Km seems wild, XWu is very fancy. They have a chain, much like uBg; some boots that look sort of princely; and a very fancily-patterned vest. I didn’t notice while I was making my visual, but I think that the vest has snowflakes on it to mirror 3Km’s fire. Honestly, I don’t know if that means it’s more likely that it has something to do with their talents, or less…

I feel like XWu might have some kind of managerial talent. It could be something more business-y, related to XF-Ture Tech, or if 3Km is part of the circus, XWu could be, like, the Ultimate Ringleader. Leaning on the former, I settled for the Ultimate Business Consultant. I was thinking about 3Km going around the world taming animals or whatever, and XWu tagging along, making business connections and deals along the way. The “X” in their bangs makes me think that they might have a talent or personality that revolves around rejecting things. That could lean business leadership, so… yay?

-

And that’s that! To summarize, the cast of talents as I determined them were Ultimate Teacher, Ultimate Sharpshooter, Ultimate Wild Animal Tamer, Ultimate Stage Director, Ultimate Plush Maker, Ultimate Alternative Medicine Practicioner, Ultimate Podcaster, Ultimate Angler, Ultimate Technician, Ultimate Treasure Hunter, and Ultimate Business Consultant.

Obviously none of this is concrete, and I’m speculating based on very few details. I won’t be disappointed no matter what the talents are because, hey! We get more fangan content from DRDTdev either way! I feel like the Ultimate Winner with that fact.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and, if you have alternate interpretations or design elements I missed, I'd love to hear about them! I might make an update if we get any additional information any time soon.

[my18thcenturysource]

Portrait of Vivienne Westwood by Christian Shambenait

It took me a few days, but with the death of icon-goddess-genius Vivienne Westwood, I had to make a post here about her work and how massively influential she was during her lifetime, and why her influence will remain for years to come.

"I take something from the past that has a sort of vitality that has never been exploited – like the crinoline – and get very intense. In the end you do something original because you overlay your own ideas." Vivienne Westwood

Born in 1941 in Tintwistle, Cheshire, Vivienne Westwood (nèe Swire) did not have a "traditional" path into fashion and design, even though she took a course of jewellery at the Harrow Art School (she thought it was not for her, being a working-class girl), she became a primary school teacher and got married with Derek Westwood, had a kid... But she was a maker of things and a creative mind, and made her own wedding dress and jewellery that she sold at a stall.

Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood at the Let It Rock store (London, January 1972).

But all of that was about to change when she met Malcolm McLaren. She got divorced, moved with him and had another son. McLaren became the manager of the Sex Pistols and with Westwood, they became a creative duo who dressed the band and became VERY influential during th punk era. We must add the after that they opened a store called SEX, which was the meeting place for the punk scene in London in the 1970s. So, yeah. punk wouldn't look like it does without Vivienne Westwood.

"Vivienne and Malcolm use clothes to shock, irritate and provoke a reaction but also to inspire change. Mohair jumpers, knitted on big needles, so loosely that you can see all the way through them, T-shirts slashed and written on by hand, seams and labels on the outside, showing the construction of the piece; these attitudes are reflected in the music we make. It's OK to not be perfect, to show the workings of your life and your mind in your songs and your clothes." Viv Albertine

This era of Westwood's design has a lot of collaboration, especially with McLaren, and they produced under the Worlds End label until 1985. These collections have each a theme and a name, and here is when we star seeing Vivienne Westwood's eye and curiosity for historical fashion, as well as nods and details especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. Of course, it was the 80s and all was way more colourful than what we thing of more contemporary Vivienne Westwood, but you can see that EVERYTHING was already there in the period which she dubbed as "New Romantic" with collections like Witches, Punkature, and Pirate.

Raincoat and belt, from the 1983 Witches collection, Victoria & Albert Museum.

Ensemble from the 1982 Pirates collection, Victoria & Albert Museum.

Knitted top from the 1983 Witches collection, featuring Keith Haring's graffiti.

The 1988-1991 era is called "The Pagan Years", and we can see the change of the main looks from punks to girls in clothes that parodied the upper class. And it is then that I think the ultimate Vivienne Westwood is seen: corsets, crinolines, tartan, colourful stripes... Here is when we begin to see the historical references taken to a extreme, mixed with the modern word and sense of humour, while always being perfectly made and patterned and fun for all genders.

Here some of my favourite ones:

Vivienne Westwood black satin corset with metallic gold pattern, ss 1992 Stays, late 17th-early 18th century, Met Museum.

Vivienne Westwood autumn/winter 2020.

Fashion illustration on L’Elegant, 1853.

Carmagnole Jacket, France, c. 1790 / Sans-culotte Trousers, France, c. 1790, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Vivienne Westwood, autumn/winter 2021.

"Watteau" evening dress, 1996, Vivienne Westwood, Victoria & Albert Museum. "L’enseigne de Gersaint" (detail), Jean-Antoine Watteau.

Vivienne Westwood, autumn/winter 2022.

Portrait of Madame X, 1884, John Singer Sargent.

Madonna in her Fever video, 1993, wearing Vivienne Westwood. Gold leather corset, sleeves and mini skirt, 'Time Machine' ss 1988, Vivienne Westwood.

Always a creative force and a punk at heart, Vivienne Westwood was also an activist, putting front and center important causes like climate change, or sustainability and transparency in the brand's supply chain.

Rose McGowan walking the autumn/winter 2019 Vivienne Westwood catwalk.

Designer Vivienne Westwood looks through the glass toward the media during a photocall at a retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 30 years in the fashion industry, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Tuesday March 30, 2004.

What is your favourite look/garment of this iconic designer? And does it have an historical reference? Let us all know!

[lipstickghoulie]

💝Games of Love and Chance💘

Here’s a story that I wrote for Creative Corner’s Valentine’s Day exchange for the wonderful @carooosa! This was based on their ADHD Tav, which if you haven’t read about before, you can find them HERE! This is SFW for once so no warnings needed. Thanks for letting me walk around in your world for this one, Roo. 💌

(Astarion/gender neutral tiefling Tav, 1756 words, fluff, SFW)

Three months. Three months of what felt like near-bliss since defeating the netherbrain. Without the looming threat of ceremorphosis looming over you both, it felt like you and Astarion could finally breath. Yes, maybe you had been pressured a bit by any of the dukes still left standing into helping restore the city and help clear some of the rubble but you didn’t mind overly much (though Astarion complained grumpily about how your kind nature always led him along with you into these situations since he was your partner). This period of assisting with the rebuilding was relaxing in its own way and gave you both the opportunity to spend time together without the pressures of your adventures weighing you down.

You were already easily distracted enough on the best of days and it was nice to get to know Astarion better as you spent your nights together without the ultimate distraction of death being an ever-present shadow in your mind.

You found out that he was a lot harder to get up from his bed after a trance than he had been on the road, always grabbing at you with demanding fingers that tried to roll you underneath him like the world’s most squawking and squirming body pillow in an attempt to stop you from trying to get him out from under his massive pile of blankets.

You discovered that he was fond of embroidering whimsical designs into your clothing any time that you were apart; sprawling little cats across the collars of your shirts or fluttering moths edging the ankles of your breeches. It was true that he had stolen the thread from some oblivious merchant but you didn’t do much more about it than roll your eyes since you had no interest in changing his ways. Your love for him was true and unwavering even with his more criminal pastimes and at least he wasn’t actively stabbing someone so… you had to be grateful for small favors, at least. It was a sweet gesture on Astarion’s part all the same.

