#and anyway the color effect wouldn't really work with it
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a silly screenshot edit i made of one of my favorite moments :)
...because i organized my bank accounts and wanted to give one of my cards a special cover!!
a brief note about applying the sticker to the card:
the directions said to line up the sticker to the opening for the chip, but it went better for me when i lined the sticker up to one of the long sides of the card. (but of course make sure the sticker would be in the right part for the chip)
bonus behind the scenes on my making the pic under the cut :)
i tend to make several lineart layers when doing REALLY CLEAN lineart so i can more easily erase overlapping lines. (the first screenshot has lines that "overshoot" because that gives nice sharp corners and line width variety, but i need to erase the extra parts of the lines)
(i like these screenshots because Lucifer looks extra clowny with this colorfulness)
i realized on this project, since the final lineart is just going to be black anyway, that i can use different colors for each layer and then LATER make the lineart black. (realized it after already making some lineart, so you see some black here)
SO, RIGHT. VERY EASY TO THEN GET BLACK OUTLINES: JUST SET BRIGHTNESS TO ZERO. i usually use a program called FireAlpaca, and the way you do that there is: Filter > Hue… > drag the Brightness cursor all the way to the left
in this screenshot, you can see some of the effects i added to Lucifer to give him the nice shadowed look that Hazbin Hotel has, as well as where i covered Charlie at the tip of Lucifer's hat lol
i included my layers on the right of the screenshot to show how i set up the outline layers in the final version: as you saw above, i named my outline layers with the color used for them, then, once i was done with the outline, i placed the "outline before color change" folder above the base black "outline" folder. that way, if i later notice a mistake, i can simply turn on the colored outline folder and i'll see what color that part of the outline is and jump to the necessary layer, rather than going on a quest turning off and on a bunch of layers each time
since i duplicated my outline folder before changing the outlines in one of them to black, the base outline folder already has the color names included in the layer names
NOT ALL DIGITAL ARTISTS USE AS MANY LAYERS AS I DO LOL. I GO WILD WITH THEM SOMETIMES. MANY OF MY PROJECTS HAVE WAY MORE THAN 80 OR EVEN 500 LAYERS. people just tend to figure out what works for them. i wouldn't be surprised if i end up using fewer layers in the future. or a lot more. or go either way depending on the project
so, yeah, this is a screenshot edit, so i traced the main part of Lucifer's body. for the background, i used two screenshots. had to cut together and cover some stuff. here's the two screenshots unedited followed by a scribbled version to make things work lol and then the scribbled version that includes some extra touch ups/covers
and some screenshots i took while working on this, when i unexpectedly got some cool-looking versions :3 first one reminded me of Day of the Dead looks (he DOES need to be more colorful to be more accurate) and the second is just rad
ANYWAY probably the most helpful thing to most people would be the colored outline thing talked about at the start lol, the stuff i bolded. that was IMMENSELY useful and i love black outlines more than ever XD
#hazbin hotel#hazbin lucifer#lucifer morningstar#hazbin hotel lucifer#screenshot edit#i feel like there's something else i wanted to mention under the cut but i'm forgetting lol#oH. IT WAS ABOUT CHANGING THE IN-PROGRESS COLORED OUTLINES TO BLACK LOL. GOT IT WOO#rexan's art#i got the sticker like two months ago and i STILL sometimes take my card out only to look at it XD#one of my best purchases ever lol#(it was about $15 in the U.S. and that includes shipping. i really wanted a Lucifer card)#(so worth it)
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and I begin to bloom like a lotus flower once again
the Agust D trilogy
#agust d#min yoongi#bts#suga#bts suga#bangtan#bangtan sonyeondan#bts gifs#btsedit#my gifs#i've had this concept in my head for a while now#and i've been trying to figure out how i wanted to do it#and i finally figured it out#the font is the pulp fiction font lol#i wanted to use the scarface font but it's paid and all the free versions look weird#and like... i'm not paying $30 for a font i'll only use once#and anyway the color effect wouldn't really work with it#this set right here is the entire reason i decided to learn how to make gifs in photoshop#anyway his eyes man#he has the most beautiful intense eyes i have ever seen#amygdala is very very hard for me to watch actually#and that's part of why this took me so long also#had to keep in mind what he said in the shoot sketch lol#cuz like... y'know really amygdala is faaaaaar from my favorite agust d track#but the sheer emotion in both the song itself and the mv#it's almost suffocating#he's tremendously talented and yeah i'm a lil obsessed tbh lol
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Glitchy [ Vox x F!Reader ] pt. 2 (NSFW)
A/N: Was not expecting the attention the last one got. I already had a part 2 in my head as soon as I posted it. Sorry if the writing is off! I'm a bit rusty. Enjoy!
MINORS DNI
Warnings: smut, teasing, light bondage(?), oral, creampie
Velvette's fashion show was ongoing. She somehow set you up to model one of her latest pieces as the grand finale. You liked to dress up but being in front of crowds that didn't involve killing made you nervous.
"C'mon bitch! Are you ready?" She switches up your hair into a fitting updo, showing off your TV wire inspired earrings. "Oh Vox is going to love this one."
To be honest, you did want to tease Vox a little bit to get back at him for spying on you. Valentino sneaked you into his office while he was asleep at his desk and you saw that most of the cameras were paused on you.
"Did you really put on a whole show to fuck with him?" You asked, straightening out the skirt she had you put on, "And does this outfit have to be this short. You know I don't like showing off too much skin. Gives too much to look at."
Your statement made Velvette and Valentino laugh, "Babe, with a body like that you should be showing off. It's almost a crime to keep them hidden." Val slaps your ass and pushed you towards the curtain, "You're almost up, knock Vox dead. Do that move I showed you too."
You rolled your eyes at them and walked away. Val looks down at Velvette, "$100 bucks if he short-circuits." She grinned, "$100 if he gets up and they fuck later." The two shook on their deal and walked around to get to their seats.
Vox didn't typically sit for Velvette's shows but you had asked him to show up because of a piece you said you wanted him to see. The two other Vees sit next to him, "You look like you're having the time of your life, Vox." Val teased. "Fuck off, if Y/N didn't ask me to be here, I wouldn't be. Where is she anyways? I would expect her to be here considering she wants me to see this piece so bad."
Velvette gasps, "Wow. So you wouldn't even show up to my show if I told you to come? I'm so hurt." Her words filled with sarcasm. "Shut up. It's almost time for her part."
Vox blinked, "What? What do you mean he-" Her finger covered his mouth and Val moved his head to look at the stage, blowing out some smoke for "effect" as you make your way down the catwalk.
You donned a gorgeous off shoulder top that showed too much, or too little as Val would say, of your cleavage. A skin tight skirt that rode up a little bit as you walked the catwalk hugged your hips. Above your skirt, the strings of your thong (that Velvette insisted you wore) peeked over adding a little extra flair. And the best part? You were of course in Vox's signature colors. You did a spin showing off the outfit and scanned the crowd. Your eyes locked with Vox's and you smirked as you thought about what Val taught you hours before. You bent over in his direction, one hand on your knee and one hand on your hip. You spun on your red bottom heels and posed one last time for the cameras, looking at Vox before leaving him with a wink. You looked away as soon as you see his screen glitch, red liquid oozing from the side of his mouth.
After the show, you put on a mesh coat. Velvette came running at you with a hug, "You did wonderful! I knew you could nail that. Have you seen the ratings?" She whipped out her phone with an article raving about the latest show with you front and center of the pictures, "The people love you! And the sales are coming in." You smiled, happy that you impressed the fashion critic herself. "Glad I could make you proud, Velv."
Claps came from behind you and you turn to see Valentino and Vox, walking side by side. "Amazing work, sweetie. You nailed the tit show." He smiled, giving you a hug as well. "Thanks Val. I would never have done that move if you didn't teach me the art of captivating an audience with my tits. You're the master." You elbowed the tall sex demon.
"So, did you like the show Vox?" You looked up at him, trying to make the eye contact that he wasn't reciprocating. "Come on~ Did my tits glitch you out." You teased. He cleared his throat, finally making eye contact with you with his signature smile. "I already knew you were hot, baby. I love the color combo." He gives you a hug, whispering into your ear, "Did you do that on purpose to fuck with me?"
"Pfff. Me? Why would I ever do such a thing?" You spin around and pulled Velvette close to you, arm over her shoulder, "Besides, I'm not the fashion genius here. She is."
Velvette gave him a teasing look and laughed, "Oh I would never! You're reading too much into it. Now shoo, Y/N and I have an afterparty to go to!"
You weren't a fan of parties but Velvette insisted you come. Well, she bribed you with some drinks. You grab a glass of wine and walked out of the club to get a breath of fresh air. As you scrolled through your phone, you see from the corner of your eye a familiar red figure walking towards you. It was the radio demon himself, Alastor.
"Alastor! Pleasure to be meeting you. Quite the pleasure!" He grabs your hand to shake it, "I've seen your influence around town from the latest fashion show put on by the overlord Velvette and might I say you're quite the stunning lady." He plants a kiss on the back of your hand.
You had your guards up, this was Alastor. The demon that brought down overlords as soon as he manifested into hell. What the fuck could he want from you? "Thank you for the praise." You say as you pull your hand away from him, "What can I do for you, Alastor sir?"
You back up slightly, taking steps back towards the entrance of the club hoping Velvette could see the predicament you're in.
"Nothing too much. I just have a couple of...questions for you, my dear!" He grins menacingly, "You seem to be in close quarters with Vox, would you like to make a deal?"
You scoff, "A deal? I'm not stupid. I'm not making a deal with you. What do you want?"
"Would you like to go on a little outing with me?"
"A what."
"An outing! A gorgeous doll such as yourself must be exhausted having to deal with that annoyingly loud picture show." He was talking about Vox, "I could show you a better time. I can give you aid taking down all those who you wish if you permit me."
Before you could answer, a glowing blue circle appears at your feet plunging you down to hell knows where. You land in Vox's lap, his face glitching with rage. "That fucker--Thank the seven rings I was watching around the club you were at."
"Vox I-"
"That little prick! I'll show him he shouldn't mess around with the Vees! That motherfucker-"
"Vox."
"-is lucky I wasn't there!" He chuckles, his one eye going crazy at the thought of Alastor hurting you.
