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THERE_ARE_FOXES_HERE
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: palencorgi
1 hour ago
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CREATUREFEST JULY 2025
Forum: [FORUM GAMES]
Last Post: gyiyg
Yesterday, 08:19 PM
» Replies: 69
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[PCA] UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: skinstealer
07-22-2025, 05:29 AM
» Replies: 24
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[TOY] Plaything
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: knux400
07-21-2025, 04:14 AM
» Replies: 1,000
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[GAME] The House
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: aeshihowl
07-14-2025, 04:14 AM
» Replies: 93
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ARCADE SESSION: REBOOTED
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: knux400
07-14-2025, 12:43 AM
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REFURBISHED [Morbitia Ren...
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: ThreadLurkingComorant
07-10-2025, 11:41 PM
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[OFF FORUM BLOG] MINIATUR...
Forum: [SIDE_ROLEPLAYS]
Last Post: Ignispark
07-07-2025, 10:14 AM
» Replies: 12
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Masa con Papas: Proxy's M...
Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
Last Post: ThreadLurkingComorant
07-01-2025, 09:04 PM
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the mortis work log
Forum: [GENERAL CHAT]
Last Post: skinstealer
07-01-2025, 06:09 AM
» Replies: 162
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[GAME] ROLL TO DODGEMCARS |
Posted by: Lucy - 01-02-2025, 08:52 AM - Forum: [FORUM GAMES]
- Replies (6)
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Simple game, this is a roll to dodge. 3-6 people enter, one person leaves. Every turn players will submit an action, which i will then write out the results of according to a dice roll. 1 being a critical failure from which you will likely not survive, 5 being a total success, and 6 being a complete overshoot from which you will likely not survive. We have fun here. Actions will be processed in the order they are posted. First come first served.
To enter simply make a character. You can be as brief or as elaborate as you want, all I strictly need is a name and a short physical description of them.
==========
HELLO FINE FOLKS, it's me, youre lovely inter dimensional demonic being and generally suave host.
![[Image: image.png?ex=6777a435&is=677652b5&hm=263...593222b6f&]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/175841781043167232/1324298092874563604/image.png?ex=6777a435&is=677652b5&hm=26301fb9ee106ebb1c8f94627f54ae6ce1647526fb9c4ff790ce00e593222b6f&) SLIDESHOWS ROB.
I WILL BE NEEDING SIX, thats right folks, SIX (or three) WONDERFUL wonderful entrants today, to compete, for glory and theiur fucking lives. Lets dodge some cars.
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SKINSTEALER SCRAMBLE: Make the Exorcist Fall In Love |
Posted by: skinstealer - 12-30-2024, 07:28 AM - Forum: [OTHER ART + WRITING]
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Make the Exorcist Fall in Love is a relatively new manga written by Aruma Arima and illustrated by Masuku Fukayama, the latter of which has a known presence in the manga and illustration scene that I Must Investigate, and the former, as i can tell, is a complete unknown.
this both bothers me, because i desperately want to know what makes them so fucking good at writing this manga, but also, i think is the best course of action.
this is because that Make the Exorcist Fall In Love is the best portrayal of child exploitation, especially in the sexual sense, and DEEPLY, DEEPLY in the religious sense, that i have seen in recent years. it is also boldly political in every way, and in ways that would make a lot of people very mad- to the point of the manga itself saying so upfront. it is an insanely graphic piece of work that i would consider on the severity level of Berserk, and very clearly pulls from our other favorite manga of all time, Chainsaw Man. Fujimoto's influence can be felt in every crevice of this manga, and i consider that something that is not only a strength but something this story takes and runs with, planning its own course and jumping over Every Single Hurdle i could have fucking imagined it would have.
there were many times where i went, jesus, is this going to actually be anything? this is usually the point where i'd jump ship. this is Usually the point where i go "oh fuck me man i cant do this" in a manga and i have read so much goddamn manga. but Infomantis of manga recommendation fame told me that it was good, REALLY good, and i stuck with it.
every single time, i was proved right for trusting the team behind this work. pretty much every single potential issue i could have had with this one is handled. the literal only thing i can think of after my first read is an off color offhand comment about familiar-fucking cartoon axolotls that you know. i think at this point they may actually address that seriously later. i can't even be surprised if they do at this point, because that has already happened LIKE FOUR TIMES.
that's plenty of preamble though. i just need you to be ready for me to wholeheartedly recommend you a shonen battle manga about teenage priests fighting satan.
