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whoops, sorry, my computer keeps crashing and i keep losing the tabs i had open :T trying to remember all the half finished replies is killing me...

yeeup! i...only entered for a chance to get a bunch of avatar items...since i usually spend gold on other stuff that i need...worked out well, i guess! i almost didn't make it, i had left it at no color/shading which probably woulda looked better anyway...i was freaking out so much when i saw the final result, i mean my aim had been for sorta gender neutral armor but then when i saw the armor for the megazone i understood why mine was changed so much, the hip area looked a bit similar. i had entered for a mermaid armored tail too, same top half, but i was like IF ONE MUST BE CHOSEN...building up for a frost witch kind of avatar for the winter though, that'll be fun!

yeah, it doesn't really matter, as long as you remember to try and be appropriate for all ages it's pretty much not a huge deal! though sometimes i still get caught off guard when someone's like 'oh, my kid just got home from school' and i'm like OH. well, i've been hearing it since...gosh, at least 1st grade, and that was...2000/2001? i didn't even use the internet yet, but they were drilling it. now some parents have become overprotective about it, it's like...just be honest with your kids, they'll be honest with you! unless you messed up in raising them, idk.

i found a mic once that decreased breathing and background sounds, it worked pretty well!
okay, it HAS to be the blue skin. my avatar on Gaia was about the same shade. geez, it's not like i wanna be a PINK elf! no need to apologize though, gender's an absolutely fluid thing for me. i don't talk about gender or sexuality a lot here 'cause it doesn't feel necessary to bring it up, but when it does come up i've had plenty of thinking time about it.
yeah, i mean, i do think there's a small window of appropriate-ness, but there's also a lot of social factors that people tend to ignore that make that window waaay bigger. it's the way society reacts and treats people because of their appearance that really is the dangerous thing, because maybe that person who wore sneakers to the wedding could only rent a tux and couldn't afford the shoes. of course pajamas to an interview is too much a stretch, heh. my mom's trying to convince me to wear skirts when i get to that point, honestly if they can't accept me in pants then it's not a job i really want, is it?

i JUST barely got my entry in, i waited and had a perfect design, then i was told that the color i submitted was open, but the other entry was the same species...i tried to get as close as i could to as good as the first one looked, but i think i fell short. I SHOULDA ENTERED WHEN I HAD THE DESIGN DONE!

No worries haha, i was like that for a while :P But now it's just you c:

Certainly did work out well XDD wow, what a coincidence. Guess that just proves how great you're at designing! I thought about mermaid too but i didn't know what to do with it so i just kinda forgot about the comp xD When i remembered and finished my design it was too late.

Yeah, doesn't matter at all i find. I get along with absolutely everybody on here, it's unexpected i must admit. I didn't think people of an older age to me could get along with me so well :D I do get a shock when people suddenly mention a 'husband' or 'a kid' and stuff.. haha yeah, definitely an 'oh' moment. yeah, well, there are bad people out there and you need to be prepared it you wanna go out there but it's not about not letting them go, it's about teaching the kids how to go and like, not have something bad happen.

Oh! That would be great. ahahaha!! it's ok, its a nice shade of blue XDD
Gender doesn't really make a difference, it's just odd if you don't know, you kinda assume XD
Oh.. that's a lot more complicated i guess when it gets to society issues. Sometimes i feel people are a little too sensitive, like, i don't know if you've heard but while back some schools won't let their kids sing ba ba black sheep, they made it rainbow sheep instead. But back to what you wear, doesn't really matter what others think, if they can't accept you for just what you wear, probs not your crowd anyways then. Oh gosh, you certainly don't have to wear a skirt, pants are perfectly fine not jeans though. I wore a skirt anways because i don't like those pants, not very flattering on me, but i don't like skirts really. It was only a mock interview too when our school wanted to prep us for job interviews in the future.

ahaha, oh dear XD Well, whatever you did in the end i'm sure it's pretty good. I wonder how long you can keep your streak up for ^^ I finished the designs for the summer fest :D But i rushed most of them and some i know look pretty bad and i didn't match traits, i just kinda did random XP eh, no time... might edit some this weekend :) But i've got loaaads of work to do ;_;

Yeah, i had a long tail planned out that would overlap the feet, but then i figured simple armor would be better. I LOVE designing characters, gosh i've been thinking of doing some adoptables for money.

