His Cat Got Transmogrified Into A Lizard.

Found this Flickr page with pictures from a star trek exhibition and oh! look! the blue jacket in all its glory. here's some screenshots i took from the one (1) episode it appeared in.

I genuienly don't understand why streaming services (especially Paramount with Star Trek) do this all the time. It never makes sense and it feels like they're purposefully trying to get shows to fail through this.

lower decks ending after its next season. why does star trek fucking hate renewing the shows that are actually good

I've always been interested in how different individuals like to decorate, arrange, and organize their things, as well as what specific things they like to own and display. So it's especially cool to see how 10 unique people furnish and decorate apartments with the exact same layout. So similar and also so different!!!!!

Photo-Series by Bogdan Gîrbovan About How Different People Live In Identical Apartments

[image id: a four-page comic. it is titled “immortality” after the poem by clare harner (more popularly known as “do not stand at my grave and weep”). the first page shows paleontologists digging up fossils at a dig. it reads, “do not stand at my grave and weep. i am not there. i do not sleep.” page two features several prehistoric creatures living in the wild. not featured but notable, each have modern descendants: horses, cetaceans, horsetail plants, and crocodilians. it reads, “i am a thousand winds that blow. i am the diamond glints on snow. i am the sunlight on ripened grain. i am the gentle autumn rain.” the third page shows archaeopteryx in the treetops and the skies, then a modern museum-goer reading the placard on a fossil display. it reads, “when you awaken in the morning’s hush, i am the swift uplifting rush, of quiet birds in circled flight. i am the soft stars that shine at night. do not stand at my grave and cry.” the fourth page shows a chicken in a field. it reads, “i am not there. i did not die” / end id]

a comic i made in about 15 hours for my school’s comic anthology. the theme was “evolution”

Undyne tries to be a good lab partner to Alphys but then Frisk shows up with some newfound skills 🐟🦖 Made with Blender!

| Music: [Track 1] [Track 2] | Watch on Youtube |

me when tracy 😦

don't tell kier i've mapped the severed floor 🤫

Introducing... ✨Hydrakes✨ [Closed Species]

Yes, this is a closed species. But the only payment I ask for? Subscribe to my YouTube channel, because all my subscribers get a complimentary hydrake!

So what is a Hydrake? 

They are a semi-aquatic animal that can live in freshwater OR saltwater and are mostly pescatarian. They prefer to eat fish, cephalopods, and shellfish, but they will also occasionally nibble on seaweed or seagrass. Because they are hunters, they have a mouth full of sharp teeth which I based off dog teeth, and they move quickly through the water like dolphins, thanks to their webbed feet and powerful tails.

Given that they’re semi­-aquatic, they also have a pair of functional lungs to help them breathe air when they’re prancing about or basking on land, which is why they have nostrils. But, these nostrils typically close up when their underwater, similar to hippos. They can survive on land, but it’s important for owners to prepare a pool for them and bring a spray bottle to keep them hydrated on walks.

In the wild, they build their nests on land. Usually close to shallow bodies of freshwater like ponds, which is an ideal place for them to raise their small pups. These creatures mate for life and they can have about 3 to 4 pups in a litter. They are also ovoviviparous, meaning they lay eggs and nurse their offspring after. Like a platypus.

[Hydrake Pup]

They have skin similar to dolphins and orcas, and they come in a rainbow of colors and markings, fin shape, and sizes! There’s really no limit to how your creature can look, as long as you adhere to some rules to maintain consistency in the species. And I think that’s a good transition into how you can make your OWN creature!

⚠ Species Traits ⚠

They MUST be quadrupedal 

The pelvis is situated slightly higher than their ribcage, giving them a sloped back

Thick forelimbs that almost function like flippers underwater and webbed feet 

The gill on the highest part of their head MUST stand upright and is considered the primary gill 

Their tails must be the same length as their body if not longer

Their fins must always be translucent 

Their teeth should always be sharp! They are hunters!

Hydrake Disposition/Personality

These creatures to essentially be excitable dogs. Their very social and playful, and always full of energy. In the wild, they hunt and travel in packs with the strongest, oldest individual acting as the leader. Their hunting techniques are similar to dolphins in that they will corral fish into a group and take turns snapping them up. The stronger individuals often keep watch for competitors like sharks, dolphins or killer whales, and the faster individuals scout ahead to search for prey or identify danger. They also babysit, and pack members – male and female - will look after each other’s pups as a group.

They aren’t afraid of humans, and are naturally curious creatures, which unfortunately meant a lot of them were killed and hunted because humans suck, but it also wasn’t long before someone took one of them home and kept it as a pet. They can get a bit territorial when it comes to food and toys, but most of the time, they are mild-mannered creatures. They’re also very vocal, and I imagine them sounding like huskies where they will scream and try to warble human words. They’re also very intelligent in that they can be trained to do tricks, follow commands, or even work as service animals.