Since this was one of the few occasions that you were able to make your apologetic excuses to those temporarily running the city to get a break from the restoration efforts and have some time to yourselves, somehow you had both arrived on the idea of a nice, peaceful date at the summer street carnival. Astarion had never been able to enjoy one before since it was always a prime time where Cazador would expect his spawn to nab as many drunken victims as possible so this would be fun for him to actually experience it without any expectations, right? Maybe spend some time walking hand in hand, watch some fireworks…

Or it would have been peaceful if the vampire spawn hadn’t spotted a ramshackle display soon upon entering the block cordoned off for the event, the kobold barker perched on crates behind the counter proclaiming in a loud bray, “Come on, come on, don’t be shy, win your sweetheart a prize! Get the ball in the cup one time, couldn’t be easier, right? Three balls for a gold piece! It’s prize time, play now!”

Curious, you peered over to the display of possible rewards, a collection of stuffed animals stacked high behind the employee in a haphazard way that fortunately didn’t take away from their cuteness.

“Oh, adorable! They have one that looks like a cat!” You chirped with enthusiasm, rocking back on your heels as your eyes landed on a round, squishy ball with ears towards the front of the pile that did resemble a feline, if you squinted. Considering that it was probably constructed by the clumsy hands of the kobold running the game, you half expected Astarion to just pull you along and tell you that he’d sew you something better later on at home. But when you glanced over at him, his face was studying yours and there was something soft in his eyes before it darted away like a startled rabbit.

Astarion scoffed, rolling his eyes as he looked at you, a confident smirk stretching across his lips and showing a tip of fang that gleamed under the moonlight. His more sarcastic and airy demeanor back like someone yanking a curtain shut. “Easy. I’ll win you that toy in a few moments flat, you can shower me with praise and we can carry on with our quaint night about town.”

…Something else that you soon learned about your beloved was that he was absolutely dogshit at carnival games. You watched with a pained but encouraging smile as Astarion tried to throw the leather wrapped ball into the ceramic cup about ten feet away for about the thirtieth time, the ball bouncing cheerfully off the rim of the cup and spinning off onto the ground. The kobold wisely didn’t comment and didn’t make eye contact as Astarion hurriedly dug through his coin purse and slammed yet another gold piece down on the aged wood, snatching more balls out of the barker’s clawed grip.

“By the Nine Hells, this game is rigged,” Astarion hissed, rolling up the sleeves of his doublet in pure rage and consternation. A few silvery-white curls clung to his forehead where it shone with a damp sweat and his ear tips were pink where they poked out of his hair with both irritation and embarrassment. “I am the best rogue in the Gate, we saved the bloody world and you’re telling me that I can’t get a ball in a cup?! Impossible-“

Astarion paused in his tirade to try again to toss a ball, as if trying to catch the game off-guard in a sneak attack. It went wide and landed about a foot away from the cup, not touching it at all.

Your tail twitched behind you in secondhand embarrassment as the silence stretched on as you, Astarion and the kobold all stared at where it had landed for a few beats.

“…There is something illegal going on here and you will pay for it. I could kill a fly with an arrow with my eyes closed and I can’t make this shot with a hunk of animal skin? I don’t believe it,” Astarion threatened the carnival employee through gritted teeth, the remaining balls rubbing against each other hard enough in his vice grip that they squeaked.

Sighing, you gently put your palm on his forearm and pulled Astarion away, hopefully out of earshot of anyone else.

“I don’t care that much about the silly prize, I’d rather we just go on with our date,” You told him quietly, eyes as beseeching as could be. “I can’t stand seeing you this worked up on my account.”

“I’m not worked up, darling, it’s just…” Astarion hesitated, his tone softened and some of the irritable defensiveness leeched out of the hard set of his shoulders. “You do so much for everyone else, this whole damn city… for me. I wanted to do something for you, even if it was simply making sure that you get the world’s most hideous cat toy if you wanted it.”

Your heart felt like it might burst. Astarion always found some new way to surprise you and this was no exception. It’s not that you didn’t think he cared for you! He did show his love for you in his own way at every opportunity that he could. But rather, sometimes it was enough to make you cry that someone cared enough about what you wanted at all that they would inconvenience themselves to make sure you got it. You were so used to putting others first your whole life that any instance of someone doing the same for you was enough to nearly make you choke up to think about it.

After a few barely concealed sniffles, a thought occurred to you. Perking up, you said, “Wait, so you want me to get the prize but you don’t care how I get it, right? As long as I get what I wanted?”

Raising one of his perfectly manicured eyebrows, Astarion drawled out, “Yes, Tav, though I do think it’s a bit far away to steal without some effort.”

You shook your head at Astarion in fond exasperation, taking the balls out of his cool hands without another word. Stepping over to the counter, your hand as quick and certain as a monk’s fist in an unarmed strike, you lobbed one of the leather orbs towards the cup. It flew in without even touching the sides, as if it was guided in with divine intervention. Astarion started to sputter at your side but you still had one left to throw, landing it with the same easy precision as the first.

The kobold operating the stand let out a deafening sigh of relief, scrambling to grab two of the cat plushes and shoving them into your hands, beyond eager to get rid of you both before Astarion had another volatile outburst in his direction. The scaly creature rattled off at you, “Yes, yes, you won, two balls in cup, two prizes. Take your person out of here! Please and thank you, good bye.”

Taking the cue to leave, you grabbed your rewards cheerfully and pressed one into Astarion’s arms as you cradled your own.

“There! Now both of us should be happy! And look, they match!” You beamed at Astarion as you walked along once more, badly sewn cats in hand.

You saw his still baffled and borderline sore-loser pout still marring his lips so you nudged him playfully with your shoulder, explaining, “When I was a kid, I used to go wild at those games. I’d clear them out of their prizes to the point that they’d have posters up barring me from playing. I guess I still haven’t lost my touch.”

After a few more seconds of broody contemplation, Astarion chuckled and looked down at the plush in his grasp, his formerly bad mood breaking away under the light of your better one. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” He murmured as he leaned forward to land a kiss where your jaw curved towards your ear, a spot that never failed to make you shiver. Victorious in accomplishing getting a reaction out of you even if he couldn’t win at a game, Astarion was ready to continue his outing with you.

And if the stuffed cats you won were frequently seen amongst Astarion’s mountain of pillows from then on, well… you were kind enough not to tease him about it.

[myrandomsuaus]

I'm back at it again with some diamond swap au character designs! This time we have The Diamonds and Pearl. I thought about doing some designs for Blue and Yellow Pearl, but I think their canon designs are perfectly fine for this au so I'll be leaving them as is.

We have Pink, Blue and Yellow Diamond along with Pearl, who used to be White's pearl until she got broken.

I wanted to keep Pink's jester elements from her canon design and mix it with White's canon design. Of course I've added my own spin on it since I can. I really love giving pink gloves with only one finger covered. I made her hair a bit more curly to give this illusion that she's a fun gal when really she's just like canon White who wants everything to be perfect (even if that means manipulating others for her own ideals).

For Blue I wanted to make her similar to canon Yellow since I have the two of them swapped, but I also wanted to make her be similar to how she was before Pink's "shattering" in canon since she wasn't always the sad mom she turned into. I did struggle with her hair so ultimately I made it look similar to Yellow's canon hair, but instead of it actually being hair it's really just a helmet that has all her hair stored in.

For Yellow I really liked the idea of making her look more like a princess in a way since it contrasts her knightly(?) look in canon, plus she's the sad mom in this au so giving her a dress felt fitting. Though I did keep her diamond/triangles that were on her canon design to give hints that she's still a tough gem, but just grieving the loss of the two youngest and smallest diamonds. (even though the two aren't shattered, just rebelled against the Diamond Authority). Also I had originally tried to make Yellow's hair long like Blue's canon hair is, but it wasn't working out so I ended up just giving her short hair.