Babysitting my siblings brought to light the struggle of having kids though, i mean they get to go home but it is EXHAUSTING.

The problem is, super strict parents start out not trusting their kids, so they give them no privacy. The kids feel disrespected, and can't trust the parents, then the parents feel can't trust the kids and are upset that they're so distant from them, so they go through their stuff to find out more about the kid, kid feels betrayed, it's an endless spiral i know all too well. So, as long as you teach your kid about being safe, and let them know you trust them to come to you should something go wrong. It's about trust.

Must be the blue, had the same thing on Gaia. Or it could be my use of words like Lobotomy and Cyanide in usernames...i need to come up with better usernames, heh.

That one i'm torn on. Rainbow sheep makes no sense(except in minecraft), but i can see they're trying to erase the stigma that 'black' is bad/evil/shameful. But there's more efficient circumstances and ways to try that!

I haaaaate skirts. I have no thigh gap and am a little chubby on top of that, so my thighs rub and i sweat in awkward places and there chafing and blisters and...why on earth would i voluntarily subject myself to that? And during a time when i have to be composed? Besides, i can get away with forgetting to shave my legs. My mom always comments on how i would have had to wear a skirt if i had been born in a different era, but honestly? I'd probably just dress as a guy. It's not like she'd be any less disappointed, heh.

Well, i'm not doing as well as the last two rounds, that's for sure. I finished mine too, might tweak one or two but i'm fairly good for now. I like my Lupora and Bulbori best. I looooove your Kelpari and Qitari! You're so good at Qitari designs, yeesh! Your Kelp looks totally magical though, oh my gosh!

Alright... this is annoying... i just finished writing everything and when i went to post, apparently i got logged out ;_;

Right, well, i wanted to do stuff like that too, my digital art skills are wayyy better than my traditional art skills XD But i just don't have time and i don't want people waiting and i also need to get better tbh, i'm not great :P

Ugh, babysitting little brothers... i feel ya XP

Yeah, i'm really lucky in that my mum is just perfect and we are suuper close and she has never doubted me ever since i was born. Even when i was like a 3 year old she'd believe every word i said. We trust each other soo much. Trust is a key element in all relationships, things just don't work without it.

haha yeah, you name is a little boyish. I just realized.... cyan...ahahah... xD

Yeah but if you really want it to go away i don't think this helps. Things that were never bad are made bad by the people who want it to go away. It really got to me especially because it's a kid song, it's so innocent. but i admit, as a little girl, i would've probably chosen rainbow over black x3 That said, there are many cases where drastic action pays off... just not this one IMO.

ahahaha, a little chubby is cute :3 like teddy bears!
I don't like skirts but don't mind them. They're not very practical, you can't do much in them and it's less comfy. A lot of girls like pants nowadays so it's the norm, i have no idea why wearing pants would be a problem.

ah i see... you'll make a come back easily :) darn! I missed out by one vote >u<
Aw thanks! I like my kelp and quitari best too, which i surprising... i don't actually like the kelps that much, they're cool but eh. Yeah, i find quitaris just look really good but... tbh i don't think it's me XDD I think horsies are just pretty X3 omg, your designs are great! I like your aeri, lighira and zolnixi too X3 Edit: Forgot the puffie =3
...wait... how did you see my designs?!!

They're making the rounds really tight.. only 3 days this time *sigh* I hope i'll be able to do something, i feel like i almost should drop out. But that's not me :D I never give up xD dunno it it's a good or bad thing :P

All the updates lately, we get logged out when Krin does anything. If it means smoother performance, i'll take it!

Ugh, i just feel awful, i've had the whole week off but i spent more time sleeping than drawing...of course, the time i DO have to draw, i lack all motivation. Though i do feel another nap coming on...

One boy, one girl. Little Lexie tries to kill me, Logan wants to gouge my eyes out. It's fun! In all seriousness, they're adorable. They've taken to giving me kisses to make up for not listening to me, heh.