"Vox!" You yell, finally getting his attention. He seemed to have forgotten you were still in his lap in his fit of rage. He looks down at you, blushing a bit as you were still in the clothes from the fashion show. "Can you let me down please. Your little desk is cramped and I can't get myself off without getting tangled in your cords."
Vox, in a panic, backs his chair up, a cord getting caught in one of the wheels and throwing you both back. He catches your head with his hand as to not hurt it. "Fuck. My bad. I was ju-" He cuts himself off noticing the position you're both in and the state of your clothes. He was on top of you and your top got yanked down a bit which meant your tits are now in full view. Not to mention the fact that you somehow got wrapped up in his cables.
Him glitching at the sight of you made you smirk, "You like what you see? Or are you too angry at the radio demon talking to me to notice anything?" You cockily said before laughing, pulling your top up to put your tits away, "Now can you help me out of your cables, please?"
Vox didn't move. He was frozen. You thought that maybe he short circuited.
"Hello? Vox?" You place your hand on his screen, trying to knock him out of his daze, "Vox are you in the-"
Before you could say another word he pins your wrist down above your head as he crashes his lips on yours. You melt against his, returning his affection. You taste a faint hint of mint on his tongue as he wraps it around yours, almost battling for a spot in your mouth.
When he pulls away, you were out of breath. You watch his eyes scan your body and take in the sight. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself to you. You just look...so hot right now." He says, taking his hand off of your wrists and trying to back up to free you. Your eyes wander and notice the bulge in his pants. A dirty thought crossing your mind.
"If I look so hot, why don't you do something about it." You smirk up at him, gently guiding your knee over his bulge, sending shivers down his spine. "I'm stuck Vox, helpless under you. You really going to throw this golden opportunity away for both of us?" You teased.
Vox composes himself and lets out a low chuckle, the antenna on his head letting out some sparks. "You've been driving me insane all day, babe." He speaks in a low tone, his voice turning you on. You feel around above you and grab the nearest cables and tangle your wrists in it, "Show me what you can do, Vox."
He didn't hesitate to undo his bowtie. He took off your top, tossing them to the side before lifting up your skirt. He was taken aback at the thongs you were wearing, they matched his shirt. "Did Velvette put this one on you too?" He asks as he caresses your inner thigh.
You purr at his touch, "Mmm...No. Those ones are mine. I got them after your confession~"
"You know how to drive me crazy." He slides your thongs off and lightly drags his finger over your slit, making you shiver in excitement. "Now it's my turn to drive you crazy." His blue tongue sticks out of his screen and goes straight into eating you out, relishing your taste. You suppress your moans as to not let anybody else hear. "Be loud, this room is soundproof."
His tongue enters you and swirls around, driving you as crazy as you've been driving him. You squirm in pleasure as the overlord feasts upon you, licking up all the juices. You feel a knot forming in your stomach, your face flushing in delight, "Ah. V-Vox." You moan out, "I-I'm gonna-" He doesn't stop one bit, if anything it seems like he sped up. The knot grew tighter and tighter until you came all over his face. He pulls away, grinning as he looks at your shaking body.
"Let's go somewhere, more comfortable for you." He untangles you with ease, besides your wrists, and teleports the two of you into his already locked bedroom. He plops you down on the bed before taking his pants off, his cock leaking pre-cum.
You drool at the sight of his length, "Come here." You say, still a bit out of breath, as you get on your knees for him.
"Giving me orders now?" He chuckles as he got closer to your face, his cock resting on your cheek, "Is this what you want, babe?"
You look up at him with lust filled eyes before you take him into your mouth, tongue wrapping around his length as you your head up and down. He grabs your hair, making sure it stays out of your face as he looks down at you sucking him, "What a good girl," He purrs, caressing your cheek.
You pick up your speed, eager to taste him. Vox grunts in pleasure, thrusting his hips as he pushed himself deeper into you, "Make sure you take every last drop." He grabs your head and starts fucking your face deeper as he gets closer. His cock twitched before letting a load down your throat. He pulls himself out of you, your lips making a pop as he did. You open your mouth to show him what was left, closing it to swallow and opening it back up again to show him that you didn't leave a single drop.
He puts his hand under your chin, "Now ass up, sweetheart." You wasted no second getting into position for him. You've been dying to take his cock ever since he confessed to you. Ever since you found out he watched you on his screens. Ever since you laid eyes on him actually.
"You're drenched, babe." He grins as he rubs his tip at your entrance,
"Beg."
You whine and wiggle your hips, trying to see if you can slide him in yourself. He grabbed your hips firmly, slapping your ass, "I said, BEG." he demanded. "Please Vox."
"Please what?" He teased his tip, pushing just a little bit in, "What do you want? Speak up."
"Please fuck me senseless, Vox. Please." You pleaded in desperation. He grabs your hair, pulling your head up closer so he can whisper in your ear, "Good girl." God the way his voice changes sent shockwaves through out your body.
He enters you slowly, "I'm going to make your entire body glitch the way you made me glitch." He was relentless. Torturing you almost. He picked up his speed and started pounding into you. You moaned in delight, enjoying how rough he was with you. "Faster, please Vox." Your request filled with pleasure, "Vox. Pl-please!" He slaps your ass in response, letting go of your hair and holding your head down on the bed, "Since you asked so nicely."
He kept himself at a quick pace, taking in the sight of you drooling on his sheets. He pulls out of you to flip you over, you were about to whine but him suddenly filling you back up again stopped that quick.
Your walls tightened around him, "You're so tight. Are you gonna cum for me like a good girl?" Your brain was turning into mush, rendering you unable to form a real response. The only sounds coming from your mouth were ineligible slurred words and moans. "I'm going to fill you up as deep as I can. I'm making you mine." He growls, pinning your tied wrists above your head. He plants on your chest before licking your exposed chest. He leaves hickies all over your chest, marking this night on your body for only him to see. You feel the familiar knot forming in your stomach again and you're positive he can feel it too. He grunts as he thrusted into you with reckless abandon, pounding you senseless into his mattress.
"V-Vox. Pl-please." He kisses you with as much passion as he could give as you cum around his cock, tightening your walls so much you squeeze him dry as he released his fluids deep into you.
The electricity crackled as soon as he came before everything powered down around you. He pulls away from you, resting his head on your neck as he tried to catch his breath. You can see the light emitting from his face flickering different colors.
He pulls out of you, his cum flowing out. He grabs a towel to clean you off as well as he was able to before cleaning himself off. He unties your wrist before plopping down next to you. You nuzzle up next to him. The city lights turn back on and the light seeped into his room. He seems to have kept the lights off in the room. You feel his arm wrap around you. You look up at him, hand resting on his chest.
"Was the teasing worth it or what?" You asked, giggling a little bit. "Hell yeah it did. I'm so glad I sat through the whole show just for you." He sighs contently, pulling you closer to him. "Will you run this entire hell with me, dear?"
"Gladly, Vox."
Valentino groans as he sends over $100 to Velvette. "You of all people should know he wasn't going to be able to pussy out this time." She grins.
#vox x reader#hazbin hotel vox#hazbin hotel velvette#valentino hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel alastor#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel x reader#vox x reader smut
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Redesigning Helluva Beelzebub
Hoo boy, roll up the sleeves for this one.
The Original
In my review of Helluva Boss 108, I mentioned that Beelzebub's character design put me in mind of how some DeviantArt kid's fursona might look. And... Yeah I stand by that statement. The most likely reason I can figure Viv Medrano wanted her to be dog-like was to make a reference to her Die Young music video, which featured an anthro wolf singing a Kesha song (for context, Kesha herself voiced Beelzebub and co-wrote a song for this episode).
But for those who are unaware, Beelzebub's traditional depiction looks nothing like this.
Really the only visual similarities the Helluva version shares with the Infernal Dictionary version are the insect wings, six limbs, and the crown thingy over the head. (At least I think that's a crown-? Kinda hard to tell on both counts.)
Bee's eyes get somewhat more insectoid later in the episode, but that feels like a cop-out. Wow, her eyes and colors changed. Totally a bug demon, right?
They had the same problem in Hazbin Hotel with Katie Killjoy, who's allegedly supposed to be a praying mantis but barely resembles one, even after her transformation.
I understand the desire for fresh takes on old figures, and taking creative liberties so the new interpretation doesn't feel generic. But the changes should at least make sense. By now it's pretty clear Viv couldn't care less about representing Ars Goetia demons faithfully, as demonstrated with Paimon, Andrealphus, and now Beelzebub. You could slap completely different names on these characters and it wouldn't change a thing. I posted this meme a while back but it's never been more relevant:
On top of that, what reason could there possibly be for the design to be this damn complex? Why did she need so many markings on her face? Why did she need so many layers of hair? Why did she need flowing goo for her hair, tail, and body, each requiring dedicated effects animation?
When it comes to a hand-drawn production, less is more. Any superfluous details on a character just make unnecessary work for the animators.
Anyway, here's what Viv has to say about it.
Alright, I'll admit: The lava lamp bit is a little clever. Basically it works as a regular stomach does, but on demonic steroids. But it wouldn't look so much like Viv's making this up as she goes if we'd seen Bee's stomach performing its intended function in the episode. Let her chow down on a giant piece of food (maybe that cotton candy she's been handing out-?) and swallow it, and let Loona (and the audience) see it dissolving in her transparent belly. As a general rule, if it's not shown or explained in the work itself, it's not canon. Like I've said before, Viv: Elaborate on the nuances in the story you're telling, not on social media.
Also, "Her ears are designed after beehives"? Wh...Wha? Ma'am have you ever seen a beehive.
(Hell, even if you told me the ears were inspired by the generic cartoon beehive we're all familiar with, I wouldn't have guessed. There's a difference between being subtle and being vague.)
I can kinda see it in the overall shape, but that's a very specific design inspiration that wasn't clear at all in the design itself. Same with the "animal trainer" thing: I never would have picked up on that if Viv hadn't pointed it out. If a character design doesn't visually convey all the necessary information, it's not a successful design. Show, don't tell. There's a communication breakdown between what Viv's telling us and what Bee's design shows us.
(It's possible she actually meant "Her ears are designed after honeycombs", but even then, each compartment has a specific pentagonal shape that's not coming across at all here.)
I also find it interesting that Bee and Loona have almost the exact same body type. Of course Viv's pretty infamous for samebody syndrome, but it's actually unnerving how similar these two are.