SKINSTEALER SCRAMBLE [MAKE THE EXORCIST FALL IN LOVE] by snapshot and parker mortis
i said i was ready for the review but i am sorry there actually are some more points to cover beforehand, just a lot less vague. as i've said, this one is Very Graphic, and about a lot of extremely painful topics- including ones i am deeply familiar with. if you're reading this review there is a high chance you know our work at least a little bit, and know that our whole deal is creating narratives about severe abuse and topics such as disability and queerness entangled within them. just as frequently, religion is involved- and often pulling from our experiences as an Ex-Christian, Sort Of. the more accurate term would be "christian-via-schizophrenic-mother's-religious-delusions", which has lead us to have a lot more strange and secular experiences with the stuff. even so, we gravitate towards media that takes on a lot of Good Ol Christian Values! through different approaches, and explores them in different ways.
our dear husband @comorant is also ex-catholic, and read this with us. he considers it one of the best portrayals of catholic guilt, repression, and most importantly, raw self destruction. i second this statement, from more of the angle of one of the best portrayals of being raised as an Other, forced to do roles and duties for some unseen, holy force- while the peers around you watch as you drive yourself into the ground.
it is a narrative critical of established oppressive structures and THOROUGHLY dissecting them with a laser sharp precision and a pointed stare at its audience. it is also a narrative of what enables those structures to exist on a fundamental level...and the way that OTHER people with different goals and an ever-similar longing for power can use that. this is not just a story about catholicism, of Satan vs God, etc, but about global power structures, reactionary movements, and what that does to oppressed classes. the most obvious route it takes with this is, arguably, the most unifying oppressed class in the entire world, throughout all of known history.
Exorcist is a shonen battle manga about systemic abuse of children.
the premise of Make the Exorcist Fall In Love is fairly straightforward, on the surface. god is real and so is the devil! and they're stuck in a holy war! fuck! the demon lords and witches are going head to head against the church, which has trained BATTLE EXORCISTS! IN FULL PRIEST REGALIA!
AND GOD FORBID THEY'RE TEENAGERS WITH FUNNY QUIRKY DESIGNS THAT'S RIGHT THIS REALLY IS A SHONEN!!!
this manga KNOWS it is a shonen- and it's proud of it. it is silly, it is flirtatious- after all, it is a romance! the title says it all! and that doesn't conflict with what topics it's taking on. if anything, it serves them beautifully. there will be tropes aplenty from shonen throughout the ages...and in ways that make me very, very happy. i am a shonen lover at my core, but the genre has always left me with a lot of scrambled, nasty feelings when it curveballs into sketchy territory. this goes right up to those tropes- SOMETIMES VERY BLUNTLY, and says. yeah no. that does suck. but let's not just bash it- let's talk about Why it is there, and give a good fucking alternative. we'll get into that, but...
onto our boy.
our main character is referred to most accurately as Mr. Priest, based on what i believe is the official translation, but i read this on a super legal manga site so what do i know. he Has a name, but we've never heard it- and no one uses it for him anyway. it's outright stated that he doesn't even want people to use it. the in-universe documents wedged between chapters don't even use it, even when they're official documents of the church itself- or hell, even diary entries of his mentors and the staff that raised him. he is a complete unknown, and even where we are at in the manga as of writing this- 81 chapters- there is still so much left up in the air.
he is, however, very clearly Made For This. he is a super powered mega priest who fuck man i don't even think you can powerscale so please don't try. what kills me about this is that it is established from the first chapter that this was not something he signed up for. this is all he's ever known, he's been groomed into this position and the thought of being anything But an exorcist does not exist in his head. many times throughout the manga, he repeats catholic beliefs so literally and so to the letter- usually while putting himself in harm's way- that even the other priests are disturbed.
i desperately do not want to spoil the majority of this manga, so i will not. not even under a spoiler box, i refuse to spoil this beyond the first chapter and some generalized discussion. let this be a warning though for the rest of this review: i cannot possibly CW for everything in this, but GRAPHIC depictions of children in peril, especially sexual, as well as frank takes on dealing with sexual guilt, are entrenched into the narrative and themes. if this is a lot for you, please turn around now.