Lastly for Pearl I kept her design relatively the same, just switched some things up. The colors of her outfit is swapped around and like the pearls of Yellow and Blue she has the little diamond cut out thing (which is literally just like the other two pearls' outfits because I wanted it to look similar to theirs). She, like I mentioned, is broken and can't speak like others. She uses other means of communication or just doesn't speak at all. White accidentally broke her when having a fit about the older diamonds, specifically Pink, and felt so bad that she hurt her pearl (which leads to her ending up with an even more broken pearl). However, Pearl doesn't blame White for the accident, believing that White would never intentionally hurt her like that. Pearl also accepts that White gave her away to protect her even though she's just a pearl that could be easily replaced. Pearl actually is fine with being Pink's pearl because she's more willing to do whatever Pink wants unlike Penny, which is why Penny has a lot more cracks than Pearl.

So if anyone wants to learn or know more or just hear me ramble about this au you can send in asks. I know I should be working on my main au, but I'm having fun with this one right now lol I do have the CGs to design and draw, but I'm actually thinking of changing some things up for them.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the art and I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! And remember stay creative!!!

[arsenicflame]

i really liked my tags on this post so i wanted to touch them up and post them as a stand alone! i ended up adding quite a bit to this ''':)

What artistic skill does Izzy possess?

I think he has a lot of 'practical' artsy skills. he’s decent at sewing (mending your own clothes isn't just useful, it's almost a requirement at sea with limited possessions and resources) he's probably decent at braiding hair from having to splice rope- simply anything with roots in being useful I think he has done enough to be decent at by this point in his life.

Singing comes into this as well, holding a rhythm is important for certain sailing tasks, and while I think he can sing in ways that don't translate to shanties, I don't think he has utilised this in a long long time (so excited that we are apparently getting an Izzy singing scene in s2!!!! I need him to know he can have fun)

Another thing is I think he was a really good tattoo artist! I don't actually see him as having the creativity to come up with interesting and unique designs but I do think he is excellent at the act itself, and at copying requested designs. you need a swallow? an anchor? a ship? any common sailors tattoo? he can absolutely do it and it will probably be the best tattoo you have. it was always a mark of honour if you could convince him to do yours on the Queen Anne- he was very busy and didn't often do them, and definitely wouldn't do them if he didn't respect you. He's done a lot of Ed's 'quality' tattoos (though I think Ed also does a lot on himself), he's done tattoos for Fang, and Ivan, and he will do them for the rest of the kraken crew in the future. (he will even do one for Lucius one day, one of his own pieces of art as long as its not an Ed face or a dick. They understand each other now)

anything else? I don't know, I see him very much as, he won't let himself do things if they aren't practical. his canon whittling is as close as he gets and that's more of a 'thing to do with your hands while watching the deck' kind of thing. have knife will whittle

I think ultimately, Izzy doesn't let himself do things for himself. if you love something, if you have a soft spot, it can be targeted, taken away.

I do think he maybe dances though. He always plays it off as something Ed forces him to do when they're drunk/on shore but... he loves it- the motion; the reliance on another partner and the intimate understanding of exactly what they're gonna do next? I think he would love that actually.

I think dancing might be the one thing he always does for fun. He never lets himself have it, but if Ed demands a partner? Yes, of course, anything for his Captain.

(Ed always demands a partner. he likes dancing well enough but he likes seeing Izzy do it more- he knows Izzy will never do it on his own, he understands why, but Ed is Blackbeard. Nobody fucks with Blackbeard- and if he wants to dance? if he wants his first mate to dance? they're fucking dancing.)

but that's not the truth of the situation, really.

It always takes him a second to let his guard down, but he relaxes into it. He lets himself loose in a way Ed only sees when he's deep into the rhythm of a swordfight. And perhaps it's the same, to him- finding the flow of the battle, of the music. Feeling his partner, understanding them and being understood in return? It's all the same- but dancing is safe. Dancing is fun. In a swordfight there are stakes- and he loves the stakes, he loves that this thing that means everything to him matters, but sometimes, just sometimes, it really is nice to move like that in a way that doesn't matter.

And when they really get going- all twirls and jumps and frankly being a little ridiculous, Izzy laughs. A deep belly laugh, a kind of joy you didn't think was possible from him. But here he is, letting go at last. He laughs and he smiles and he feels such joy, the rest of the world melts away, and it is just him and his partner, dancing.

(later- much, much later, a man will play a battle song over their raids, a jaunty little tune that throws off everyone they fight against, and Izzy gets to dance, and fight, and feel free, unburdened by the weight that he's carried with him his whole life. They'll dance after too, and he will have finally found a place where he completely belongs)

(if you liked this, can I recommend Talking Bodies by ItsClydeBitches, i feel like that fic fits the themes of dancing incredibly well)

[elfyourmother]

Do you consider yourself a lore breaking, lore bending or lore adhering roleplayer? Does this adherence to lore depend on the kind of lore you're exploring with your characters; i.e. you play fast and loose with ideas xiv has yet to develop, but you tend to pay close attention to the fleshed out ideals? Is there lore you have modified that you're proud of and would share here?

I view lore as a starting point for me to jump off from and make my own. Always have.

I find strict adherence to game canon for its own sake creatively suffocating and always have, in every setting I've ever written in. It’s pretty much entirely because I grew up on DMing and writing in Forgotten Realms, which took a very DIY approach back in the day that was heavily encouraged by its creator. Everyone's Realms were equally valid, according to Word of God, and there were often intentional "blanks" left in sourcebooks for the DM to fill. These books emphasized over and over again that the DM was the ultimate authority on canon, not TPTB or the novels or anything else. That philosophy has informed my approach to worldbuilding in the transformative fandom sense for the last 30 years. That and being a queer Black femme of color who is very rarely satisfied by canon narratives rife w racially problematic tropes. I change things to make a space for myself and my characters and the stories I want to tell, by necessity. FFXIV is no different in that respect.

That said, I don't smash SE canon just to smash it either. Despite how bonkershits a lot of Gisèle's canon appears on the surface (eg. post-war Ishgard's constitutional monarchy with King Aymeric), everything I change has been carefully considered and engineered for as much internal consistency as possible. As much as I operate on Rule of Cool, I need things to make sense for me to have fun.

But I am distinctly not a roleplayer, for this and many other reasons. I'm strictly a fic writer, and I don't ever collab with people. The world Gisèle operates in is constructed entirely for her, and my own enjoyment, by design. So no one is forced to deal with my stuff if they don't like it.

That said, King Aymeric is probably the lore I’m most proud of. I wrote a ficlet for ffxivwrite last year on it here, but the cliffs notes: Aymeric invoked the ancient covenant between man and dragon when begging Hraesvelgr’s aid against Nidhogg and vowed he would restore it, but Hraes said that because that covenant was broken by an Elezen king, only an Elezen king could restore it. Hraes was wily though, it wasn’t just upholding weird draconic custom in saying that. His ulterior motive was to make Aymeric guarantee his people would be united enough not to turn on the Dravanians once Nid was handled. the end result is that Aymeric restored the Ishgardian throne (“The Azure Throne”, as a nod to Haldrath), but as a largely unifying figurehead/ceremonial position with Parliament strictly defining the role of the king. Artoirel is Lord Speaker of the House of Lords. Aymeric’s still LC of the temple knights in addition to his royal duties. He wasn’t giving that up lol.

making a constitutional monarchy plausible in the context of the story was challenging and I think I’ve done a solid job of it tbh. I wanted to lean into the Arthurian romance vibes of HW but also solve the fundamental problem I had w how it ended, which is that I don’t think it’s a terribly realistic scenario for ppl who were under a theocracy for 1000 years. Aymeric essentially having his hand forced by Hraesvelgr solves the issue of why he would restore the throne and tbh I don’t flinch from the complications of squaring that with the revelations about Ishgard’s founding, I think it only plays more into Aymeric’s ambivalence about the role he’s been thrust into.