Once humans started keeping them, they started breeding them for specific purposes. That’s when different breeds started emerging.

Breeds

Nobles were bred specifically for beauty and show. You can think of them as show dogs that were bred specifically to be put in shows and win a lot of trophies and are only bred with other champion show dogs. This breed has the longest, most extravagant fins that flare out when they’re underwater, and drape around their bodies like a satin cloak when they’re on land. Their fins tend to have unique shapes that flow gracefully in the water, which isn’t very functional but is very pretty. They usually also have additional accessory fins, such as around their nape or the base of their tails.

Their snouts tend to be more slender and their skin is adorned with intricate patterns or vibrant coloration. Their legs are longer and thinner than average, and their bodies are more defined with stronger silhouettes. You could say they are the poster child of their species due to their visual appeal, and thus are most often used in commercials, movies, and other forms of media. However, they are quite high maintenance, so they’re really only kept by the upper class, or very dedicated breeders.

Personality-wise, Nobles are pretty aloof. They’re very calm and well-mannered. They aren’t as hyper as other members of their species and that’s partly because of their upbringing for show and their long, flowy fins which make it harder for them to move as quickly as other breeds. As a result, they are also very careful and care a lot about their grooming, so they don’t do very well around small kids that like to grab and pull and make messes everywhere.

The striders are the racehorses of this closed species. These guys were built for speed, so they are the sleekest and most slender of the species. Their bodies are longer and they lack all accessory fins which are replaced by a dorsal fin along their spine. Their front legs are much thinner than their hind legs which they use more frequently to kick through the water, and as a result, they possess wide, strong hips which also help to support their tail.

Their snouts are also longer and thinner than other breeds, inspired by bottle-nosed dolphins whose snouts help them cut through the water a lot easier. Striders were built for function, and like racehorses, people spend a lot of money raising, racing, and betting on them. I imagine their circuits can range from rivers to lakes, to open seas and oceans and it’s a huge spectacle to watch. Because of this, they are also the most high-energy of all the breeds. They fall on the same level of prestige as the Nobles, where only a certain demographic of people tend to keep and raise them, but given how they are pretty low maintenance, they also make good pets. But, due to their high energy levels and urge to run, they tend to do better in wide, open spaces as opposed to crowded cities.

Striders are very excitable and are prone to zoomies, both on land and underwater. They are very intelligent, but are also willful and independent, which means they get into all sorts of trouble. If they want to get into your food, they WILL find a way to do it, and locked doors don’t stay locked for long. They’re very sassy and will often try to talk back to you if you tell them off. They comprehend a lot of human words, they just choose not to listen most of the time.

Guardians are the big guns, both literally and figuratively. Similar to how dogs were bred for certain jobs, these guys were bred to work. They are the biggest breed and are pure muscle: they can guard; pull boats, nets and wagons; corral fish; fend off sharks; and give rides across bodies of water. These guys are TOUGH. They can go the longest without water and their hides are thick to withstand injury, and their barks are more akin to a bear roar which makes them pretty intimidating.

Unlike the other breeds, the Guardians were bred to be hostile. They are alert and territorial, and they lack the natural curiosity their species usually has. Instead, they are very suspicious; hence they don’t take kindly to strangers, but they are still social creatures and enjoy the company of familiar humans and members of their species. They have a strong protective instinct and are very loyal, so they make great companions for people who live alone in rural areas.

Their snouts are the thickest, and that’s because they bite the hardest, too. They have the thickest, most powerful tails, which help them pull or carry heavy loads, but can also seriously injure someone with a single swing of it. They have the thickest limbs, and their muscles are well-defined. However, they don’t tend to have very flashy fins. They were built for function, after all. Their markings are going to be similar to working dogs like German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, or Border Collies.

Snugglers were bred to be family pets, so they are the friendliest, most social, affectionate, and gentle-natured of the species. Because of this, they’re great with small children and other family pets. They have soft paws and small snouts, and they are the smallest of the different breeds, which allows them to fit into any household. These little guys just want all of your love, all of the time.

They are often brightly colored and doe-eyed which makes them very precious and irresistible beans. That’s not even getting to their mewls that are basically puppy whimpers. Yes, this breed is also known as the forever pup because they stay relatively small and retain a lot of the features of the pups of their species.

They love to play and nap, and they’re always curious about what you’re doing, and they will try to include themselves in your activities. Because of that, they can get a bit clingy, so they don’t tend to do very well on their own. So, make sure they have a friend!