Might this be a reference to Vortex's "type"? Is this foreshadowing a relationship with Loona? Am I overthinking this? Yeah, probably. Viv's demonstrated a clear preference for tall, skinny body types over the years, so it's safer to assume that's the explanation. It's all aesthetics. It ain't that deep. Occam's Razor and all that.
Finally, Bee how the hell does your shirt work.
The Concept
So at this point it seems most logical to lean into the "bee" thing for the redesign, and scrap all the canine elements. As for the blobby hair and tail... yeeeah let's nix those too. We're going for a streamlined version that's easier to animate. And because I ignored the ringmaster look for my redesign of Asmodeus, it only makes sense to do the same for Bee's animal trainer vibe (what little there is) for the sake of consistency. I know this version of Hell has a circus theme with its highest-ranking demons, but there's never been an in-universe explanation for why that is.
Let's look at actual bees, then. A quick peek at Google has informed me that certain insect species have smaller, "simple" eyes (also known as ocelli), in addition to their compound eyes. In bees, this manifests as a triangular grouping of three beady eyes on top of the head.
In her Helluva Boss episode, Bee's full demon form has three eyes, which could be a reference to this triangular arrangement, plus her regular form has two spots on her forehead in addition to the third eye. So it's possible Viv actually did research for something. Pleasantly surprised on that front.
Next, the body. I've noticed that some folks find Bee's skinny body type refreshing, as the sin of gluttony is too often personified with fatness. And that's fair. That's valid. But consider this:
Imagine any Vivziepop character saying that about a chubby person. Imagine the series sending the message that fat people can be sexy too, and that they have worth outside of their appearance, enough for at least one character to consider them girlfriend material. That they're valued and appreciated regardless of this culture's beauty standards (which we know nothing about since the worldbuilding is as thin and flimsy as tissue paper, but whatever). Imagine if this show finally had a fat female character who wasn't relegated to the background. Don't know about y'all, but that would be refreshing to me. And when you take into account all the fat-shaming of a character who isn't even fat, portraying a fat character as attractive would be a nice change of pace for this show.
Now let's talk about clothing. In the episode, Bee's clothes show off a lot of her body, with a cutout crop top and short shorts. We can take a similar approach for the redesign (something that still shows off her chest, belly, and limbs, in keeping with the extroverted "party girl" persona), but that perhaps includes more queenly elements.
The Redesign
Because this is a redesign, many elements were already in place, but I still had to figure out how this character would look as a bee. Here's where the preliminary sketches came in. Lots of trial and error in this process.
Wrestling with this character's face got a lot easier once I realized I could mold it into a pentagonal shape akin to a honeycomb compartment. It took a few tries, but at last, I had a final sketch.
All that was left to do was test out some color combinations.
I tried a few different approaches, but in the end, this is the version I felt worked best.
I used many of the colors from the original, but pushed the orange much harder since orange is the symbolic color of gluttony as a sin. And overall it gives Bee a nice honey-ish look rather than the generic black and yellow we already see on so many bees in cartoons. I thought the colored outlines on her clothing would add a soft, feminine touch, as well.
And just for kicks, here's a quick sketch of her giant form, inspired by the Infernal Dictionary drawing of Beelzebub.
Conclusion
The canon version of this character exists in the form she does for no reason than to stroke her creator's ego. "Hey guys, remember when I animated that Kesha fan video? Remember how cool that was? Wanna see me foist this unnecessarily-complex character design on other animators while I take a victory lap?" I wouldn't mind so much if Viv animated any of this herself, but she didn't. I could almost excuse this if she had no animation experience and didn't know how much work it requires, but she does. The self-aggrandizing entitlement is just off the charts. But a nonsensical design is leagues better than a stolen one, so... brownie points for that, I guess.
#character design#redesign#helluva boss#helluva critical#helluva beelzebub#vivziepop critical#body positivity#long post
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Animation (specifically 2D animation) is my preferred TV/film medium. A piece of live-action has to go above and beyond to get over my personal bias of, "most things would be better if they were animated," but it's taken me a long time to figure out what, exactly, makes a piece of live-action really do it for me.
I think what it really comes down to, for me, is the little details. If your live-action doesn't have some level of nuanced physical acting, intense detailing in costuming and set design, a strong sense of visual storytelling, or kickass practical effects, I'm pretty much always going to come away thinking, "I'd like it better as a cartoon."
I think some of this is due to my issues with face blindness--I need characters to have distinct silhouette and costuming, or they will all blur together in my head. Animation tends to stress the importance of silhouette, so I have an easier time telling everyone apart and following who's who. That's not to say that this problem doesn't happen in animation, or that it always happens in live action, but I do think it contributes to my personal preferences.
Anyway, just for fun, a random shortlist of some live-action that I think uses its medium well:
Child's Play/Chucky. Half the appeal of Chucky (IMHO) is the incredible showcase of practical effects and animatronics. Each incarnation of the Chucky doll incorporates incredible advances in animatronic and puppeteering technology. I have on multiple occasions compared the Chucky puppeteer team to Muppet performers. That shit is its own art form, and it's incredible. The current Chucky show makes some use of CGI, but it's all to enhance the practical effects, and the puppeteers are all given the spotlight in the show's credits. I love that.
Killjoys. The incredible nuance to the actors' body and facial acting is mind-blowing. The set design and costuming are gorgeous, and there's a lot of very good detail worked into the visual space that would be hard to animate. They use their CGI well when they do use it, but a significant amount of the show seems to be practical effects and props. Additionally, Hannah John-Kamen's ability to flawlessly portray multiple characters is so good it's uncanny and makes you forget they're literally being played by the same woman. She changes her entire body language, and it's phenomenal.
Jordan Peele's entire body of horror. His films pack in so much symbolism and subtlety that I could probably watch them all a million times and still find new details. The nuance in the acting, the sheer detail packed into the costuming and set design, the use of color...god. It's unreal.
Crimson Peak, because the set design for that film...holy fuck. The costuming and set design in that film are pure gold. The acting is also phenomenal, but I could probably talk about the set design for hours. The house is a character in its own right.
Galavant and Our Flag Means Death, both for the same reason: both shows feel like I'm hanging out at a ren faire being goofy with my friends. They feel like I'm watching a LARP. They feel like they could easily exist in the same setting as Muppet Treasure Island, and at any second Kermit is going to show up and start singing, and it wouldn't be out of place at all. I think I'd also include Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in this category, along with The Princess Bride and Labyrinth--all of which also include kickass practical effects, choreography, and costuming.
This isn't some sort of objective truth or anything. I just like that I've finally been able to nail down some reasons why I prefer animation, beyond just, "idk, cartoons are fun."
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"If you're in a time loop, blink twice," Scott says, sitting on the steps outside of Bertha's plaza.
"What?" Cleo says.
"I mean, I'm not stupid," Scott says. "When a witch of time is looking at me like I'm a dead man or something, clearly they know something I don't. I've read books."
"That's not how that works. Well, I mean, sometimes that's how that works," Cleo says, and they shake their head twice, trying to shake the cobwebs out of it. "What do you mean, looking at you like you're a dead man?"
Scott shrugs. "I mean, you were looking at me like... well, not someone you were getting curses from, is what I'm saying. Like how I think I look when..." He fidgets uncomfortably for a moment. Cleo grimaces. Alright, so they looked like the unstable necromancer when he's thinking about the thing that made him unstable. That's... probably bad news.
"Sort of like how your magic makes you all... you know. Emo," Cleo starts.
"Wow," Scott says.
"A side-effect of time magic is deja vu."
"You're not talking me out of 'I died in the time loop', for the record," Scott says.
"Not exactly? It's more like... See, time magic isn't just about, you know, reversing time. Really, I can't do that all that often. The universe likes symmetry. Time magic is about... making that symmetry happen, really. A lot of my spells, the big ones? They're pulling things over that happened in another life. Another universe. And even if it's not one I remember living, I still lived it, because I'm the Time Witch, so I'm all of them, sort of."
As they speak, they play with their abacus. Purple bursts of magic flicker and fade around it. The shadows are long this time of day (or maybe that's just Scott's general moody aura), and it makes the color stand out.
"So you're... what, remembering things that didn't happen?" Scott asks.
"Sort of?" Cleo says, shrugging. "They did happen. Just only kind of to me."
"Huh," Scott says.
They sit there for a while. It starts raining. Cleo would stop the rain - they normally do - but they're wearing their hat, and it would require getting up, and they had just helped deal with the Storm Witch, so they don't feel like burning bridges at the moment. They can get wet for a few minutes.
Scott turns to Cleo, rain dripping across his face.
"So why did you look at me like you loved me?" Scott says.
Cleo feels their heart in their throat. They look back at Scott, wide-eyed.
"What?" they say.
"Why did you - you know, like you loved me and lost me? Like that," Scott says.
"If I knew, that wouldn't be deja vu," Cleo says, after a moment. "It's not from this life. No time loop. Promise."
Scott shrugs. "I'll hold you to that. Will you do your rain thing, by the way? Getting all damp isn't good for my complexion."
"Making your makeup run?"
"Hey, I'll have you know these eyebags are all natural."
Cleo lifts up her wand. Sparks flicker across from the abacus to her hand, but she doesn't need the number from it anyway. She casts the spell to make the sun come out, and as the beams fall on her arms, it's warm, and she feels strangely safe. She doesn't look back at Scott, though. Neither of them say anything more.
#wcsmp#zombiecleo#scott smajor#a bee fic#anyway so i'm officially insane about wc!cleo. just so you know#anyway also obviously this is referencing cleo's other series because they're important here#because CLEO HAS MADE THEM CANON
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Wearing a skirt for you pt. 1 (m)
Sub!Seventeen (hyung line) x Dom!GF!Reader
WARNINGS—boys wearing skirts/dresses ✧ dom/sub dynamics ✧ praise ✧ degradation ✧ name-calling ✧ pet names (master, mistress, mommy, baby boy, kitten/kitty, prince/princess)
NOW PLAYING—Bounce Back ✧ Little Mix
SCENARIO—GF asks them if they can wear/try on a skirt
A/N. Thank you for 1500 followers<333333
Maknae line ver.