Something changed with my mom when we moved to Florida, she went from loving and wonderful to angry and hard to please, then she and dad started fighting...it was miserable, and now we're just starting to bounce back. She used to go through my school belongings and purse, if i accidentally left a passed note in there she would read it and give me the third degree. And i knew she didn't approve of anything about me, so it's not like i WANTED to share my little bit of life with her. There was sooo much pressure to be perfect and get perfect grades, ugh it's honestly no wonder i buckled and ended up with so many mental health issues. But i'm responsible to get my life back on track, so.

Psh, and i go by AJ online! Doesn't really stand for anything, i just needed a nickname. Cyan is usually my COLOR though, whenever a friend draws something or sees something i'd like, most of the time it's got a lot of cyan...

Yeah, there's a time for action and a time to let things be. You just have to think about it, because it's a much bigger issue than being mean to people, it goes way deeper and you need to start fixing your own thinking before you fix other people!

I'm more like a chubby puppy! I joke that you can spray me with water if i get annoying, and i like to play and get cuddles. Definitely a puppy!
Sometimes there's strict uniform rules. In Disney World, all of the people running around in costume in stores often have a super gendered dress code. It's pretty much only gate workers/photographers/customer service/behind the scenes women that get to wear pants. I'd probably die if i had to work in the Haunted Mansion during the summer, all that full victorian-gothic garb and facepaint...i beg you, let me wear the tights and bloomers!

My original entry was a Griffi, the colors flowed way better on it. But the other green Griff had already been submitted.......so i switched to a Puff....
This round is HARD. I tried my one idea, but there's not much of a second design for me...well i have one other option for that, but yeah. Had a second movie started but my laptop decided to die. Wait, three days? Oh god, i gotta get to work...

I was going through all the pages, and i wanted to know who did what when i liked them! Maybe you're just good with horses, hehehe!

Yeah, i know i don't mind them at all. They're usually when i'm sleeping or at school anyways :D *hehe, time differences can be good sometimes :P
But that was a random one, like i was just logged out for no reason. eh, maybe it's cause of the update, i don't know what else would log me out.

hahaha, naps are great! I spend most of my holidays sleeping in, but that's cause after a whole term of school i'm really exhausted. I never ever get enough sleep during term, it's the sundays that help me get through. It's like 3 months of sleep deprivation XP I didn't get a break this holiday because i was working and doing some volunteering stuff and other stuff and went straight back to school after i finished and now i'm like dying, it's so much harder. But it's ok.... i'm a tough one so i'll just soldier on for another 2 months :P

yeah, just came back from bro's b'day party, so many boys! They're really hard to control and keep up with. But they're so sweet :3 It's lots of fun really, i just get a bit tired... and the tinciest bit fustrated sometimes. But they all had a good time which makes it all worth it :)

omg, well, things must've just gotten a little hard for her. It happens to us all, gosh you should see me when i'm slammed with assignments and tests, i turn into this raging monster and all i do is work and work and work. But i turn back to normal after it's all handed it c: I've never been pressured by my mum, tbh i'm harder on myself. She's always telling me to not worry too much haha. Well, it's actually really important you take that responsibility, that means you have control over your life and your happiness... more or less :D I'm sure you'll be fine! ^^

haha, i went through a phase where i just looooved cyan, i loved the colour, i loved the name of the colour, i loved everything cyan XDD But i've calmed down now ^///^


Awww.... here's a little cookie for the cute puppy x3
hehehe, disney world, that'd be an awesome place to work! I haven't been there but many say it's fun. I'm probs too old for it now though. I really don't think you have to wear a skirt, i don't know anybody who says they have to wear a skirt. Sometimes it's encouraged for whatever reason but i don't think it's made compulsory.

haha, neh, i liked this one :D I had to do it yesterday because i won't have anytime. I kinda wish they'd give us more time but eh, i understand. ooh! I really want to tell you and show you what i did but argh, you're in the contest. Oh well... you'll see :) It's better than my other ones i reckon but i rushed it again :P So other's will probs be better XD Goooood Luck!!!

oh! XD I did that for like the first 5 pages then gave up.... it takes forever for pics to load for me XP
haha, yeah, the horses are just really well done. Wish i was as good with colours as you though, i always find it hard to get just the right colour. Sometimes it needs to be just a touch dark or just a touch softer or a different shade or a bit warmer or a bit duller or a bit more matellic.... argh, just can't get it right! xD

Hmm, i dunno then. I'm sure it's nothing, but if it keeps happening i'd report it!