[r-rook-studio]

Return to the Bracknell Horror

Crossposted from R-Rook.studio.

I like to think of myself as someone who loves and writes scenarios that are inherently sandboxy. My ideal horror investigation scenarios—Goblin Archive's The Mall and Zzarchov Kowalski's Price of Evil—have a few hooks, a usefully detailed map, a well-thought-out escalation clock, and interesting, tersely described NPCs... but not much else. In adventure design, those are my ideals. Sometimes, at a one-shot are con, you need to make your frames slightly harder, but often when doing that, the goal is to preserve as much player agency and GM creativity as possible, especially when the scenario isn't only for demo or public play.

Over the past weekend, I had a writing breakthrough with "The Bracknell Horror," an adventure for the next Roseville Beach Book. This post isn't grand RPG theory; it's just a quick note that my two favorite parts of scenario design (setting and escalation clock) were ultimately what fixed the problem. It's odd that I've run this little adventure many times since I started working on Roseville Beach in 2019—it's fun and gives me room to bring in a lot of the PC's connections—but it was only last weekend that I was really happy with it how it all came together.

"The Bracknell Horror" has been my go-to con game or demo for Moonlight on Roseville Beach. Inspired by both a messy blend of the Migo and the Dreamlands with the actual Belvedere Guest House on Fire Island, I've been running it since 2019. Roseville Beach's Bracknell Lodge is a good place for a kidnapping mystery: the guest house is too expensive and exclusive for our PC sleuths to have been in before, even though it's local to the town where they do their monster-hunting. It also gives them the potential to deal with wealthy, WASPy, and mostly unsympathetic queer characters who are still being harmed by cishet magician Simon Mather and his cronies who've decided Roseville Beach is the perfect place to find some warm bodies for some nightmarish Dreamlands entities to possess.

Ultimately, I didn't put it into either the quickstart or the main book because we were out of space and because while it was always a sandbox when I got to the Bracknell, I was always too intimidated to create an escalating clock and always needed a scene structure and over-the-top clues to get them there.

In my original version, the PCs wake up Saturday morning to discover that during the night, people have gone missing. In some cases, they had missed connections with those folks and may have been looking for them before. I'd always excused that issue, rationalizing that missing a meet-up with friends in an era before cell phones often meant not reconnecting until everyone got back home the next day. But Roseville Beach isn't just a small town, it's a fairly tiny one, and the locals know each other well, so I was never happy with actively preventing the PCs from getting involved until the clock was farther advanced, but my brain was hyper-focused on that structure until I started preparing to run it for A Weekend with Good Friends hosted on Discord by The Good Friends of Jackson Elias. Finally, it occurred to me that the adventure really needed to begin the night the disappearances start instead of just including a few flashbacks the PCs remember the next day. In doing that, I had a chance to target not just the PC's connections and allies but also the PCs themselves, giving them a chance to interfere with Mather's plans as they were getting started or follow Macgregor and his cronies as they moved through the town finding people to target rather than waking up the next morning and converging on the Bracknell.

I'd been afraid that getting the PCs involved too soon might mean it moved from creepy horror scenario to a big fight in the middle of town, but it took PCs time to confirm what was happening and that the people who were running late or took longer than usual to use the bathroom, find a pay phone, or cash a check at the grocery were actually, really missing that the kidnappers always had a head start (a crow shifter spotted one of Mather's henchlings walking toward the Bracknell with one of the victims, but couldn't do much to interfere until he rendezvoused with everyone else). Once that happened, a PC who'd been invited back to the Bracknell by a stranger she was dancing with had a new motivation to accept the invitation. We still had a chance to explore all the less-known ways to get into the lodge—the gardener's entrance, sneaking in via the unused boathouse, climbing over the front gate (this time with the cover of night)—so I got to reference Dai's incredible map (that will also appear in the full version of Dim All the Lights).

This time, I'd also simplified Mather's plans so that they were way easier to plot out on a clock, and PCs interfering with them weren't filling pages of notes when they learned about them. Moving everything to the nighttime also meant that PCs' plans to get into the Lodge by subterfuge, stealth, and seduction felt more logical and logically likely to succeed.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

oh oh let me tell you!! i love the idea of pinniped-based merfolk and i once got really obsessed with it and made up tons of possible lore for if a society of merfolk existed based loosely on pinnipeds with pinniped tails and mammalian carnivore traits!! they could spend lots of time underwater but ultimately had to breathe air. often lived on shore or shallow water. had a spoken language as well as a basic signing system/sign language that worked better for clear communication underwater. their culture was loosely based on coastal areas of italy and also irish fishing villages. ceramics was a major art form and export. they fish-farmed in a very sustainable way since it was a long, long cultural tradition. oysters and shellfish were gathered, crabs were caught using crab nets. their dry storage areas were on shore and are essentially low-ceiling houses along canals. post human contact, they often worked as lifeguards in nearby human towns. mate i built a religion and some basic phrases in a made up language, it was so fun and detailed and clearly something is wrong with me lol but yeah that’s what i have to say in regards to your mammalian merfolk breathing post!!

Oh that's so cool!!! If you happened to have a post on them or just wanted to talk more I'd love to have a read! I love merms that are more realistic :) Not always in the way of "these mermaids are hyper realistic and what it would look like if humans evolved to lead an aquatic lifestyle" — though I'm a big fan of those too, the designs are very creative — but rather "let's take the concept of mermaids and expand upon how they would live, how they would behave, what their traditions and culture would be like, etc." sometimes with an explanation for how they came to be.

To ramble some more about merfolk, it overall makes most sense that many populations would choose to live in shallow water and alongside coasts, maybe even on the coast; building infrastructure is easier that way, light is more readily available, and for aquatic mammal-based merms there's of course the readily available air. I have mostly dabbled in temperate and cold climate fish mermaids (because I want to iron out the kinks of how a merm could live in the same latitudes as I do) but I like to imagine that in the modern ages they build homes with tall rooms (partly to fit their long bodies), some rooms reaching above the water with big windows to get as much sunlight in as possible, even in the winter when ice covers the surface of the water. Houses on top of the water on stilts and houses completely or partly on top of land would probably make the most sense for aquatic tetrapod merms! I like to think there's also nomadic merms that travel the middle parts of the seas and oceans and herd massive schools of fish :)

[bluravenite]

You can totally ignore this if you want, i just saw that poat you added to about fandom bullying and idk, I am just... gah, i wish this fandom wasnt so cruel. I had so much fun here when i first joined and i didnt really know what i was getting into except for the fact that I loved ghost! now i still love ghost, but i am in the process of de-ghosting my blog. I feel like every day I see people bullying one another in this community, and I feel like every time i post my writing, I risk drawing attention and being bullied. Congratulations to those assholes! they'll kill the fandom because folks will be too scared to share work.

I know fandom always has some drama, but none of the others I have been involved in have been this cruel. I dont know if people are just getting crueller, or whether Ghost somehow just attracts cruel people. I hate to think the latter, because the band is drenched in love. But i fear to think the former, though i worry it might be so.

I don't think it's the band itself Hun, I think definitely it's the sort of bubble the fandom itself has created.

Cruel people exist everywhere and it's unfortunate when they end up finding each other in a bubble, ghost has gotten so big that its really hard to regulate and you will have lots of unregulated environments where people don't feel comfortable.

You as a member can do what you need to endure YOUR safety, but that sometimes isn't enough or as effective when other triggers (i.e. hate anons) are still present in the environment.