M.LISTS—random idols ✧ latest updates ✧ read on wp
All rights reserved © femdomlieeh
✧ ੈ ✧ ‧₊˚ * ੈ ✧‧₊˚＊* ੈ ✧ ‧₊˚ * ੈ ✧‧₊˚＊* ✧ ੈ ✧
최승철 / S.Coups / seungcheol
The thing is he is open to trying any fantasy his partner might have so even if this isn't something he would bring up to you, he would totally try on a skirt or dress for you if you asked him to. That being said, he will still be a bit shy and insecure at this first experience so he would need lots of praise and reassurance to feel comfortable and have the confidence to put on a skirt/dress in the future.
"Uhm, are you sure?" he stuttered after you showed him a skirt you'd bought for him.
You answered yes.
"O-Okay," he flushed and took the garment in his hand.
He'll wear it occasionally if you ask him to do it (only if the first time went well) but he'll never initiate it. It just isn't his thing. But if he were desperate for your attention anything is possible.
...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
윤정한 / jeonghan
Jeonghan wouldn't question it at all when you brought up how you wanted to see him in a skirt/dress. Honestly he lives to please you. When you're pleased he's pleased. He'd not care that it isn't socially acceptable because he never really cared for norms or gender stereotypes anyway. Please call him your cute Prince or else he'll feel self-counscious every time he wears a skirt/dress.
"Of course, Mommy," he answered your question and let you put it on him — he liked the attention, the touching and letting you take off and put on his clothes like he was your doll.
He did a little twirl and asked with his sweet voice "Do I look cute, Mommy?"
In the future, he'll have a big collection of different styles of skirts — and he loves matching them with thigh highs. He loves feeling pretty and he loves being called pretty.
✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
홍지수 / joshua / josh
Joshua wouldn't believe his ears when he heard your request... He'd love it and immediately put on the skirt/dress with no problem whatsoever — he'd be pretty educated on anything about boys in skirts but don't ask him about it. Prepare your camera, he'd love to have his photo taken. Especially on a polaroid camera, so you can save the pictures in a filthy photo album.
"I look pretty, right?" he spread his legs a little, leaning forward with his arms in the middle as a pose for the picture.
"So pretty, Princess," you said as you photographed him.
He smiled and posed some more.
In the future he'll go further with it, surprising you every now and then with thigh-high socks or stockings and who knows what more. If you don't know what to buy for him as a gift, go for a blush colored little skirt.
✧✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
文俊辉 / jun
Total brat. Jun would make a big deal out of it just to get on your nerves. This was a fun game to him. He'd say something just to piss you off so you could punish him.
"Hmm no, Mistress. That's just stupid."
You slapped his thigh.
Suddenly he listened to you and did what you told him.
"I look better than you in this, Mistress," he smirked.
He'll use it as a way to effectively receive punishments. In fact, he might even send you a pic in a short skirt when you're at work or hanging out with friends, just to tease you so you could give him pain in the night.
✧✧✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
권순영 / hoshi / soonyoung
He would do anything for his Mommy. He's such a good boy for you! Being an angel for you was always one of his main priorities but he also liked being a demon every now and then. With a blush he would put on the skirt and crop top you'd bought for him in front of you just to tease you. Your eyes on him would turn him on.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" you asked as you looked him up and down.
"Is it working, Mommy?" he straddled you to make the skirt/dress rise up his naked legs.
This will be something he'll use as a tool to make you drool, surprising you in a skirt and crop top on special occasions.
✧✧✧✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
전운우 / wonwoo
He would be a brat about it at first but he'd put on a skirt/dress for you in the end — fuck, he'd even put on a Shrek costume if you asked him. He'd act like he totally didn't like the way the skirt made his legs look and would whimper-complain like a bitch about wearing a skirt/dress, but he also wants to keep the skirt on while you fuck him so.
"Pfft."
You spanked his ass.
Hard.
"Okay," he stripped in a second in front of you shamelessly.
"Can you put it on for me, Master, please?" he asked in a low voice and looked you in the eyes innocently.
He wasn't innocent.
Skirts will be his favorite over dresses because then you could both fuck him and play with his nipples at the same time! But he won't tell you that unless you break him down into tears and whimpers.
✧✧✧✧✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
이지훈 / woozi / jihoon
He would protest at first. No, he was already small and played around with — a lot at that — and that was enough. However, if you were to say he'd get a reward for just putting on a skirt/dress he wouldn't hesitate to do it.
"No, I won't do it!" he pouted.
"Not even for a reward?" you asked, as you knew his weakness.
His ears perked up, "What kind of reward are we talking about?"
"Whatever reward you want, Baby."
He'll do whatever you want if he gets rewarded. So make sure to reward him really well and he will dress up for you more often.
✧✧✧✧✧✧...✧...✧✧✧✧✧✧
❝ Baby, keep me wetter than a bayou (Bayou)
If you don't, I'ma walk right by you ❞
—Leigh-Anne Pinnock; 2019
#sub!seventeen#sub!svt#dom!reader#sub!kpop#sub!idol#sub!scoups#sub!seungcheol#sub!jeonghan#sub!joshua#sub!jun#sub!junhui#sub!hoshi#sub!soonyoung#sub!wonwoo#sub!woozi#sub!jihoon#sub!choi seungcheol#sub!yoon jeonghan#sub!jisoo#sub!hong jisoo#sub!jeon wonwoo#seventeen imagines#seventeen scenarios#seventeen drabbles#seventeen x reader#seventeen smut#dom reader#sub seventeen#sub kpop#sub idol
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RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH I literally cannot put into words how much I loved the latest Damnation au chapter- I was literally seconds away from putting my phone down to get back to work but as soon as I saw a glimpse of the fic, I just couldn't help but put everything on hold
I was really impressed with how you included Epel into the story in a way that just about correlated to Epel in canon (like how he was actively opposed to hit position in the castle). Like taking into consideration of the time period and the possible reasons why Epel would be relevant there in the first place despite not being in the original tale- SO WELL DONE!! Not to mention Vil going out of his way to find potential successors really emphasizes his hatred for Neige (poor guy😭)
Also the way you write about Rook??? I knew he'd be creepy but gyat damn your writing only increased the feeling of it ten-fold. Especially in that scene after he climbed through the window and interrupted MC and Vil- Literally foaming at the mouth i was like 'holy crap this is it, we're gonna get exposed' cause aint no way Rook WOULDN'T know. Everything about him was unnerving yet so charming?? I really don't know how you do it but the way you just write them is just so accurate👏
As a Vil simp, every scene with him in it had be giggling and kicking my feet✨ I was pleasantly surprised with his advances towards the MC though- like hubba hubba... I ain't complaining though! The tension in those scenes were just *chefs kiss* Every moment with him just oozed authority and power, like I'd be on the edge of my metaphorical seat just waiting for the moment he calls out the MC
Like holy crap you really know how to set your scenes- like legit every time I Rook or Vil were in a scene, it genuinely felt tense. Also props to MC for looking out for #1 (themselves) even at the expense of ruining someone else
Anyway excuse my rambling lmao
i'm definitely gonna be re-reading it again ^^
Sounds like another happy reader. And yes, Epel's part was difficult. Mainly because, well, Epel is based off the poisoned apple, so how is he supposed to play that role? In my mind, the poisoned apple is a tool used by the Evil Queen. So, what is similar to a tool? A person to manipulate, which is how I came up with the idea of heir. Combined with the fact that Vil obviously takes a shine to Epel, as he spends time meticulously perfecting his habits and mannerisms in-game. Which fit the scenario I was to use, of a King claiming an heir and drilling instructions and behaviors in their mind to manipulate.
Rook and Vil were easy to place into roles, due to who they're based off of. But it was difficult coming up with scenes for them, since the Huntsman and Evil Queen don't have a lot in the movies. Especially the Huntsman.
For Rook, I actually considered writing a scene were MC followed him as he scoped out the meadow or the moment when Rook was to escort Neige to the meadow, but ultimately I decided against that as it would overcomplicate the plot and give more time to Neige instead of Rook. I needed a way to properly portray Rook's watchfulness and the unease it spawns, which I figured should fit the setting. A carefully worded conversation knit of lies and unsaid threats and fears is much more effective when the reader is picturing hollowed stone halls of a palace instead of a colorful meadow. At least, that was my thought process there, which is why most interactions with Rook are in settings such as those.
And finally, Vil, who I decided to write a few more interesting scenes for purely because I know a good amount of my followers love that pretty man. There were multiple concepts and scrapped ideas I've already forgotten by now, different things that never made it to my keyboard, like a tense dinner scene and back-and-forth bickering. But some of those just didn't fit the feeling I wanted, or was out of character for either the MC or others.
Anyways, now I'm rambling. Sorry. I hope the second read was just as enjoyable as the first!
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i have this on my draft for a while a thread of some specific zorobin images, panels or scenes because they are so good together and my shipper's brain is working overtime so there's that. 😅💚💜⚔️🌸
Exhibit 1:
if not endgame, why drew them like this? this is such a husband/wife stance with their kid.
a family portrait - zoro looking like a serious dad, robin an obedient wife - she's in heels that's why she couldn't sit all the way with her feet tucked underneath like a traditional wife. and chopper as their son with his cute little bagpack. they're so effing married y'all. 😭
oda is playing with my shipper's heart. 🥲
Exhibit 2.
them playing Go from One Piece opening 12. a game which originated in asia mostly known and popular in china, japan, and korea.
since zoro is japanese and robin is russian we can guess that zoro asked robin to play with him. robin beating him is so funny even the dog pity him. lol 😂
i can't, toie!!!! why would you animate them like a normal couple whose having a fun and casual date!!!!