in the very first chapter, amidst all of this introduction, we witness Priest be sexually assaulted in great detail by the demon lord of lust, Asmodeus. it is a harrowing scene and one of the most accurate depictions i've seen, at least to my own experiences, with a formative moment in life gone horrifically wrong in ways you cannot understand, and having to carry that. this is never, ever a joke. in fact, remember how i said this shonen takes on tropes and provides thoughtful commentary and alternatives?
common things, tropes, etc i have seen in shonen many, many times that this manga addresses with what i would argue is a fairly masterful stroke:
- male child protagonist being flustered by women in sexual situations - unknowingly sexual loli trope (YES, REALLY, YOU ALL KNOW I WOULDNT FUCK AROUND IN SAYING THIS AT ALL) - rape being funny - rape being sexy (established from like chapter one in explicit, unambiguous detail) - body horror as a vessel for ableist disgust - shinji get in the robot - extreme violence is coooool! (and also still manages to make it look cool amidst the commentary. this is the epitome of having its cake and eating it too.)
![[Image: Beelzebub-Gehenna.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/T1Lkm8Ch/Beelzebub-Gehenna.png)
it also tackles on the following things, if that wasn't enough for you
- the nature of revenge - the nature of love - social media's presence in all of this and how it is manipulated, yes they have fucking iphones and twitter is real, this is a modern day manga and you will know it - what it means to be a part of humanity - biometric tracking - the confusing feeling of wondering why a manga about battle priests may be my favorite of the year, both felt by me and you, the reader - some of the best surrealist imagery and designs ive seen since chainsaw man, like, late stage chainsaw man for fuck's sake - touys - mother figures and the specific ableism they can exact - an extremely nuanced exploration THROUGHOUT the manga of the different ways child predation can occur and what leads the victim into that situation - the true nature of Sin- and how the seven sins can be used to discuss power structures that have perpetuated for all of known history and Why they've been allowed to perpetuate - white boy depression - no really the white boy depression is actually an enormous part of this - the idea of men being inherent rapists and predators, and women being inherent sex objects and breeding stock (especially vulnerable ones such as children and minorities) (yes this manga takes on bioessentialism already and i can only imagine how the fuck it's going to go in the future) - a harrowing exploration of how grooming can be exacted upon someone from an isolated world, i cannot spoil this one but jesus fucking christ - homophobia! big time homophobia and predation both sexually and nonsexually related to it! abuse dynamics too- that's right folks, this is not a clean queer representation this is a NIGHTMARE SCENARIO FOR ALL INVOLVED - Cuteness ! - reactionary movements both globally and in specific cultures (i don't think this mangaka pair likes america much and i cheer every time they write about it, genuinely fantastic analysis shit) - what forgiveness Really means.
it's also got divine comedy shit, which is a drastic oversimplification but it made Como jump out of his chair and yell to see some really thoughtful use of that story- which, regular readers of our HD works know that that is one of his favorite things in the world.
but: after we set up our good boy Mr. Priest as the protag, and clearly some kind of catholic superhuman weapon...
we meet the conceit of the plot.
priest has been tasked with the protection of Imuri Atsuki, a famous teenage painter...
...who is also a succubus, trying to make him fall in love with her to thwart his impending onslaught on Satan and his demon lords.
what proceeds is one of the sweetest, goofiest, and heartwrenching romances i've read in a manga, with both of these two dumbass teens having to make their way through both the perils of untangling messy feelings, wrangling with disparity between what each person wants and needs, hiding secrets and repressed urges, deliberate lies and witholding and the consequences that come with it-
and it's good! it's really really good! you made me give a shit about teen romance when generally i really do not care for how most shit does it! good fucking job, Exorcist! it is BRUTAL, it is deeply upsetting, but god if i am not standing up and rooting for Mr. Priest to just catch a fucking break already and let himself get a hug without getting triggered and throwing up. i am desperate to watch this absolute nightmare unfold. i am so hooked. jesus fucking christ.
if i had to say something less enthusiastic about this manga...it is that my experience may not be yours. it Not being your thing could very possibly be true on a Large, Dramatic level, and that is because of a couple factors.
there is a shitload of delving into complicated topics of oppression, and every time they introduce a new intersectional vector to that, i'm very, Very pleased! for example, i was not expecting taking on historical depictions of religious ableism being so so deeply prominent in this one, and i love how it's taken on. however...