I completely feel you and I am so sorry that you've been through this and feel like this as well... Ghost used to be my comfort fandom, and I am still so in love with the romanticized idea of it, I miss talking about our OC ghouls with friends, writing and reading about them and siblings of sin life in the abbey, about ghouls going on tours and being so silly with each other. About the love and romance that allowed people in the fandom to find new ways to love themselves and explore their sexuality and even bodies. I still think that was beautiful.

Unfortunately we lost that energy at some point, maybe with the hate anons to the writers, attacks to artists, maybe with the hypersexualization of presenting gay male ghouls and dislike for the female presenting ghouls. Maybe with the over-sexualization of unmasked members of the real band, which should've never happened.

The other day I found this clip from a Neil Newbon stream (voice of Astarion in BG3 and Heisenberg in REV) where he goes on to say some headcanons are just.. wrong, and you have to learn to separate fact from fiction. These are ultimately characters that the original creators wrote, while you as a fan artist have free range to give them physical designs and traits you also have to be aware that you need to keep a somewhat level of separation, AND decency between your own headcanons and the real canon.

I think ultimately that's where this fandom goes wrong... There is no separation because people get so fucked up into their headcanons in their made up mutual bubbles that I feel like they never go out to touch grass and maybe take a minute to evaluate their content.

Not that I'm saying it shouldn't exist. Just that it's important to understand WHY it was made, WHY, it exists. Is this ghoul hypersexual?? Okay well BUT WHY????? Who are they, how do they feel about it, when did they realize, how did it affect them??? That's never talked about, it's always "ghoul has lit of sex with same sex ghoul again!!!!" It's like plotless porn at that point, fetish. It becomes gross.

I ended up kinda ranting here but I made some good points so I hope this at least helps invite more discussion about what the frick has been happening here lately..

Lots of love and encouragement to you anon, and to anyone else who has felt this way at least once in the fandom. We deserve a decent creative space💀

[crusherthedoctor]

🦋 😎 🚦 💌

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

To the shock of no one, Eggman and Trudy. Eggman is my favourite character, and Trudy is my character, so naturally I tend to get especially into it when I'm writing for them.

I'm not ashamed to admit that, because unlike some writers with their own characters (hint hint), I always make sure it never comes at the expense of the other characters' respect and dignity.

😎 What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon compliant to wildly original?

Canon all the way. Years of fics and adaptations where the characters barely resemble who they're meant to be will do that to you.

I also consider it an engaging challenge to take concepts that would never happen officially, and try to tackle them in a way that would hopefully make sense in its execution if it were done officially.

🚦 What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.?

Happy endings with a hint of bittersweet.

It hits the sweet spot for me, in that the villain leaves a undeniable impression, whose impact can't be swept under the rug so easily, but the heroes are still able to ultimately triumph after a lot of hard work.

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

This ain't all of them by any stretch, but here are some examples that come immediately to mind:

Villains who are both hilarious and genuinely ruthless. (Hi Eggman.)

Villainous breakdowns.

Characters getting to see the world for the first time.

A new setting for the hero(es) to explore, with its own history and atmosphere.

Cool environments with eye-catching aesthetics.

Fun and creative designs for antagonists/bosses/etc.

Building up to a mystery that seems to have an obvious answer on one hand, but remains mysterious in spite of that because of additional factors.

Gradually building up to darker elements as the plot goes on, with the optional bonus of said elements in question being not what you'd expect in terms of tragedy or creepiness. (Don't worry though, it'll never go into misery porn shenanigans, that's not my thing.)

Shy characters gradually building up their courage over the course of the story, without becoming a radically different person by the end of it.

Callbacks and continuity references, but only if they're used in moderation and feel organic.

Contrast. This can apply to anything, be they characters, creatures, plot beats, or even locations.

Writing Trudy's dialogue for so long has given me a very specific one: subverting the "sesquipedalian characters are always high and mighty" cliche. I dunno, it's just unexpectedly fun writing a character who is humble and down-to-earth, and juxtaposing that with her occasionally verbose language. (She doesn't use big words 24/7, just on the rare occasion, as I thought it'd be a nice little quirk for her that makes her dialogue that extra bit memorable and - hopefully - endearing.)

[arylett]

Digimon Tamer Arylett - Quick Sketch [Feb 19 2018]

This piece is outdated, featuring defunct creative musings.

Seems every time I get back into Digimon, my brain explodes into creativity. This series just really makes me want to make my own Digimon universe, with myself as a Tamer. I probably will never get around to making such a thing, but it is fun to think about it nonetheless. I like to think about other universes for myself to be able to exist in as a human in a real worldlike setting, as I already exist in Aelita as a non-human. Digimon and Persona are probably my top ones, and I'll likely make an image that satisfies both itches more neatly lately. For now, here's a very sloppy and crude image.

Since I have a lot to say here (which you probably won't read, but it's for my own satisfaction), I'll just split it into a few parts.

Human Arylett Charnoa

This design is nothing different from the many other designs of myself I've made. Just a slight modification I've been planning for a while. The art style is... well, a very sloppy version of a human art style I'm trying to develop to get around my dislike for drawing humans. (It just involves a lot of simplification without being chibi exactly.) It's kind of inspired by Okami's art style, as the humans in that were quite simple. I'll work on it more as time goes on.

Digimon Universe

Anyways though, she exists in a version of the Digimon universe that kind of mixes Adventure, Tamers, and Data Squad rules a bit. The Digivice is a rather sloppy and quick design, but it's actually just a case/holster that one puts their smartphone in, which allows interface with the Digimon. (It also gives you physical buttons! Yay!) Crests exist in this universe and basically go by Adventure rules; expressions of one's strongest personality trait allow them to power up their Digimon. Crests though are just crystals here, imbued with the symbol. Arylett wears her on her chest. Unlike Adventure though, you need the crest to Digivolve your Digimon past Rookie, not just to Ultimate. And you kind of get this aura around you, similarly to the DNA Charge in Data Squad. It must be initiated by expressing your personality trait in some way, which is different for different people.

Tamers rules come in because to get to a Digimon's True Mega Level, one must Biomerge together with them. Both Tamer and Digimon must channel the crest's power into each other by expressing the embodied trait. Arylett's is Passion.

Nephilim

Nephilim here is a Labramon. Because I always thought it would make more sense if people would actually give their Digimon a name rather than just calling it by its species. She is ridiculously pampered by Arylett, who thinks she is the cutest thing in the universe. (Because Labramon is my favorite Digimon. I can't tell you why. It's just a nice, simple, and cute design. And it's a dog.) Her personality is basically that she is quite affectionate and kind, but also very jumpy and shy, similarly to Arylett. But with a more... doglike/childlike personality, as she is a young and naive Rookie level. The thing around her neck is not a part of her, but rather, an accessory given to her by Arylett to match her crest crystal. It stays on Nephilim in all of her forms.

Nephilimon

When I first posted this image, I had Magndramon as the Mega. But when we came up with Lunaris' Digivolution line, his Mega didn't fit with mine, being an anthropomorphic creature. (Lunaris is the guy I envision being co-leads with Arylett in this hypothetical series, in case you're wondering.) This bothered me a lot. But I couldn't find a pre-existing anthro Digimon to fill the void unlike his. I wanted to put Meicrackmon as the Mega, as we absolutely love her and she is one of our new favorite Digimon. (Yes, I know she's an Ultimate, but as I keep saying, I dislike the designs of most Mega levels for being too convoluted/mechalike. So I'm kind of throwing out a few rules here.) It just didn't make sense with the Labramon line though, so I basically drew up Meicrackmon's body and made some changes to it to better fit. (As I'm just no good at designing my own Digimon past Champion level. I'd rather just modify them.) Consider this a Mega variant of Meicrackmon.