Exhibit 3.
another images of them looking like a husband and wife with their daughter.
this shot is very intentional and targets me for some reason. 😉🤔
toko is more connected to zorobin but why toie intentionally placed tama in the middle? tama's motif is green + purple zorobin's color and here she's looking more like their daughter. carrot's yukata is yellow-green with more greenish design - she's slightly far back and thin that you cant even notice her at first glance and the focus is more with zorobin + tama here.
if you are familiar with the rule of thirds in filmmaking some shots are purposely done for emphasis and show relations between subjects/objects in a frame.
to have a visual comparison, see sanami + toko and luffy/brook/chopper - the colors do not look harmonious. they were intentionally groups in 3s. carrot is straight behind tama that they look like one person.
sanami in the shot above parallel zorobin with a kid placed in between them. also, both couples in each sides of the picture.
while toko'a motif is red + pink, matching lunami in this pic. luffy yukata red + blue, nami's sky blue + pink patterns. for visualization, exchange luffy with sanji and you'll see what i mean with the colors matching the clothes.
anyway, someone in the animation dept is definitely hiding as a zorobin shipper for sure. 😂🤭🤫
Exhibit 4:
specific images drawn originally in opposite positions or away from each other but if you flip and edited together they just happened to fit so well. ain't that too convenient 🥹🤔🤭
i found them on pinterest and i was like why does this image fit so well without trying to. kudos to the original editor. 🥰😍
left side the original image. right side edited.
see the difference? the other characters, if you rearrange them it will look jarring and will not have the same effect.
while zorobin over here looks pretty cozy in hindsight. you'll never know that it's not the original image.
oda intentionally drew them like this and thought we wouldn't notice. 🤔😎🤭
Exhibit 5:
when i saw this one, i had to double take cos i really thought robin was holding zoro's arm. her head slightly leaning over to his shoulder.
toie, you ship-baiting sons of b@#$! had me screaming zorobin confirmed for a hot second. 🥲🫠
Exhibit 6:
the classic hero and damsel trope
the original image was with other characters but if you isolate, the emphasis on these two was undeniable.
take note of the placement of the characters to one another. their facial expressions and body language.
zoro in a crouching stance with his swords drawn across and his face serious. robin's beside him looking sad with her hood on.
the hero is angry serious and his troubled damsel.
oda's no-romance-among-the-crew but keep drawing zorobin with subtle lover undertones will be the death of me. 🙄😫🤡
if this is not one piece, this image on the right is a common trope in storytelling mostly seen in movie posters or book covers. right in the center is the hero and then the woman at the side is the love interest.
and mind you this image is a cover spread during the enies lobby where robin bares her heart and the strawhats save her. and who got the last key that "freed" her?*cough*zoro*cough*
in my mind, all the images above are just so intentional that my instinct will point yup that's otp for sure. 😂🤭😅🤫🥲🤔
anyway, this thread is 60% side comments, 10% attempt to do an analysis, 30% blaming oda/toie for being such a tease and shipbaiter.
i will make another post like this cos its fun ahahaha. 😁😎
#zorobin supremacy#zorobin brainrot#im just a delulu shipper that likes to spread zorobin agenda#missing zorobin hours#normalize shipping zorobin for clear skin#zorobin#zoro x robin#roronoa zoro x nico robin
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A pair of new deities
Well, sort of new. One of them is entirely original, but the first one is actually based on a comedic aside found in Agents of Edgewatch: Assault on Hunting Lodge Seven, where he's listed among a few of the notable names to try and miserably fail to take on the Test of the Starstone. In both cases, however, these deities are involved with the Starstone, a bit of lore I've not really touched before due to my preference for cosmic horror.
In reality, both of these could be full articles on their own, but I feel like they're not 'big' enough to get two individual pages. Maybe one day I'll change my mind. For now, though, here's a look at Veelich, the God of Failure, and Wittiby, the God of Familiars.
VEELICH, THE UNWANTED
Chaotic Neutral God of Failure, Outcasts, and Falling Forever In Bottomless Pits
Domains: Chaos, Darkness, Luck, Protection, Void
Subdomains: Caves*, Shadow, Curse, Imagination, Solitude, Isolation*
Favored Weapon: Club
Symbol: A hole or trench with a goblin hand reaching out of it.
Sacred Animal: None
Sacred Color: Green and yellow
*Followers of Veelich can modify either the Darkness or Void Domains with the Caves Subdomain, and the Darkness Domain with the Isolation Subdomain.
Veelich the Unwanted was once known as the unluckiest goblin in all of Absalom, if not the Inner Sea, or perhaps even the world. Not a day went by that he didn't stub his toe, slam his fingers against something, spill his drinks and food, bump into the wrong person, or open his mouth and accidentally insult the very wrong person. To many, it felt as though he couldn't have possibly been doing it on accident; no one alive could be so cursed! Certainly, he was doing this for attention! But Veelich repeatedly insisted, sometimes tearfully, sometimes full of fury, that he wasn't doing anything on purpose, and near as anyone could tell, he was being genuine. Things just happened to him, constantly, and perhaps his only solace (or perhaps his true curse) is that he hadn't been killed for it yet.
That all changed when he tried to take the Test of the Starstone, so people thought. Like every aspirant, Veelich had to first make it inside the cathedral, and to do that, he had to first bypass the bottomless pit which surrounded it. Like so very, very many aspirants before him, the first challenge proved to be insurmountable, and to his credit, he did go all out on his attempt. He had purchased a powerful potion of Jump to heroically leap into the air, a sturdy parachute to glide the rest of the way, and a sturdy security line attached to a powerful, magic stake in the ground in case his luck went sour (as it always did), and even a Ring of Sustenance to both avoid the risk of food poisoning AND assure that his goblin appetite didn't force him to do anything stupid once he finally got into the cathedral.
What he did not know was that his Jump potion was on a discount due to being largely expired, its effects not nearly as dramatic as they should have been, his parachute wasn't secured properly, and a citizen passing by as he set up had accidentally dripped some savory sauce on his safety line, attracting the attention of a voracious rat. Even if none of those incidents had occurred, the sheer number of good luck charms he had brought with him in the hopes of stabilizing his cursed luck would have weighed him down anyway, but fate did not have to work especially hard to send him screaming into the darkness, Ring of Sustenance assuring he wouldn't even die quickly, never to be seen or heard again... For about five or so years.
It was, perhaps, more surprising for Veelich than it was for the first of his unintentional Clerics, Oracles, Antipaladins, and the like to find out that he had achieved a measure of divine apotheosis as he fell endlessly in that pit; he had gotten so used to talking to figments of his imagination as he fell that it took his devoted several months to convince him that they were real, and that he had actually succeeded in his goal of becoming a god... But not in the way he had wanted. In a cruel cosmic jest, the cruelest yet, his attempts at becoming the God of Overcoming Adversity had cemented him as the God of Failure, a figure of mockery and a target of endless jokes, all of which he gets to hear every time someone mentioned him by name. He doesn't even get a proper divine realm, instead having been transported, at some point, to a dark pocket of the Maelstrom that perfectly imitates the pit he spent his final few years as a mortal falling through. His divine portfolio doesn't lend itself to any particularly major miraculous acts; he's mostly a sponge and scapegoat for misfortune and curses, which he then passes onto his followers so that they may then pass them onto their foes (provided they don't perish miserably from the influx of cursed power).
It's not all bad, though. In a way, his bad luck never actually killed him, and though his power isn't especially impressive when compared to that of a proper Ascended, it DOES give him hope that one day, he will be able to find out who or what worked to make him so miserable in his mortal life.
As a proper god, Veelich can grant Boons to any creature taking the Deific Obedience feat, but he does not possess a dedicated Prestige Class such as Feysworn or Diabolist. Boons are typically gained slowly, achieved at levels 12, 16, and 20, but by entering the Evangelist, Exalted, or Sentinel Prestige Classes as early as possible, they can be obtained at levels 8, 11, and 14 instead. While normally a full god would grant three sets of Boons, Veelich isn't powerful or especially creative enough to come up with more than one. Perhaps, in time, he will.
Obedience: Either find or create a hole deep enough to hide your entire head inside, then do so. Spend at least half an hour making casual (though one-sided) conversation about what's been going on in your life so Veelich gets some respite from the deluge of frantic prayers, then you may devote the remaining time to redirecting any misfortune or accidents you have suffered or believe you will suffer to him.
Benefit: Gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus to saving throws against curses, and to Climb and Athletics checks.
Boon 1: Cruel Irony (Sp): Gain Jump 3/day, Create Pit 2/day, or Curse of Befouled Luck 1/day.
Boon 2: Curse Sponge (Sp): Common faithful believe Veelich will soak up all their bad luck and misfortune, but you know that prayer isn't enough. Sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Up to three times per day, you may cast Accept Affliction as a spell-like ability, except you may use it on any creature within 20ft rather than as a touch spell. If you've absorbed at least three separate afflictions from another being with this ability (whether it be all in a single casting, or one affliction per casting) within the same 24 hour period, Veelich redirects a portion of your suffering; once within the next 24 hours, you can cast Bestow Curse as a spell-like ability.
Boon 3: Screaming Into the Darkness (Sp): Once per day, you may give a foe a taste of what the God of Failure had to deal with. This acts as using the Maze spell as a spell-like ability, except instead of sending a victim into an extradimensional labyrinth, it sends them falling into a bottomless pit inside of which flight--magical or mundane--is impossible. As such, the victim does not make Intelligence checks to escape, but must instead succeed Climb checks (DC 15 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier): the first to catch themselves and stop from falling, then 2 additional successful Climb checks for each round they failed to stop themselves from falling (thus a creature that fell for 3 rounds would need to make 6 successful Climb checks to fully emerge from the pit). A creature that fails to escape the pit reappears at the location they disappeared from falling at terminal velocity, taking 20d6 bludgeoning damage the moment they hit a solid surface.
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WITTIBY, THE SAGE OF SMALL MAGIC
True Neutral God of Familiars, Cantrips, and Arcane Study
Domains: Animal, Community, Knowledge, Magic, Strength
Subdomains: Animal*, Cooperation, Education, Arcane, Resolve
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
Symbol: An animal-patterned spellbook with a pearl clasp
Sacred Animal: Any familiar
Sacred Color: Lime green
*Followers of Wittiby may select any of the Subdomains under the Animal Domain.
Disparagingly called the Undeserving God by many, the tale of Wittiby is a strange one, a story tinged with hubris, tragedy, and lost friends. They were once the proud assistance of an archmage, a familiar created from a beloved pet and instilled with a grasp of the mystic and the arcane. Who their archmage was, and what shape they had before their ascension, are both memories that were lost to them during the trauma experienced within the Starstone Cathedral.
No one is ever prepared for the Test of the Starstone, no matter how great their power. The archmage was no different, confidently striding across the bottomless pit with a powerful Wind Walk spell and deftly avoiding the pockets of dead magic sent up to stop them before throwing open the cathedral's doors as though they were the doors of the mage's own tower. All the while, Wittiby was on their shoulder, cheering them on as the doors closed behind them, sealing their fates.