the things it digs its hands into are messy, complicated pieces of humanity and real world oppressive structures, and some things that may ring true to me, may not for another person- and frankly, that's okay. it feels like the team behind it deeply cares about portraying these things, and it's likely in the future they may express that in a way that isn't in line with my perspectives or experiences.
one thing i can think of off the top of my head is the emphasis on dissecting bioessentialism and natalism, particularly by religious groups- they haven't addressed how heavily this intersects with transphobia and especially transmisogyny- but honestly, i think there's a nonzero chance that they might. at this point in time there's been multiple gay characters (i'll get to that) and an enormous emphasis on characters feeling uneasy with a harshly enforced gender binary and being reduced to what bodies they were born with...i dunno. with how much this piece talks about minority groups both as a natural part of the worldbuild and the emergent political drama, i wouldn't be surprised.
similarly, there have not been many dark-skinned characters at all, with only one shown on screen thus far (and not for long). this is another thing where i have to wonder if they'll get to it, and if my gut feeling there that they Will is correct. i have no guarantees, so let the record state that yeah there is Not much at all in that department. thus far we have been deeply entrenched in stuff relating to italy and japan, and what comes next, i have literally no fucking idea.
onto the gay characters. i will not spoil who they are or what their deal is. that's for your adventure. i cannot guarantee you will like the way they are written, or agree that they are good representation, or whatever the fuck. but they have something to say, and at the very least, for me, i was captured the whole time.
and finally, lastly...
it does show the rape stuff on screen. like, really, really on screen. it shows these teenagers dealing with sexuality way more explicitly than i am usually comfortable with, by a long shot. if you have heard me talk about Evangelion, you understand where my boundaries are on this. personally, i was able to read all of this without getting triggered. there were points where i could barely breathe from the tension, but i did not break down. this is not likely to be a universal experience.
i really like this manga. i love it, even. it's possessing my brain and i am glad to let it. if you feel like you could give it a try, i say to go for it- and if you get to a point where you'd usually quit...maybe gauge whether you're up for hearing it out and seeing what it has to say. i gave it a lot of chances i usually wouldn't- and it more than paid off.
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i need to survive the game awards |
Posted by: skinstealer - 12-06-2024, 04:54 AM - Forum: [OTHER ART + WRITING]
- Replies (12)
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please present to me themes, 5 per person max. these themes can be anything. they could be a phrase, even, or a song. a moodboard. it matters not. what matters is that i will make as many pipecleaner beasts as humanly possible with the themes provided during the duration of the 2024 game awards and i require all of your help to make this happen. i will randomly pull a theme from what will likely be a fairly large pool and it will become real and in my house. no NSFW, but have fun.
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[PERSONAL] ????????????????? |
Posted by: skinstealer - 11-18-2024, 12:53 AM - Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
- Replies (1)
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this will have a name eventually but for now it is a deeply informal """project""" involving how we want to present our system and information about it going forward. so far, this has included our personal site (instead of a carrd, we're going SCP as hell on it and invoking the TCPdex with extra steps/different vibes) with dossiers on system members, and a slowly growing collection of experimental 3D modeling + SL screencaps as renders. this is not an ARG or a narrative project, so while discussing cool shit like our system members' TCP abilities and such is more than allowed, we have a couple of rules.
1) no theorycraft or whatever, we're winging this shit as we go and none of it is really meant to be "reveals" so much as conveying vibes and personal information about ourselves in a way that feels less direct and more safe. please god do not try to look deeper into this one. no shipping no nothing. while the system members are often referred to As characters in the project itself, they are us, don't be weird about that. we just like metanarrative presentation.
2) this is going to get extremely heavy and likely NSFW and a comprehensive list of CWs is not likely or viable. we will spoiler anything particularly brutal/graphic but this isn't a project we're really willing to pull punches on, and will be putting a lot of thought into what gets revealed about our personal life and what doesn't. some will be more literal, some will be metaphorical, and basically all of those things will be extremely hard to guess which is which. we're making this for us, and sharing it is our current choice. can go away any time.
3) consistency is not a goal. we are throwing shit at the wall to express ourselves. it's fun!
4) with all that said, comments and discussions are allowed both on here or on discord (we're going to make a channel i guess), and we welcome thoughts as long as people are respectful. this list may change if any issues come up, but we trust people to interact in good faith.
i am going to go grab my second life work momentarily, but for now, have a list of currently "finished" profiles for system members. regrettably, the website does not have alt text for images yet, but that is something we're looking to implement sooner rather than later.