When I did that though, the design looked a bit too simple to be a Mega level Digimon, so I decided to incorporate the neck thing that Arylett gave to Labramon in the design, as the ultimate culmination of their bond. I kind of wrestled with the colors pink or yellow for the main fur coat, but I felt that yellow better contrasted with the blue for Lunaris' line, and gave it a more powerful looking appearance. Incidentally, this makes it look kind of like it could be a possible Mega of Renamon as well.

I must say I absolutely adore this design. And it really has inspired me to do some stuff for my own original project. Anyways though, since this is an original Digimon, I guess I'll give you a little mini-bio on it.

Type: Holy Beast Digimon

Attribute: Vaccine

Family: Nature Spirits

Attacks:

Aurora Edge - Counter. Waits for enemy to attack, absorbs the energy of their attack, and then retaliates with glowing rainbow claws to pierce the opponent.

Benevolence - Greatly heals wounds.

Whip of Canaan - Whips opponent with ears or tail. A stunning move.

Elioud - Her most powerful attack. Counter. Waits for enemy to attack, absorbs the energy of their attack, and multiplies it several times its power, releasing a powerful burst of energy from the crystal around her waist.

Description: A kind Digimon who helps the hurt and wounded by healing them. Though usually polite and mild-mannered, she holds an intense passion deep within her heart for that which she cares for. It is said that Nephilimon will not fight unless this passion is triggered, at which point she will put all of her heart and soul into battle. Most of her attacks are only meant to counter and defend against enemies, as she will not strike unless she is struck first. The Holy Ring on her ear imbues her with the powers of light, making her a formidable angelic Digimon.

(Also, I know her design doesn't reflect the actual mythology of Nephilim, which are giants and the sons of God. But shh... I just like the way that name sounds. Blame Xenosaga for making me associate it with females.)

[xaeyrnofnbe]

i have a controversial jrwi riptide opinion,,, i’ve been holding it in for so long,,,,,, jay redesign enjoyers beware, these are my unfiltered thoughts and there are many of them

i dislike jay ferin’s redesign SO MUCH

it has some good elements

the tattoos are sick as hell

her hair being down has some nice symbolism, even if it’s less practical

the necklace with the little gems is. really sweet actually

but the rest is WEIRD and FLOWS POORLY and is LESS PIRATEY EVEN THOUGH CONDI SAID HE WANTED HER DESIGN TO BE MORE PIRATEY.

rhudhdhfhfhfjjf. i ranted about this to my mom last night (bc she’s very fun to talk to about the things i like. conversations with her are also always very constructive) and i think she brought up some interesting points!! i don’t agree with all of them, but she had the right idea!

she DID say that jay was just like. showing too much skin? i think the exact word she used was skanky. this one i’ve gotta disagree with: all the redesigns are showing more skin. and also it’s just. not a bad thing overall

HOWEVER it did highlight the fact that her redesign is just more… i hesitate to say sexualized, but that’s the word that comes to mind. much of it doesn’t feel like character development so much as…… well, just kinda emphasizing her curves and chest.

the design also is just… not very strong? and doesn’t read at all like it should. i look at her and the first impression i get is “hot lady” when i should be getting “pirate captain, inventor/tinkerer, ex-soldier”. there’s not a lot of creative shapes or colors, it’s all just a little bland? overall? underwhelming is a better word, i guess.

my mom did suggest a few changes, very few of them made sense, but the main one i understood from her waterfall of words was to keep the original shirt, or something like it (a dress shirt with some ruffles definitely reads as pirate better than… what is that, a modern tank top?) but have it be sleeveless, and open in the back so that it still shows off the tattoos.

i also thought the corset was a… weird choice. for character design, corsets can be very fun! but the design for the one she’s wearing is just. kinda weird. there’s no support happening for anything there. idk it just bugs me.

there are soooo many things about the design i don’t like or don’t care for. and i don’t really know what to do instead or how to fix it but!!! i’m getting my opinion out there for the world (jrwiblr) to see.

and like. i guess i’m just really frustrated at the like. wasted potential? ultimately this all isn’t that big of a deal and doesn’t really affect how i view the show or the character, i just. am peeved. >:///// there’s wasted potential here and i am mildly frustrated about it

[summerfrwrks]

jaystephroy concept:

fashion industry au 🚶🖋️📸

i had way too much fun conceptualising all of this so i'll be posting some edits to help visualize (and explain a bit) this au <33

imagine: jason as a model, steph as a fashion designer, and roy as a photographer - it's basically a power trio in the fashion world

jason is one of the top models of wayne enterprises' fashion branch alongside dick and cass, it's kind of a family business. they all got their share of modelling (tim ultimately decided to go with marketing, damian initiated making a sub-branch for pet clothes, and duke decided to help out with the creatives team in making commercials + social media posts).

steph made her first spoiler costume, so it's safe to assume she designed it too. plus her cute lil red headband as robin? cute and iconic, a statement piece none of the previous robins ever bothered to have. and if you check the notes on her clothing style in wfa, it'll totally solidify my point:

highlights from the notes: young and trendy, likes to customize her clothes → this is a girl that has style and someone you'd want in the designing team (+ in canon she's a good cartoonist too, she got the drawing skills)

now onto roy, i'll admit my thought process really just went: "well he's an archer, right? so he has good eyesight and he can quickly have a good scope of his surroundings taking into account of its details while he's at it - so that'll make him a good photographer." for the sake of this au, i want him on team wayne enterprises already.

some notes on jason:

with dick on men's formal wear & undergarments (hehe) and cass on women's athletic and formal wear, jason got the men's casual and athletic wear covered.

he's been planning on dropping his modelling gig. he's interested in a career change with helping out in a different aspect in the company's fashion branch. but with his popularity, it's a risky move to pursue it.

between him, dick, and cass - jason's surprisingly the best trendsetter. dick can be flat out embarrassing sometimes and although cass is iconic, she's a whole new league of her own for being able to be the only one that can really carry a look the way she does (some can copy her, but they don't hold a candle to her). the looks jason serve on his own is a mix of classic and functional - which is why leather jackets are never out of style in gotham.

some notes on steph:

steph couldn't afford fashion school but she was discovered by selina. she's under a sort of apprenticeship with her (selina gets what steph is going through and she wants someone to take over for her now that she wants to focus on designing jewelry).

she's also very active on social media. she's got a super cute and semi-consistent theme on instagram (featuring a mix of her works and shots of herself), and her stories are a mix of aesthetic shots of her designing process or photos of her snacks.

steph is closest with cass. when she started out, selina assigned her as one of cass' designers. steph and cass work together often and they easily bonded.

steph is also close to tim and duke. she gives them insights on how to appeal to the audience better, and they help her be updated to current trends.

some notes on roy:

i always hc roy as the type of guy that enjoys travelling a lot. he's originally a landscape photographer, doing a lot of mountain-hiking and rock-climbing which are risky but worth it for the view. problem is: he got into an accident so those activities need to be put on halt.

he still wanted to continue photography though. even if oliver doesn't play favourites, he doesn't want to work for queen industries where people can assume he got in the "easy way" so he picked the next best company: wayne enterprises.

he's a generally friendly guy, so having to work with new people was a breeze. the problem lies with how different this particular genre of photography is. he's so used to snapping photos of landscapes that focusing on people (and clothes) is an entirely different level.

[rain-is-moody]

(super long post ahead)

Hello !