What, exactly, happened within the cathedral is something they will not say, though they obviously remember it with perfect clarity. All they reveal is that their beloved archmage, whose name was taken from them, survived every trial the Starstone Cathedral placed in their path... every trial but the last one, in the Starstone's own chamber, which took their life. Though, by all accounts, the archmage appears to have been a haughty, self-aggrandizing blowhard, their final act was one of pure kindness, sealing their beloved familiar--pet, associate, friend--in a bubble of force to protect them from the terrible backlash of arcane severance to try and teleport them out of the Cathedral, wishing only for Wittiby to escape the cathedral and the rest of their life free, but fate had other plans in store.
Someone touched the Starstone that day, after all. It just wasn't the one who opened the door.
When asked what possessed them to do such a thing, Wittiby claims that they planned to use their divine powers to turn their archmage into their Herald, restoring them to life. It was not to be, though, and for such a selfless wish, the familiar's cataclysmic ascension event tore all records of who the archmage was from reality so thoroughly that no one who was there the very day they strolled into town could even recall the mage's face or name. Going even further, Wittiby's form became protean and chaotic, shifting between dozens of animals in the span of minutes, to rob them of the shape their master gave them. All they have left is their master's spellbook, bereft of details of their life but cover-to-cover full of immense arcane knowledge.
Whether this apparent cosmic cruelty is some form of punishment from the Starstone itself for trying to bypass its rules, a price paid by all Ascended that they simply do not speak of or cannot remember (Wittiby's arcane bond to their master may be the sole reason they recall anything about them), the fate of any being to make it to the center of the cathedral but who failed the final test or, as many sneer, the price paid for Wittiby all but literally riding their way to the Starstone without doing any real work, is the subject of conjecture... even by Wittiby theirself, who isn't yet sure if they even deserve their position.
Still getting used to their place as a new god, Wittiby's dour mood has yet to fully lift, but they find joy where they can in their new duties as God of Small Magics. Every time an aspirant caster learns a new cantrip, casts their first spell, and forges (or deepens) a bond with their familiar, the world gets a little bit brighter for the Shapeless Sage. Their time as a god is a mere handful of years, their faithful a scant handful in number, knowledge of their very existence all but unheard of beyond Absalom, so time will yet tell what sort of god they will grow to be as the passing years heal their wounds and scars over their memories. For the moment they are content performing small blessings to protect mages and their bonded allies from danger when they can, and putting hopeful casters on the path to discovering and mastering their first spells.
As a proper god, Wittiby can grant Boons to any creature taking the Deific Obedience feat, but they do not possess a dedicated Prestige Class such as Feysworn or Diabolist. Boons are typically gained slowly, achieved at levels 12, 16, and 20, but by entering the Evangelist, Exalted, or Sentinel Prestige Classes as early as possible, they can be obtained at levels 8, 11, and 14 instead. While normally a full god would grant three sets of Boons, Wittiby is too new to divinity to offer more than one.
Obedience: Practice magic with your familiar or animal companion for at least one hour. If you are not a caster or do not have a familiar/animal companion, spend at least one hour either researching magical theory or caring for an animal which trusts you.
Benefit: Whenever you, your familiar, or your animal companion performs the Aid Another action, your target gains an additional +2 sacred or profane bonus to their check.
Boon 1: The Essentials (Sp): Gain Magic Missile 3/day, Levitate 2/day, or Tiny Hut 1/day
Boon 2: Hedge Wizardry (Su/Sp): The blessing of the God of Small Magic gives you mastery over the smallest magic there is: cantrips. Each time you complete your Obedience, select three cantrips from an Arcane caster class (Magus, Sorcerer, Summoner, Witch, or Wizard). You may cast these cantrips at will as spell-like abilities for the next 24 hours. In addition, once per round as a swift action, you may cast any level 0 spell you know (be it a cantrip, knack, orison, etc) with a casting time of 1 standard action or less, including the ones gained from this Boon.
Boon 3: Constant Companion (Sp): The pain of losing one's treasured companion can be crippling, and Wittiby seeks to alleviate that pain as quickly as they possibly can. You may cast True Resurrection once per day as a spell-like ability, but only to return a creature's bonded companion to life. This includes familiars, bonded mounts (like that of a Paladin or Cavalier), animal companions and, if need be, eidolons. This does NOT include hirelings or cohorts gained via Leadership. You may use this ability to resurrect bonded companions other than your own. Using this ability as an excuse to repeatedly send bonded companions into danger against their will is seen as an abuse of Wittiby's gift and may provoke their wrath.
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Feel free to ignore this but I'm gender fluid and really wish there was an option to go by male pronouns in the game so could I request a scenario where the guys find out the reincarnation of mc is a male but it doesn't matter?
Absolutely! Here ya' go!
My asks are open for HC requests and drabbles for anyone interested!
HC: The LaDS Responses to You Being Reincarnated As AMAB
- Spoilers for all three boys backstories. -
This doesn't come as a shock to Zayne, after all he's been reincarnated with you. To him you are still you, and his feelings in that capacity are the same.
He does not worry about the social ramifications, he's a well-educated man and he's not going to tolerate bigotry. He's the first to cut people off who are rude or disrespectful. And if his relationship with you affects his reputation at work, then they can find a different doctor.
He sort of likes that you're of similar gender expression because it means he understands you extremely well in a physical sense. He knows all of the chemicals that flow through you, how to understand your emotions and need for certain things.
The two of you were thick as thieves growing up, everyone assumed you were like brothers. You weren't. It was so much more than that. You and Zayne are two parts of one whole, in this lifetime, the one before, and the one next.
Zayne loves the shape of your neck, the way the muscle flows downward. He often finds his hand resting there, or his mouth, or his teeth.
He's still the more domineering of the two of you regardless of your gender, though he did let you carry him over the threshold (that one time).
Regardless of your gender he is still more reserved in public, leaning toward more subtle tokens affection like your arms brushing together, or a whisper in your ear.
He's waited a long time to find you again, searching, hunting. The fact that you're AMAB is surprising, but he still recognizes you. He knows that spark that lives in you, that calls to the spark that lives in him.
Xavier hesitates a bit to admit his feelings for you, not because he is ashamed but because he worries about damaging your reputation.
At first he tries really hard to be the best friend that he can be, if he can't be with you, he'll still be with you. As your friend, your brother, your anything. But he still wants you, the way he has and always will want you.
When you do finally admit that you're not just friends, his affections flourish. Instead of accidentally bumping shoulders on the train, it's an arm around you. It's cheek kisses and grins, and sleeping pressed in the crook of your neck.
Xavier does not tolerate people speaking ill of you (he doesn't much care what they say about him). He's summoned his weapon on more than one occasion when someone made an off-handed remark. That usually shuts them up (usually).
Xavier loves your back, he likes to kiss along your shoulder blades, run his fingers down your sides, trace up your spine.
Though Xavier is generally sleepy, casual, and happy to relax with you, he's always aware of your surroundings. Your change in gender has somehow made him even more protective of you. Not only does he have to keep you safe from Wanderers and the like, he also wants to protect you from the world at large.
When he first spots you, Rafayel thinks he's going crazy. He thinks he's confused, been waiting too long, but then he finds out your name. He watches, you're different but the same. Once he's certain it's you, all he feels is joy.
Rafayel doesn't care about the social effects, he's an artist. If they don't want to buy his art because he kisses you every chance he gets then they don't deserve his pieces anyway.
You're a new kind of muse and he loves it, there's so many fresh angles to paint you from, poses that wouldn't have matched before. Colors that suit this more masculine version of his love.
Without meaning too Rafayel finds his own personal style shifting and evolving to match yours. He begins to dress more feminine (softer colors, make-up, flowing fabrics).
He's utterly infatuated with the size of your hands, he's always leading you to grab him by the hips or cup his face. He loves to be touched by you, leaning in to it no matter where the two of you are.
If anyone is disrespectful toward you or your relationship he has a quick retort at the ready. His responses only get nastier the more someone pushes. He won't let anyone talk ill of his lord, no matter who they are.
He adjusts the way he talks to you too, making sure that you feel good. Mister bodyguard, that's much too tall get it for me. This jar is too tight, open it. I wish some strong muscular beautiful man would come and sweep me off my feet, literally, I'm bored and I don't want to walk anymore.
#l&ds#lads#zayne love and deepspace#xavier love and deepspace#rafayel love and deepspace#amab reader#it's a shame they won't let us make it gay#Raf has too much queer energy to be straight let's be real#lads headcanons
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Thoughts on the Finneon line, including the beta Lumineon design vs. the one we got?
Finneon is kind of a butterflyfish, in the sense that its fins are literally shaped like butterfly wings, but it's also kind of a tetra and kind of a betta fish all at the same time. I do like it from a graphic design standpoint—there's something pleasing about the solid black top with a pink stripe that runs down the length of the torso, complimented by spots on its tail fin, and then blue underneath.
However, it's not really much to look at from a conceptual standpoint. It's a pretty fish, but there's nothing really going on with it beyond that. This wouldn't be inherently a problem if it worked really well as a stepping stone for the evo to flesh out a theme from, but as we'll see in a moment there's not a ton going on there either.
Lumineon takes the small wing-like fins on Finneon's tail and fleshes them out so they're much bigger and more complex, which I like. Honestly, if more emphasis were placed on the wings, they could've been the theme in and of themselves—imagine it being water/bug, water/flying, or water/fairy.
Instead, Lumineon goes in a different direction by being a bioluminescent deep-sea fish that walks on the bottom of the ocean. That's a great premise, and I think it really could've worked well as a theme.
However, the issue is that nothing in the design conveys luminescence at all. It retains the blues and pinks from Finneon, which are still nice, but not nearly bright enough to get across a glowing effect. You do see this effect on occasion, like on its SV 'dex plate, but it really needed to be a permanent effect to get the point across.
Also, when I think bioluminescent fish with a strong emphasis on color and light, I'm thinking like, mostly black body with just a few select highlights of a very bright, almost neon color, to really make everything pop. Lumineon has a bit too much blue on it, with the proportions of the two colors being almost an even 50/50 split. Maybe if the body was black and there was a singular blue band going where the eye is or something. Like, there's nothing all that wrong with the design we got—it's just not terribly memorable in the long run.
We can see from the beta design that Lumineon was originally closer to what I suggested, mostly dark with a few pops of color. I do like the effect this has, especially with the nice scalloped shape to the wings that I think gets a bit lost with Lumineon's rough edges. The extra bit of pink in there are also a nice touch. And while I'm not big on the red, it is nice that the markings around the eye play off of Finneon's.