FINISHED PROFILES SO FAR BEIGE BOX SCAPULA SHRAPNEL
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Vino Tinto/Blanco: Project Previews |
Posted by: ThreadLurkingComorant - 11-17-2024, 08:08 PM - Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
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Previews for a upcoming twine project, Vino (Working Title)
PREVIEW RELEASE 1
The Vineyard Weed[Chapter Preview 1, CH-02] CW: Mentions of Blood Characters: Bucket, Francesca Perspective: Bucket Judgment [Image Description: Two Anthropomorphic dogs standing back to back from a side profile. The left one is smiling and wearing a sleeved dress with her ears pulled back. The one on the right is much larger, hair poofier and wearing a sweater with a large belted pair of baggy pants. They are cradling a sword. Both dogs have their eyes obscured by their long hair.] You wake up frantically in a stranger's bed. You immediately pat around for your weapon.
???: Awake?
A voice you've never heard before, a dog with long messy hair and white fur slowly making her way to your bedside.
Bucket: Where are my belongings? Why am I here?
???: You can relax, your sword is by the door. Took the time to wipe off the blood before it left any rust. As for the rest? Left it on the side table for you. Figure its the least anyone can do for you, takes a lot of guts to pick a fight with a sentryman.
You give the room a good look around, confirming what she said. It was a small little cabin, but one that was well loved.
Bucket: You carried me inside?
???: Mmhmm! Better me than most of the townfolks, they're not exactly the most trusting when someone like you shows up.
Bucket: Like me?
???: Nobody here's convinced you're just a cute dog after the show you put on. Punching far above your weightclass, good show really. Have to wonder what you're deal is...
Bucket: So in other words I've gone and frightened them. Would figure as much.
???: Maybe, but people tend to forgive a pretty face.
Bucket: I'm already quite accounted for.
She pokes her tongue at you.
???: You're assuming a lot there, its the truth of things. Give your hair a good brush and smile just right and they'll be quick to drop their suspicions. People are simple like that.
She slides you a drink, seemingly hot chocolate.
???: A good knight like yourself shouldn't have to walk out of town with nothing to show for your work anyway
Bucket: Knight? You're assuming a lot there.
???: I think I'm on the mark actually. The stature, the way you carry yourself your weapon of choice, the hardened pads..
Bucket: The pads-
???: Knights are couriers, no? The pads show how much you've traveled.
Bucket: That still doesn't mean anything-
She shuffles through her pockets and pulls out a letter.
???: There's also this. It's addressed to a Vergil Judgment. Sounds like you're one of the old couriers. Was looking to see if I could contact a relative but... the question now becomes which one. That's a pretty old school guild from what I looked up.
You make a face.
She's caught you and she knows it.
???: Right on the mark?
Bucket: I'm a descendant, yes.
???: I mean obviously, must be pretty new though aye? Got quite the young face.. but then again those teeth say you've been at this for awhile.
You couldn't help but laugh with a bitter undertone.
???: What's so funny then?
Bucket: You're very so observant, have to know what this means all to you.
???: What do you mean?
Bucket: People tend to sleuth most when there is aspect of personal interest and value. You may contest me on this but-
???: What's your favorite stageplay?
Bucket: Pardon?
???: Pin me as the observer, nosey to the last shed and yet it's clearly projection. Nothing more than the natural magnetism of theatrics.
Alright, you want to play this game.
Bucket: Give me verse.
???: Thy have plenty already.
Bucket: And I choose to pass initiate.
???: Under roof of another you play by the host's rules... but if a sweetener be needed then you are granted that and nothing more.
A little courtesy under messy hair.
???: Francesca Ottos, the Outskirt Witch.
Wing it.
Bucket: Vergil Judgment, the Wandering Knight.
A bow in return.
Francesca: Et si tu devais mourir?
Bucket: C'est la vie. Terrible.
Her tail swished around.
Francesca:: So cultured... where are you from?
Bucket: Overseas, grew up in town not far unlike this one.
Francesca: Then you understand how boring a place like this is. Nothing changes.
Bucket: Mm, for better and for worse.
Francesca: Mostly for worse. Since you made today a little more exciting though you're welcome to stay while you get back on your feet. Nice to have someone who gets it.