I just want to preface this by saying that I'm starting this blog as a way to document and be able to look back more on my life, especially with my journey as a full-time artist. I've thought about vlogging or making short-form videos instead, but I'm not that comfortable being on camera so this is the best option! — thinking of this as a visual diary :)

☆☆☆☆☆

I'm Reign (or Rain, whichever is ok)!

I'm a 26-year-old Filipino artist/designer residing in Manila, Philippines and I own a brand called WE ARE MOODY aka MOODY CLUB.

I feel like I've never formally introduced or talked about what my brand is and how it started to anyone so I guess this is the right opportunity to do so!

To start, Moody Club is a variety brand that aims to tackle everyday emotions in a fun and creative way through art and design! I want to let people know that being moody is normal— or even cool! I'd like to subtly send out the message that you should embrace your feelings, whether good or bad because ultimately, it's part of being human.

The brand was formed in 2019 when I was about to graduate from college. I got a Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and majored in Visual Design at a small school here in Metro Manila. I always knew I wanted a career in the creative industry and at that time I was heavily into streetwear fashion, so I started We Are Moody Clothing!

^ some of the merchandise I sold in 2019!

It was really fun to make designs and make them come to life, but back then, I had no clue how to operate a brand. I didn't know how to find the right suppliers nor how to efficiently sell online and manage my expenses. To be honest, it was hard especially since I didn't have any connections with fellow artists or entrepreneurs to ask advice from or at least interact with. So, I put it aside and got a job instead. It was a different industry but it helped me earn more income. Unfortunately, however, the pandemic hit, and the place I worked at shut down permanently.

I was struggling mentally during the early months of the pandemic (along with trying to sell baked goods from home aka MOODYBAKES — but this story's for another time!). I felt like time was being taken away from me and that I wasn't doing anything worthwhile. It truly felt like I was running out of time 'cause I was entering my mid-20s as well. Soon enough though I discovered the online journal community — specifically, the K-pop journal and deco world!

It was kind of the start of me "healing my inner child". I was drawn to making more handmade crafts, collage making, and sticker collecting. I definitely found comfort in cute things! It was the outlet I needed. I was also lucky to get to know fellow journal/deco lovers and eventually some local artists.

When I started gaining a following as moodzlover (my journal/art account on Instagram) I got to know KITA, a local artist whom I've admired and looked up to since I was a college student. She noticed my work and asked to collaborate. That was probably how I also slowly entered the ARTPH (local online art scene) community.

KITA X RAIN COLLAB

I vividly remember her telling me to start a shop too so I could sell my art in various forms such as stickers, prints, etc. It definitely motivated me to become a full-time artist like her! (I will be forever thankful for her friendship).

So that's what I did! Fast forward to a few months later, I re-branded WE ARE MOODY/MOODY CLUB and registered myself as a full-time self-employed artist!

I was worried that people might not really like what I make since I took a long break from designing or making art in general (I used to hate drawing in college) but thankfully, I've only been receiving love and support since then!

I've done several product releases, art markets, and collaborations in the past 2-3 years. Just last year, I became a partner artist at a physical consignment store and I was also able to buy my own website! Moreover, I moved from working alone in my bedroom to working in a shared studio space!

I feel blessed to be where I'm at right now but I have so many things I still want to do, and there's a lot of work to be done to get to where I want to be. Honestly, I still think I'm running out of time sometimes, but that kind of thought will always be followed by me remembering the saying, "Everyone has their own timeline".

I know I've come a long way but there's still a long way to go! There may be times when I feel stuck or tired but I still love what I do and I want to continue to make myself and other people happy.

I'd like to apologize if this has gotten way too long but I just wanted to share a little piece of my story!

Thanks for reaching the end of this post :)

You can check out my brand here: @we_are_moody on x and instagram wearemoody.store My personal socials: @moodzlover on x and Instagram @rain_is_moody on instagram

[causeitsagame]

I've finalized all of my fangan base designs (...I think) and look, the most important part of the entire height reference chart:

She's short.

I love being able to see my kids in front of me ❤️😭 (I'm going to murder so many of you in unspeakably horrific ways)

Everyone behind the cut, with a brief bit about their design + role!

This is uhhhh nothing that will be playable any time soon, but I'm aiming for an honest-to-god full (fan) game experience. :) First trial has eighteen different truth bullets, this protag has her own unique mechanic, I'm building things out in Unity, etc. etc. etc.

I am GOING FOR IT, because setting a high creative bar and forcing yourself to push yourself is how development happens!

I'm moving from left to right and including the name/talent/MTBI in text below for readability. I included the MBTI here because I tied each one of them to an MBTI archetype as a fun self challenge (hey, sixteen people!) and so you can look to see who you match up with.

Every single talent is plot-relevant by the end of the game, at minimum. Many are plot-critical. I didn't want anyone to feel like wasted space.

Emi (Tailor, INFJ) - Sweet and humble, she's the type to just wear a standard school uniform. She focuses on assisting others, so she's always got her equipment ready if someone needs something mended.

Akari (Actress, ENFJ) - THE BEARER OF THE AHOGE. Famous ever since she started as a child star, she's always had every life decision made for her by her agent or stage parents. Sounds like you need some character development, girl!

Minata (Gardener, INFP) - Shows off detailed scientific knowledge more suited for a "Botanist" title, but he goes by Gardener for a reason. Practical and kind, he's the type to show up in a working outfit.

Hana (Cinematographer, ISFP) - Has earned awards for her work, yet currently struggles to get attached to new films. Design-wise, her formal presentation is her trying to compensate for that career struggle and look older. Girl should be on LinkedIn, she wants to N E T W O R K.

Momoko (???, ENTP) - Picture a walking pair of 🖕🏼🖕🏼. But. Like. A funny one. Don't worry, girl; as a ???, you're plot-important! You're sure to stick around! (Ignore the muffled Rantaro voice.) I actually had a very specific inspiration for her look, but it's a spoiler for why she's actually there and what her identity ends up being.

Maeko (Director, ISTP) - Three movie-related talents, by now. Is that plot-relevant? An artifact of me being near the Hollywood Sign? MAYBE BOTH? (It's both.) Anyway, Maeko is willing to Commit to the Bit of whatever she's working on, hence showing up in that old-fashioned director's outfit. She knows how the whole Ultimates thing works.

Shin (Statistician, INTJ) - My MBTI sign. :) As a kid, Shin decided that the mathematician in Jurassic Park was totally cool. That ended up steering him toward ear spikes and hair streaks instead of sweater vests. Still gotta have glasses, though.

Riko (Astronomer, INTP) - Riko is clueless about basically everything besides star maps, including "how to act like a normal teenager" or "how to stand comfortably." She gets a generic uniform (with constellation tights) because she wouldn't have the slightest clue where to start, otherwise.

Moriaki (Salesman, ESFP) - Heya pal 👉🏼👉🏼 Thanks for stopping by for a chat 👉🏼👉🏼 I definitely won't make any deals I can't handle 👉🏼👉🏼 KHAKIS 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼

Ayame (Journalist, ENTJ) - I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that an investigative journalist is a good fit as one of the hard carries in trials. She zips around to stories on her motorcycle, hence the boots, jacket, and sunglasses :)

Satoru (Historian, ISTJ) - What an asshole. (He has my favorite of everyone's FTEs.)

Hiro (Fire Fighter, ESTJ) - A fire fighter. Literally named Hiro. His existence as a character is NOT. SUBTLE. Add in his first aid training, and you have someone too good to be true. (Maybe...?)

Katori (Beach Volleyball, ENFP) - Obviously, this design had to exist if I'm trying to respect many (but not all) of the tropes. Laid-back, optimistic, and totally into manifesting positive outcomes. She's basically an insta influencer who found herself in a killing game.