However, this design has an incredibly awkward body shape, with small wings and a shapeless tail. Plus it still feels like something is missing color-wise, like it needed a ring on its tail or something for one final pop of color. I feel like if we could get the final Lumineon's design but with the beta's colors, we'd have the ideal Pokemon.
Also, as a side note, this line could be a good pick for an evolution or mega form in the future. It's only two stages, and it definitely feels like there's room for expansion still.
Anyway, overall, these guys are decent but they don't manage to deliver on their themes as well as they could have, resulting in a couple of pretty but fairly underwhelming fish.
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see maybe this is just me, but As A Character Designer Myself i think the rain code designs are some of komatzuzaki's best work yet. they're weird and campy and yet they work so well. i do think the characters' personalities shine through on first and second glances. I don't even usually like neon colors but I think the combo of bright neons with understated neutrals is so fascinating and memorable. no one else does it like this. a lot of the small details on the designs are actually packed with symbolic meaning (esp. yakou's - I'd love to see you unpack all that) and the overabundance of logos is evocative of the corpo-cyber-future setting. the rain code designs feel much more cohesive in terms of that setting than the DR designs do - which makes sense bc DR is more about disparate people being united by their circumstances - dialed to 11 in v3 where the designs are at their wackiest. but this ain't about her this is about rain code.
I love that characters you wouldn't expect (zange, fubuki, priest...) have weird facial piercings and tattoos. I love that the animal ears are never explained. I love desuhiko's tboy swag and yeah, the golden yellow and the dirty blonde and the neon yellow accents don't look great together - and I think the clashing colors work wonders to establish his personality. this kid dressed himself and thought it would make him look cool. you idiot. aphex's hat is stupid. zilch's ears are stupid. vivia's bandages-instead-of-clothes are stupid - and yet reading into that choice is very insightful. (he puts on a lazy air but if he was really lazy he'd just put on an oversized emo band tee instead of wrapping himself up like a mummy every day. he actually does care about how he comes across to people.)
there's a few videos about fashion YouTubers judging the DR fits, and at one point they brought in Yuma and shinigami and they hated yuma's outfit so much because it's dorky and they wouldn't wear it. but like!!! that's the whole point is that it's dorky!!!! his little trainee shorts. his stupid fkin bowl cut making him look like a little boy whose mom still cuts his hair. (which of course turns out to be a meaningful deception. his haircut influences how the audience and other characters see him to great effect.) and yet he has the coolest fkin shoes ever and when he puts his hat and cape on he's got such an iconic silhouette. teru teru bozu lookin ass /pos.
anyway yeah. i wasnt a fan of komatzuzaki's designs in the beginning but over the years ive come around. I'm a firm designer that a character design doesn't necessarily have to look good to be a good character design. I like it when they aren't afraid to make the characters look cringe - I love cringe. I eat it up. thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Even more perspectives! I think your take of 'bad-looking designs can be good actually' is a great way to look at Rain Code's characters. To put it simply, it's unique! 'Nobody does it like Komatsuzaki'-kind of campiness. Honestly, Rain Code's designs remind me a lot of Danganronpa 2's designs in terms of color. That cast is full of much brighter colors compared to the lesser saturation of DR1 n V3's cast colors. And it makes sense cause it's a brighter game overall in terms of setting and upping the ridiculousness of the killing game in every way! Rain Code sorta follows that with its own designs by crankin' up the neons to really ride the idea home that this game is wacky right from the get-go and it's a Resident Evil game in disguise! And y'know what Resident Evil loves to indulge in? Campiness! Rain Code wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and that's totally chill.
As a sidenote to your sidenote regarding Yakou's clothing details, I have actually written a bit about how he might perceive them, but I haven't yet written about what they could truly mean in terms of how they relate to him narratively. The meaning of the phoenix patterns are painfully obvious though heh. And I also greatly appreciate the recognition that Vivia really does care about his appearance despite his 'laziness'. His hedonistic lifestyle includes his own attire, wearing whatever he pleases no matter the effort! Like I've preached before, Vivia has the energy, he just prefers to use it only when necessary.
Thank you for the TED talk *golf claps*
#okay another sidenote in tags cause i couldn't find a space to comprehensibly add it to the post:#i've also seen those dr fashion videos they're super fun#n i love yuma's teru teru bozu silhouette#they really knew what they were doing with him n it worked perfectly *chef's kiss*#master detective archives: rain code#rain code
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Jesse finds an oasis in the form of a mossy rock—hidden deep enough in the forest to be granted some privacy, but open enough to allow himself to catch his breath. A sigh of relief falls from his lips as he sinks onto the makeshift seat, the taut grip around his naginata loosening as he relaxes. It's annoying, being unable to shift his weapon's form as he's otherwise used to, but with magic—ahem, potions—being so...difficult to come by, let alone keep, he can't afford to spare a drop on mere convenience. Not right now, anyway.
His mind races, still trying to make sense of this bewildering fairy-tale world he's found himself in. You'd think a man who'd already mastered magic wouldn't have so much trouble adjusting to a place dictated by such, but the discovery of so many friends and loved ones stuck under a spell has him rattled, scared, and his already frail confidence is flaking away with each revelation.
...and the only other truly friendly face had been that of a stranger. One who claimed to be in the same situation.
The stranger had easily gifted the out-of-place Jesse with a fantastical yet highly comfortable garb, working brilliantly to allow himself to blend in with the rest of this spellbound world. Yet, even in this new scenario, Jesse can't resist giving the ensemble a few...personal touches when he can. He can't help his inner fashionista.
He exchanged the lower half's drapery for a pair of equally flowy pants, strictly just for comfort's sake. He managed to haggle a trade for new shoes to replace his already worn-down boots. He stumbled upon a tailor selling accessories that spoke to him: a silky bow and sparkling cape that take him back to his magician days, a long glittering sash reminiscent of his time as a ninja, armor fastened by a keepsake compass turned brooch...
And finally, Jesse had happened across a pink camellia blooming on the roadside, a flower especially special him, and wove it into his brim of his hat.
All little things to remind him that the home he remembered hadn't been just some dream.
Jesse pulls from his thoughts before he can get caught up in the past. He moves to check over the potions he's gathered so far, having just picked them off the pockets of some less reputable-looking individuals, leading to his rather frenzied forest retreat. He's managed to snag a red, a black, a blue, and a white—so far so good, but the green he'd been looking for seems like it'll be an extra challenge to obtain, along with the even more elusive yet much more familiar glittering fuchsia...
...that being said, he ensures he keeps the one pink bottle he does possess plenty safe, in case he finds himself in need of a truly dire miracle. Perhaps, should he find another pink potion to spare, he can experiment with mixing it with the others, maybe invoking some of the effects and tricks he'd been crafty with before...if it doesn't blow up in his face. Or get him busted.
Still, those are fanciful, hopeful thoughts. Nothing more. He knows not where he's going, or how to get there, or what he'll do when he does. Or, if anything's going to be close to "his" normal ever again.
But he needs no mere potion to truly possess the Element of Surprise, for as long as he keeps his secret under wraps in his travels and plays his cards just right, it will always be with him—and, at the end of all things, the Overlord's not going to know what hit him.
Soooo if you've made this far, this is my entry for @general-yasur's DTIYS! Congrats on the milestone, and thanks for the awesome opportunity!! I...honestly couldn't wait to jump on it and now we are here, haha.
Anywho, if the blurb above wasn't enough description, here's more mad rambling thoughts on the design of my sweet boy:
Sketch + Color Blocking-
SO I was super mega excited to see this outfit because so many of the design elements Jesse already had in his main outfits would transfer over really well!
Jesse Marvell, Stage Magician by day and Fuchsia Ninja by night, is the Elemental Master of Surprise! Physically equivalent to magic essentially, he tends to channel his element through other elements to make it manifest, rather than harness the element itself—hence his interest in potentially mixing the potions, buuuut he'd also probably be way too nervous to actually try unless he was super desperate. Using a Surprise potion by itself I imagine would yield some unpredictable results, even for him...Jesse would probably have to relearn to use his powers ;w;
His weapon is called the Magician's Naginata! It's powered by Blue Crystals at both ends, and by charging the crystals with his element (making them pink), he's able to change the weapon's shape, making it easier to carry, using it as a prop in magic shows, or making it more effective for whatever battle situation he finds himself in (which usually consists of him splitting it in two or simply putting another blade on the opposite end). But while in the Spellbound world, his weapon is stuck in its base form, unless he wants to waste precious amounts of Surprise potion...
Now, outfit stuff!! Like I said, a lot of the fun was mixing and matching design elements he already had into this new form! And I'm think I'm really digging the new color combo :O
Hat: Takes the color and flower from the magician outfit! Thought about adding the fuchsia band too but it was overtaking the aesthetic a bit. Balanced this by making the drapery of the hat sparkle instead!
Cape: Also taken from the magician outfit, made the original cape's end more zigzag as well to reflect this. And added the sparkles on the inside, naturally.
Armor + Gloves: Reflective of both designs, very natural translation! (Fingerless gloves always a plus).
Robe: ...now this is where it gets interesting, cuz obviously my gut instinct was to do the neutral pink, buuut I had talked in the past about shifting more white into his design (as already seen with the magician outfit), so I used this an an opportunity to test it out! And I love it a lot! It's like...breathable to look at in a way I can't explain lmao
Waist Flap Thing: Taken right from the ninja design. I couldn't NOT do it.
Pants: Kind of reminiscent of the ninja outfit, but while Jesse would have no problems with, say, a short skirt, a longer one would definitely impede his movement way too much, with how much of an off-kilter klutz he can sometimes be. Thus, more comfort with the pants.
Shoes: Yeah I had no idea what to do here, but the design reminded me of Japanese wooden sandals (called Geta? correct me if I'm wrong please I just did a quick google—) and I thought going for a shape like that would look nice. You can't really tell the shape in the above pictures, but it's a little more apparent in the main pic's flats:
But yeah, that about wraps it up! Enjoyed myself a lot with this! And thanks again for the opportunity!!!
#ninjago#yasur1kdtiys#ninjago dtiys#ninjago oc#ninjago ocs#ninjago fanart#oc: jesse marvell#art tag#my stuff#i physically could do nothing else until i manifested this aaaaa#always love an excuse to draw my magic son <3
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My Happy Marriage Episode 1: The Meeting
Once more, a series that I've been meaning to read for the better part of a year has beat me to the punch by delivering an anime for me to indulge in. Kinema Citrus wasn't who I thought would be behind this adaptation, nor did I think Netflix would land it. However, it seems it somehow is the perfect storm for a shoujo series that arguably has the potential to be the best adapted in recent memory. Seriously, there's a world of praise to give this first episode, so I'd love to shed some light on why everybody should be tuning in for this story.