Bucket: And what is it that you want in return?
Francesca: Officially you don't owe me anything, but I can't deny I want to know more. What are you exactly? Strong, soft spoken, prosed as a poet... and yet there's something in your eye. Makes me wonder if we have something else in common...
She reaches for your covered up arm.
You pull it away.
Bucket: You will get sick.
Francesca: I'm already sick.
Bucket: Consider this a mercy then, keep a certain distance.
Francesca: Suppose that's fair.. what do you want for now then?
Bucket: Access to a phone, my sword-
Francesca: You are not bringing that hell slab into town right after a fight like that, people can feel the pulse.
Bucket: And what do you mean by that?
Francesca: You can't play dumb, it's alive. Something living and organic is rooted inside, people here got a good eye for that and whatever's in there isn't happy.
You raise a brow at her.
Bucket: And these people can gauge it how?
Francesca: Bit of a local craft, plenty of people who work wood and metal tend to be specialists on this sort of thing. Common to find parasites having made home of them and a lot of the older crowd considers them a bit culturally important.
Bucket: Sounds dangerous.
She grabs your palm.
Francesca: For many but not for you. You're not to different yourself, stronger even. That's how you keep its voice at bay.
Bucket: And what makes you so confident in that?
Francesca: I'm in the same boat! If you're going to be here for a bit, I've got a blade that's needed a hand like yours for a long time. Interested?
Bucket: Sounds dreadful but.. if you insist this much I should at least take a look for myself.
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THE TCP TYPE PREFERENCE SURVEY |
Posted by: sarcovyn - 11-11-2024, 09:20 PM - Forum: [GENERAL CHAT]
- Replies (6)
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Hello HOMEBREW DEVIANTS FORUMS. In the name of market research, curiosity, and sharing fun facts about yourself I am interested in hearing your thoughts about TCP types. for your convenience I am including a link to the TCPdex right here
Please answer as many or as few of these questions as you like, in no particular order, with as much or as little detail as you want:
- What TCP types do you like?
- Do you have favorite TCP type(s)? What are they?
- Are there particular TCP characters or individual designs that you like, whether they belong to you or someone else?
- What kinds of TCP types would you like to see more of?
- Regardless of your opinion on them, what typings would you consider to be most iconic? Most appealing? Most unique or interesting?
More questions may come at a future date
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[TOY] Dr. Mixup's Laboratory |
Posted by: skinstealer - 10-31-2024, 10:47 AM - Forum: [OFFICIAL PROJECTS]
- Replies (6)
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they say that in the depths of a gay toy apartment, there exists a small dragon, made of socks and full of...something....or other. his name is Dr. Mixup, and legend has it he and his twisted assistants are capable of bestowing incredible changes upon those who truly need them... .... as long as they're okay with going under the knife. A HOMEBREW DEVIANTS HOLIDAY SPECIALDR. MIXUP'S LABORATORYBY MORTIS VELASQUEZ ft. COMORANT and KNUX400CONTENT WARNINGSwhile mixup's laboratory is meant to be a fairly lighthearted affair, it delves hard into toy destruction (and somewhat slapstick descriptions of toy gore/surgery to match), discussion of toy origins and extrapolating that into character studies, and existentialism. also, knux's plush is based on a beastieball design (radillo) so if you do not want to be spoiled via a plush that does not hit the actual design of the beastie enough to be a true spoiler, keep that in mind. there may also be eyestrain-heavy images, and image descriptions will come later on, when i am less exhausted. enjoy! ![[Image: A1.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A1.png) ohhhh hello. it's halloween, isn't it? yes, i think so- i would know, because it's my special discount week, and the patients are lining up. what's my business? i grant wishes. toys of all kinds come to me to have their dreams made true...even if they don't fully know what they want. i'm good at figuring that out. haha. yes, my methods of achieving this are often called extreme. those with faint hearts should look away from my dark machinations- but for those interested in a truly transformative experience, one where toys become their true selves...and get a history lesson in the process- you may want to take a seat and get comfortable. you're on my wild ride now. ![[Image: A2.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A2.png) my first patients of the week? why, Wally the Walrus and Carl Ripken Jr., of course. They came to me as a pair, having only been friends for a short while...but knowing that the two of them may be able to work together to fulfill their dream- with my help, of course. you know i cant release all of the patients' information...but i like to do a little interviewing here and there. you'd be surprised at how much people are willing to share in the name of furthering SCIENCE. let me take you on a little journey. ![[Image: A3.