Here are the size comparisons for your reference

Of course, like in any animal species, cross-breeding DOES happen, so if you want to make Noble Striders, Guardian Snugglers, or something else, definitely go for it!

If you do end up making one for yourself, please tag me, because I want to see the hydrakes you come up with!

my singing

I Played the Utena Saturn Game

12 Days of Aniblogging 2020, Day 2

I shied away from it in 2019, but this year I sank my teeth right back into Revolutionary Girl Utena. It’s simply the best anime! Of course, something as popular as RGU is bound to get some spinoffs. These range from the concurrently-published manga to a shitton of drama CDs to a takarazuka-styled stageplay. And then there’s the visual novel they made for the Sega Saturn, which I decided to go into blind because I thought it might make for some good blogging. I hope I was right!

Yep, this is our main character. God help us

The Utena Saturn game, which was translated in 2015 courtesy of an ohtori.nu user, tries its hardest to integrate itself into the show, pulling artwork, voice actors, soundtrack, and even some FMVs straight out of the series. As such, it feels like a pretty low-budget affair, but I wasn’t expecting anything too glamorous from a tie-in like this. Plotwise, it takes place somewhere towards the end of the show’s first arc, which in practice means that the characters are underdeveloped and less interesting than they could have been (and Nanami is practically a no-show). The plot plays out like a test-run for the Black Rose Arc, with characters gradually getting bent to the villain’s will as the protagonist is left in the dark.

What a coincidence, I put poison in your tea

We find ourselves playing as a personality-free transplant to Ohtori Academy who quickly gets swept under Utena’s wing. As far as yuri-pandering goes, it’s both liberal by Utena show standards and not much at all. As a female student, you can ask the women of the show if they have girlfriends, but you’ll pretty much always get laughed off and chastised for it. I guess that’s true to form for Akio’s academy? Anyways, the character of note here is Chigusa, the other new transfer student. First and foremost, she’s the goth dream girl that the show never quite got, and when she does the same “I get told I look like a boy” bit as Utena, it’s even funnier this time around, considering she’s wearing a dress with a lace-up front. Chigusa is obviously the going to draw the player’s attention the most, because she’s new and mysterious. And the game slaps you on the wrist for that! You see, Chigusa is straight-up evil, and doesn’t even make an attempt to hide it. She starts off by whispering you the wrong answer in math class, but by day three she is straight-up trying to assassinate your character, from tacks in a cake to kicking your lungs out during a soccer match to a poisoning attempt. Unfortunately, if you like Revolutionary Girl Utena, chances are you are a lesbian and thusly like horrible women doing terrible things. Getting any positive relationship points with her will subtract points from everyone else, pretty much sealing your fate if you interact with her more than once.

So you’ve sacrificed everything for Chigusa and all of the Student Council is effectively dead. Surely you’ll at least get some special bad ending, right? Maybe even a little bit of homoeroticism, as a treat.

Your reward is an incredibly brief scene in which your character trips down the dark therapy elevator, confesses that she has no real friends, and is dispatched unceremoniously by Utena in a Black Rose duel.

What a cruel game!

Playing through the game trying to get a real ending unfortunately doesn’t make our villain any more compelling. Like Professor Nemuro, Chigusa is a ghost from the past, a duelist who only wants to use the power of Dios to… travel back in time, steal your dad from your mom, and paradox you out of existence? It’s not even a half-baked ideology like the Student Council members have, it’s just a shitty scheme.

We do get an FMV duel between Chigusa and Utena, but it’s almost entirely made out of recycled frames from past duels, which makes sense given this game’s shoestring budget.

Me at myself before spending an entire evening trying to get my emulation setup to work since this is a two-disc game and that makes it extra finicky

My final thoughts on this game concern everyone’s favorite miracle-iconoclast. I’m a lesbian first and a gamer second, so obviously I picked the Juri route over the rest of the Student Council. It’s mostly standard fare, with her being initially cold, later incredibly distressed at how you admire her and Utena for being Duelists, and finally trusting you enough to let her in on the whole locket mess. Shiori doesn’t actually appear in the game, so Chigusa has to play her part in instigating drama, even making a pass at Juri and stealing her locket (As an aside, Kozue is here, exclusively to have a gay relationship with Chigusa to piss off Miki).

“How do you do, fellow lesbians”

It’s the ending of Juri’s route that really eats away at me. Unsurprisingly, your character catches feelings and doesn’t know how to process being in love with another girl, and Juri pretty much just laughs her off. But as your character prepares to leave the academy for good, Juri kisses her goodbye and hands you a locket with her own face in it.

You don’t have to be an expert in Juri’s arc to know that that’s one of the cruelest gifts she could have given to a fellow repressed lesbian.