So, to begin we'll start with both the beginning and the end. A bit confusing maybe, but the episode opens and ends with the same format, our main character Miyo telling her story through a poem. I think it's really beautiful, and very powerful. I love how she uses the various seasons to depict the story of her life, the warmth and happiness, the sorrow and loss, the cold and bitterness, and then the buds and blooms of happiness. I think a lot of people may look past the words of Miyo for what's in the moment, but both are equally as important in telling her story, especially in such a succinct yet roundabout fashion.
There's just so much to talk about through this pair of scenes alone. My favorite piece though has to be how Miyo equates the existence of the Sakura tree to the ability for herself to be happy. That the child that she once was is whisked away by the blossoms that will fall and be forgotten, and that those memories and experiences will always be taken away from her, like her mother's Sakura tree was. But then at the end of the episode, the first thing we notice is that behind Kiyoka exists a Sakura tree. One that's in blossom and bestows Miyo with a single petal. Just such a beautiful moment that shows viewers that Miyo's life can, and will, contain happiness in this new home she's been forced into.
Anyways, back to the beginning we go. There's definitely piece that play a little close to stereotypes and cliches that viewers may be used to, particularly in regards to how Miyo is treated by her younger sister that was born from a different mother (the current wife of Miyo's father). I wouldn't say it's terrible or rough, but I think it's something you may chuckle at here and there because you may be used to it. The mother on the other hand? I feel like they do a really solid job of depicting her as Miyo's adoptive mother while also being explicitly hostile towards a daughter that isn't hers. A bit of a Cinderella story you might say, but with a traditional Japanese twist to it.
Just as quickly as this episode is to show us what Miyo's life is like, it's equally as eager to show off the impressive work with composition and lighting. Just a simple scene of Miyo in front of glass in a hallway, but the detail, colors, and subtle effects in regards to it create a very striking still image.
To continue my eager praise for the visual work in this episode, I really like how effectively they use the indoor and outdoor settings. All of the cuts and scenes from outdoors are far more spacious and usually focus on wider layouts than the cramped and limited indoor ones. A really nice touch that adds quite the feel to the content of the episode.
Regardless of praise, the story still does move on though as we get introduced to a friend/crush of Miyo's, Kouji. A somewhat meek but very heartfelt boy that visits her family often. I really like his position throughout the story, but in this initial stretch I really enjoy how it is that he interacts with Miyo, being her sole attachment to the world outside the home she lives in. Also once more, that sense of space is being used quite well.
Also just a little aside with the above scene. The soundtrack really is great at matching emotions and tensions, but I think what may end up one of the more underrated pieces is the reserved inclusion of traditional Japanese music. It's used very sparingly, and in all the right moments to pair with the correct scenes.
Of course, this is a sort of Cinderella story, so that warm and bright relationship that this pair share does not last long. That bright and warm sunshine is later replaced with a dull and gray tone that weighs upon the world. And the space that they once shared naturally becomes awkward distance. I really, really do love how they approach the fracturing of Kouji and Miyo's relationship through this episode. Starting off with both warm colors and proximity, we soon begin to lose that vibrance before the space between the two widens.
It's a pretty harsh scene, really. Kouji knowing he's coming to be married off to Miyo's sister Kaya, and Miyo getting her hopes up thinking she'd be getting married to Kouji. Thankfully they do a great job with Kouji's character through it all. His frustration and regret are very palpable, and the included scene of Kouji talking things over with his father to try and save Miyo from that household was a really thoughtful addition. Of course, it still means that Miyo's isolated. From the one person that treated her normally, to the family home that she's lived in all this time, to the remnants of the Sakura tree left behind by her mother. It's very well drawn out emotionally, and makes use of quite a few parallels and other moments from earlier on in the episode.
In particular, I really love how the gap and distance between Kouji and Miyo is shown post-engagement. Using things like windows or stance to show avoidance and separation is really well done. Especially when the only time Miyo faces Kouji head on during their final conversation is to thank him and bid him farewell.
This stretch of the episode does very well with Miyo's emotions and mental state, through quite a few pieces. I think the moment that best matches up with how to describe or show how Miyo feels is the engagements. Believing she had a chance to be married to Kouji, she checks her reflection in the mirror before entering the room. However, on departure to travel to her actual fiancé's home she briskly walks past that same mirror. It's a really solid show of the duality that exists for Miyo, the young and plain girl who wishes to be pretty and be together with the young man that she loves, and the so-called beautiful woman that's been sent off to marry someone she's never met.
Moving forward, we get a handful of scenes of Miyo travelling to meet her new fiancé with flashes of her past mixed in. Arguably, it's the best time for them to have chosen to insert those pieces of her past. An empty and silent section that allows Miyo to reflect upon her previous life, it just fits quite well. Though I'd be lying if I said that was my favorite part of her travelling. My favorite was certainly all the wonderful visuals and scenes throughout. The composition work on this series is just something else. How the different forms of lighting interact with one another and produce layers upon the various characters and pieces of the environment is just stellar. It's just so impressive how much range there is in the colors and approaches of all these scenes.
This second one in particular really impresses me, because usually with such bright scenes like this you'll just have blown out highlights, but what's actually going on is a different story. In that washed out white light, there's actually details of the buildings that pass Miyo by. A very small and easy to neglect detail, but for me, it shows the dedication, quality, and ability placed in all facets of these scenes.
And from here we meet up with where I spoke of the ending first, Miyo meeting her new fiancé and that feeling of happiness sneaking back into her life.
I think the story at a surface level is rather straightforward, but provides a great deal of depth (which makes it challenging to discuss without spending ages on a single moment). Take, for example, the one servant we see in Kiyoka's household. It's an older woman that uses "bocchan" to refer to Kiyoka, showing that she's been an attendant for a very long time with Kiyoka while also speaking to the more casual relationship that she has with him. Similarly, it also shows that Kiyoka either has no interest in younger servants, or that newer ones aren't willing to work in his household.
Regardless, the point has been made. The story has a lot to it that makes it incredibly easy for viewers to sink into and spend ages atomizing into little details and important aspects of all the characters, but isn't required to understand and appreciate the story at large. I knew what I was getting into with the story however, given the reviews and praise I've heard for it, so the part that surprised me most is the visual through this first episode. There's not any incredible animation, but it isn't required either for a more down to earth drama. Because of that, the focus on quality has shifted elsewhere to areas like lighting and composition, and you can tell they've done some incredible work alongside the subdued but well fitted direction.
All in all, I'm very excited to see how Kinema Citrus fares with this adaptation, and am very much looking forward to indulging in this outstanding story.
#my happy marriage#watashitachi no shiawase na jikan#watakekkon#わたしの幸せな結婚#my blissful marriage#kinema citrus#anime recommendation#anime review#anime and manga#anime#romance anime
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The court of Rosea
@coeluvr
I think this'll be my last update on this sketch. Sadly, I can't finish editing this work without my app committing death. Haha, It happens after 400 layers. But, hey, at least it got the general vibe, right? :P
Members of Court from left to right we have:
Asha the Frog. (Note: I'm deathly afraid of frogs IRL. But I found ONE frog species I could withstand looking at and It's this bubble-eyed bb. Obviously, I love the in-game Asha and her color-changing ways. But God am I terrified of the concept of cat-sized frogs.)
Fadiya Akter.
My MC, Vesper. Whom I UNINTENTIONALLY named Vesper De Vesphire.
Hunter Oakes.
Helios De Rosea.
Luceris De Rosea. (I gave him back a bit of his hairline- but he is on thin ice)
Lancelot!
Vincent Annora
Missing from the Picture (but whom were originally sketched out include: Ikram, Naima, Sadira, and Qasim -pls make one or both of them our shield I beg of you.)
Below the Spoilers is some easter eggs and tid bits about this sketch. (Hidden meanings and all that)
The Windows (Starting from the left to the right):
The marriage of Luceris and the MC. This most definitely wouldn't be something I would expect to be in the Palace proper but I imagine a great deal of artists would find ways to dramatize the 'wedding'.
This window depicts the past- namely the burning of the Vesphire Palace. I know you can't see it thanks to the FOUR people covering it. But I did include a mountainous castle with a town, both set to the torch. Including scenes of bloodshed.
1. The window is open, with the cold of Vesphire seeping into the court in the form of icicles and snow.
This window depicts the future. At the time I was drawing this one- Chapter 2 was technically still not out. AND BABES it was the Palace being set aflame. I just- can't!!!! hAHAHA. Anyways, it's completely covered up by Luceris AND Lancelot's body.
2. Like the other window depicting the past, this window is also open. Unfortunately, I couldn't include the smoke that was supposed to be rising from the back. (Hence the strange lighting effect on that side of the room.) It was supposed to signify the poison set by those characters' actions. But, alas. Sketchbook Pro has to be a brat.
Window four depicts the 'Farah poisoned by Catalina' scenario. Except there are cracks in the picture. The full story is not there. Did Catalina really poison Farah? If so, why did she immediately disappear without a trace? Where is she now?
1. If you look closely- I gave Farah the dead Anime mom Haircut- and no, I am NOT taking it back. We all get to live with this information.
2. Catalina and Vesper also bear a striking resemblance. Wearing the exact same dress as one another in both of their respective Stain glass windows. This is brought up MULTIPLE times within Coe's story. So i just wanted to make it even more obvious.
Vesper and Helios.
Why isn't Luceris the one sitting down? Why is Helios holding the MC's wrist? Why does Helios look so pissed? Haha, well babes, this is what I like to call an artistic representation. Neither Helios or Vesper (my MC for Coeluvr's game) are being portrayed as themselves. Instead, they are both being showcased as the embodiments of their kingdoms, Rosea and Vesphire.
Vesphire is ensnared by Rosea. Trapped. Unable to escape.
Likewise, the MC, Vesper, is JUST barely touching the throne. So close to those who destroyed their life. Yet too far from true freedom
Meanwhile Helios, or in this case, Rosea is the only one able to sit, to relax. They are the one with control in this situation.
#if games#others games#concept sketch#i love this game so much#it is so fun#go play it#i stayed up all night#lol
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