Katsuro (Rock Climbing, ESTP) - HIS SISTER WAS THE ONE TO PROPOSE THESE DUMBASS THEMED OUTFITS, FYI.

Ren (Bodyguard, ESFJ) - You might be big as hell, but that doesn't look like much of a bodyguard outfit, bro 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Daichi (Outdoorsman, ISFJ) - A second huge dude! BREAKING THE MOLD. (Actually, you might have noticed that there are four pretty ripped dudes, and that is in fact plot-relevant at multiple points. It's not only me going 'thirst traps for both sides.' Anyway.) I'd loosely planned out his outfit (flannel shirt, timberland boots, etc.), but I also wanted to involve a school uniform somehow. The only way he could fit into one: ripping his blazer's arms off to turn it into a vest.

SO, there they are. :) I'm tens of thousands of words into this fangan script, have all the trials, evidence, major plot beats, and the ending mapped out, and a 100+ CC0-license 3D objects + locations plus several hundred sound effect files stockpiled. It's happening! Slowly. But it's happening! I will try my very best to make a fun, engaging game.

[chaoxfix]

older sonic & tails hcs. i think in general they keep their values and interests and in a lot of ways stay similar to their childhood/teen selves. but they mature in slightly different ways.

11 & 18: the ‘only kind of maturing’ era

already written a bit with my one fic

tails:

hes just starting puberty and is extremely messy, in both actual cleanliness and personality. still very fixated on advancing his tech and helping his friends, but now gets more frustrated at his limitations than before, recognizes he’s still a kid and is annoyed because he feels so close to being an adult even though he’s a long way off. prone to massive disorganization, only remembers details that relate to machines and tech and his friends’ needs. his friends start realizing that if they’re gonna hang out they gotta do it at the workshop, or invite him on a mission. hes trying to stop being a kid, but he does still have some ‘childish’ (re: fun. he’s allowed to have fun) interests like building things, logic puzzles and toys (‘they keep my spatial reasoning sharp!!!’ ‘ok buddy’), video games, various types of boarding, comics, collecting figurines etc. he’s less insecure in his tech designs, so much as he’s anxious about the consequences of anything failing. he knows his friends rely on his designs and he can’t let them down. he still likes going on missions/adventures, and will always go if asked. but he gets really stressed about not building enough if hes away from his workshop too long. he’s also a little more manipulative and less shy about using it. he’s a little shit when he wants to be. he knows everyone’s weaknesses he just needs to come at it from the right angle. his biggest weakness was always that he was a lil kid… now he realizes he’s gonna be way OP as he grows up. but if he does have one weakness it’s stretching himself too thin, trying things he’s not automatically good at, and traumatic responses. true creative thinking is also harder the older he gets, because he focuses so much on logic and designs and contingency plans that by design are about reacting to threats, not proactive. talking about feelings is also harder and harder. and his impulse control also gets worse. he gets twitchy if he isn’t busy. also — he tried taking on all the paperwork stuff about bills and taxes and parents at like, 8. but now he regrets it because he’s constantly forgetting. ultimately amy (now 15) starts helping him out.

sonic:

still a globetrotting hero. stir crazy if he’s not literally in the middle of an adventure, …but blended with the feeling that he’s done it all before. 100% going to get himself seriously injured around this age, and probably more than once. not quite ready to grow up as he didn’t really have a childhood. in a way, he lives a little of that through tails, trying his best to make sure tails stays more innocent and can be carefree for longer than he could. painfully aware that tails is now as old as sonic was when he adopted him. very aware of mistakes. keeps inviting tails on adventures though, because he knows it means everything to him to be included. also doesn’t fully get how much pressure tails feels about his designs, as he was always under the impression that tails builds things just because he loves it — like sonic is with running / racing. sonic continues to form rivalries … i think he might get mixed up in some more dangerous ones, and maybe start having some more serious relationships (?) but never quite commit to any of them as he’s not sure if that’s a good idea with how dangerous his life is. truthfully he didn’t really expect to make it this far, and can’t anticipate going all that much further, so he’s just winging it every day. he probably has some brand deals going that easily support his life style. it’ll 100% get manipulated by eggman though. (sonic happy meal toys attacking everyone like that kim possible movie…). he also still can’t talk about feelings. starts getting legitimately angry when people try to force it, but is overall still a very laidback guy. i think it might also be time for a new deep-seated phobia as he’s kind of OP. probably claustrophobia after forces… (and likely a few similar brief captivities afterward).

14 and 21: the angst era

tails:

similar to 11, but now with a lot more maturity and a little more calculated recklessness and manipulation. way more cautious about missions. he and sonic start butting heads about that; he’s old enough now, and probably sees things at this age that he couldn’t be shielded from. and with him being older and more assertive, it makes him a lot more unwilling to sacrifice others’ safety if there’s another way. starts building a LOT of contingency plans. even messier than before. like… he holds toxic waste in his lab for safe keeping. disaster teen. he’s also taller & stronger than sonic by a good amount and uses it to his advantage on missions. …and he has a villain arc, but low key. he trusts his friends with everything but their own safety and he creates a device that can perfectly protect them… by limiting their agency to fight/dive headfirst into danger. but there’s a hopeful ending to the angst. he finally starts getting some extra support and will only go up from here, for the most part. also might (?) have romantic interest but can’t find it in him to prioritize it.

sonic:

almost dying a lot lately. his friends are … worried. like. very worried. he’s finding limits that didn’t exist at 15, and has probably collected enough injuries that he’s getting frustrated about boundaries that didn’t exist before. might have a relationship that goes badly that puts him even further off of even mild romance. he’s kind of a mess at this age imo. everything blurs by to him and thrill seeking gets lethal. he is aware that he’s a mess, yet isn’t aware that total aversion to feelings might be … perhaps … be a bad thing. it’ll probably be a mission that uses emotions / etc against him that finally wakes him up. it’s all very messy. might start distancing himself from old friends, probably goes on more solo adventures and on various self discovery quests. needs a vacation. won’t take one. needs therapy, definitely will not be going. burned out era, low key; makes fewer new friends and old rivalries get nastier in many ways. he’s never an asshole, still good natured, but thoughtlessness/recklessness is driving his friends up the fucking wall. he’s absolutely the driving force of tails’s villain arc, and they fight / are on opposite sides in that adventure before coming back together. their bond survives and tails gets what he needs but sonic still needs some time to figure things out.

18 and 25: ‘almost real adults’ era

tails:

he’s balanced out from his teen years … by a lot. he finally has a system to keep things in order life-wise, even if his lab and house are still usually a wreck. still not amazing at talking about feelings but cares about it enough to make an effort… mostly. worries openly about his big brother and is allowed to. has a very successful business. attends ted talks a lot. has an anti bullying charity and helps kids get into STEM. might low key be thinking of adopting a kid someday but also knows he’s way too distracted with tech right now to make it work. not that interested in romance but knows he has time, not all that bothered. loves making designs. finds true creativity again. self assured in what he builds, and confident that his friends will be okay. will still have ups and downs but generally knows things are going to be okay.

sonic:

significantly less of a disaster than he was at 21. there is 100% a solo mission that he went on that changes his perspective at like, 22, and he comes back feeling more like himself, and starts to mellow back out. might be gone a whole year before he comes back but he’s doing better afterwards… chillin again. by 25 he fully has his shit together again, or as together as it’s going to be. after all, he’s still a whirlwind hero and it’s not like he’s ever going to be like, filing taxes or starting a family. but he’s got that steady confidence and a little more patience, and a greater willingness to share the load. finds that zest for life we all love him for. there IS STILL joy to be had by jumping into the active volcano and there is ALSO joy in wearing a protective lava shield courteous of his fox friend just in case.