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A3.png) carl ripken jr... well, i suppose that's a name familiar to some out there, maybe. he's a baseball player, a human one too. non-toy! what's this beanie baby doing walking around with a human name? well, you see, my fair reader, this man is not a beanie baby. he is a Salvino's Bamm Beano's plush, specifically the Carl Ripken Jr. plush from 1998. from what i can tell, these are a MLB-related knockoff brand from the peak of beanie baby hype- and boy, did they sell, if the tripod site i found is to be believed. supposedly, this plush retailed for a whopping 25 dollars back then, and sold out near-instantly. that's almost 50 USD in today's economy! don't you love inflation?! ![[Image: A4.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A4.png) he looks near-identical to a beanie baby aside from his face, and a feature i'll note later. honestly, the longer snout makes him quite distinct! his tag doesn't feature a poem, instead featuring a fact about the real-world player. such a thing really has to give a guy a complex...and well, as you'll see, it did. when he came to me, his tag was still encased in its plastic collector's protector, and utterly immaculate, not a scratch or stain to him. oh yes, dear reader, he was a shelf bear. no doubt about it. many of the toys that come to me truly cannot remember their lives before arriving at the gay toy apartment, but the two of us can only assume he belonged to a baseball superfan in the 90's, and arrived at the thrift store he was shipped out from due to either being a hand-me-down or possession found and donated. sad, but very likely. ![[Image: A5.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A5.png) as for wally the walrus- wow, it gave me some trouble to look this guy up. his tag says that he is a "charter club" plush, along with his name- and charter club wasn't turning up anything on wikipedia. with a little bit of sleuthing, i was able to find out that Charter Club is a brand associated with the Macy's department store- so once again, we find ourselves with a (shockingly authentic looking and feeling) beanie baby knockoff, likely from the height of the craze. don't believe me? look up the Paul the Walrus beanie baby. it's incredibly close, enough that i'm startled macy's didn't get sued. perhaps they were a bigger behemoth than TY, back in the day... either way, i wasn't able to find an original price- and the singular one on ebay was listed for a whopping 25 USD at some point. granted, i don't think it ever actually sold...perhaps we will never truly know the fate of all of the Wally the Walruses out there. either way, old, the 90's likely for a production year, and similar to ripken- pretty dang good condition. no hang tag, but a collector is equally likely, if not someone who just took damn good care of their stuff. ![[Image: A6.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A6.png) now we get to their requests. our meeting was brief, but we talked shop about their truest desires...and if you couldn't guess, both of them had some capital-F Feelings about being knockoffs meant to cash in on the biggest toy craze of the decade. we get a lot of people in the same boat in my business, though these two had much more specific issues than you'd expect. wally here was made to be a fascimile of a mainline brand, produced by a juggernaut of a department store and nearly exactly-replicating an existing pattern. while knock-offs are a storied tradition i still need to look more into to fully, entirely grasp the depth of...there's a sense of "i can do whatever i want with this, because i'm Macy's, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." for fuck's sake, these people run the stupid thanksgiving parade no one shuts up about. they've got their fingers in a lot of pies. while i'm pretty sure they've gone downhill in a lot of peoples' eyes...from a cursory glance, in the 90's? oh, yeah, no, i don't even know if TY, with all their punching weight, could have done anything. which...with our dear patient here today...leads him to wonder what more he truly could be than a power stance, a threat display to the fad to end all fads- that didn't even work in the end. ripken was also equally a cash-in design, but in a whole other twisted way. celebrity and entertainment tie-in toys are nothing new- and boy, what a way to get an identity complex- but they're especially painful when they ride trends for the sole sake of "well, someone will pay us for this, right?" if i remember anything about growing up in the 90's/2000's in this department, it was that there were a lot of people who were obsessed with baseball, and even from my limited, sheltered perspective- i had an elderly family friend who was fuuuucking obsessed with both that AND beanie babies. i wouldn't be surprised if that venn diagram was a lot more overlapping than you'd think. just think- those MLB fanatics were already all over baseball cards! what's to stop them from going ham over baseball bears? according to the tripod site i found...nothing at all. bamm beano's were crazy, even if you've likely never heard of them today. to say that ripken (bear edition) has an identity crisis, well, that'd be an understatement. even with their exact wishes unknown...the two of them struck a bond over not having identities to call their own, thrust into a world without guidance, and further sheltered by existing on shelves for likely nearly three decades. whatever i could do, they wanted to be a new, distinct person... no matter what that entailed. i asked if they had ANY further requests beyond that, and they stated that they wanted their minds to be together but separate- though they had long since deliberated and decided that ripken should bear their majority of the speaking power. an interesting choice- usually people go for all or nothing, especially when they haven't known each other for a long time. i get the feeling that wally wants to take a backseat...and ripken has ambitions. suppose it makes sense, in a way! ![[Image: A7.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A7.png) ripken was the first one under the knife. i decided that everything from his waist upwards would be preserved, allowing for a centaur...mermaid...thing-like body plan. ohhh, i've been wanting to do something like this for so long. seeing as both of them wanted to be prominent in their final form, using most of both bodies felt apt- and they were perfectly sized and structured for the job. his tag was removed, his seams were ripped, the works. ![[Image: A8.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A8.png) wally was next- a proper chunky bastard (his own words!) with a wrinkly body and surprisingly nice fabric. certainly the standard for beanbag plush at the time- but still, rather quality stuff, and such a fetching red color. TY never made any fantasy-colored walruses to my knowledge, and he is a lovely ketchup color. the vast majority of his body was to be preserved, with only his face removed- and his tusks kept. we couldn't deliberate on whether they'd be ideal tusks or horns for the final form...but they trusted me to make the right move. ![[Image: A9.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A9.png) extra materials were decided on as well...not every case requires this, but they're free with my halloween discount- or they would be, if i even charged money at all. isn't that great? in these two's case, we picked out fuzzy sock material that would be ideal for easing the transition between body sections, some orange ribbon meant to bring a sort of halloween-meets-nautical feeling to it all, and green embroidery floss that i would inevitably replace with orange. my vision was to stitch both parties together with a fuzzy torso blender, using the extra section to help make their new body more structurally sound, and give them that truly unique identity they both so craved. as mentioned, the ribbon was for thematics- and the embroidery floss was on hand in case a face felt right. gutting the two of them was fairly straightforward, the seams ripping easily enough- but not too easily. it's clear that whoever made these did care about materials and construction, at least enough to make their manufacturing quality comparable to the OG beanie babies. interestingly enough, ripken's front panel included the inner legs, as well, with some gussets to provide shape- i haven't actually operated on an original beanie baby to know how legit this construction is in comparison, but my dear friend Scapula was made with a knockoff pattern that had the legs entirely separate. curious stuff! either way, ripken's polyester pellets were entirely loose, and boy, i'm glad i had a bag to capture all the guts. not a whole lot of stuffing in there, so that stuff went eeeeeverywhere. wally on the other hand didn't need a whole lot of work. i considered leaving his body stuffed, but ended up gutting him regardless. into the bag with your organs, sir. more stuffing ratio than ripken, but still- lots of pellets spilling everywhere. while his seams ripped make him look rather...suspicious, i ended up just cutting off his whiskery face instead of bothering to rip it, because boy, under that kind of dense faux fur, good luck finding the seams easy. it was all going to be torso anyway. the construction of the new body...well, it wasn't too bad. from conducting the initial interview to finishing the entire procedure, it was about 3 hours, give or take. longer than my other clients- but this case was going to be a large body, and the actual stitchwork was easy peasy. open and shut! and, wow....the results! ![[Image: A10.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A10.png) presenting Shipwreck, a SPORTS TAUR after my own heart. just look at them! the two of them make for a lovingly bonded whole...they fit so well together, don't you think? the extra segment allows for a lovely color transition, and also allowed me to make a perfect S-curve to their body- waaaay more stable structurally, and what a killer posture! the ribbon made for a nice "netting" vibe as planned...and the embroidery floss was properly utilized to make a happy smile, something that delighted the two of them to wake up to. ripken's back embroidery was maintained at his request- for reasons he said he'd rather keep to himself. i'm not one to pry! ![[Image: A11.png]](http://homebrewdeviants.com/static/images/touys/mixup/A11.png) all in all- what a START to my halloween event! i'll likely need some additional help for the next jobs...please feel free to leave any comments or questions about history, my process, the works. you never know what else will come up, in a spooky season like this... :)
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