Ugh, i need one right now, but it's 4 in the afternoon, it'd totally mess up my sleeping schedule...i have 3 cousins in north Florida, two of whom are very active boys, i toooootally get that. Two seems to be my limit!

Yeah, but after 10 years there's only so much that everyone around her can take. And i've had to take it the longest, everyone else has their own homes and dad died in 2009, i'm the only one still here...so i get the brunt of it. And i don't exactly get to have a bad hour, let alone a bad day, week, or 10 years like her, god forbid. But alas, she's the reason i have a roof over my head and food in my stomach, so, i take it.

I love all shades of blue, it's such a nice color!

I don't know, i haven't met anyone who's worked in costume, but i haven't seen any femme-appearing folks in pants walking around. Dunno how it works. Though, honestly, i'd rather work indoors, i get so sweaty, no one wants a sweaty employee helping them...

Maybe try some of the 'favorite summer themed design' threads in the General Discussion, people've gathered their favorites in one place, many without the refs, so it should load easier. I keep going to talk about my designs, ask friends what designs they like best, but then i remember! I'm so excited about mine this time, it's the first time since round one that i feel this confident!

Y'know what my trick is? I paste my ref into an art program(use a big canvas), eyedrop about 3-6 colors, to get a general idea of a proper palette. I do my design, see if i can combine traits to make the colors blend better. Then i paste in my design, see if i can go a little more in one direction or another compared to the reference, if i used the same main color and didn't use too much of a minor color. You could also use an eyedropping app for a direct hex. I have a pretty good sense of color though, i play a lot of those hue test games, heh.

Yeah, i'll keep an eye on it. Thanks!

oh i want a nap so bad everyday after school but, no, got homeowork XP *sigh.... holidays x3

Aww.. it's ok. You just gotta be tougher, somebody has to keep their brains together XD Plus, if she's giving you a home and food, i'd say that's pretty kind of her. My mum's not going to pay for my food and living costs after i finish uni XP

Ikr! Blue is so good <3

yeah? haha, i'd actually prefer to work out doors. In the light breeze, hearing the swishing trees and chirping birds, feeling the warm sun lick over your skin.... ahhh, that's the life. I was over exaggerating there of course but, yeah, outdoors is much nicer than indoors for me, it gets so stuffy and cramped x.x Though maybe not if i had to wear a skirt..

Yeah, i browse through those now and then.
oh really! haha XD Don't know if that's quite so good for me strategic wise but, eh, can't do any worse than i have been :P This was a good topic, i liked it. I think there will be some super stunning designs and some hard choices to be made c:

I do that in photoshop, only just thought of it recently because of the summer fest design thingy. So much easier, but the eyedropper always picks up on such ugly colours XP I always have to change it a lot. oh wow! You really do play around with your designs a bit don't you, i tweak but.. not that much. But it's good, i think that's the way to go if you wanna get really good designs. what?! You know the hexes?! That's sooo hard, i have no clue what all the letters/numbers mean XDD

Ahhh the luxuries of being old-ish, and not currently in school...actually naps are pretty much it, not having a future due to lack of eduation and financial issues due to lack of a job are terrible...

Heh, yeah, that's life, everything's a compromise. She easily coulda kicked me out by now, but she hasn't, so.

Well, i have the heat tolerance of someone from New Jersey, which is like 10 states north of florida and actually sees all four seasons. Florida, especially where i live, is like...a week of below 50F in January/February, then it's 60-80F till mid April, then it slowly starts getting hotter and more humid, right now it's been a few weeks in the high 90s, low 100s, July and August are worst, then it's 80-90s till mid-October or mid-November(it's been later the past few years), then it finally dips down to the 60-80s again till the one 'cold' week. And the humidity i mentioned? Remember, humidty is moisture in the air. Hot water in the air. So it feels even hotter. So, birds and stuff are nice, but air conditioning is nicer.

I zoom in so the image gets a bit pixelly--that way i can eyedrop more specifically, i can actually see where i'm aiming. I realized the ref i entered actually had totally different colors from the entry, but there was an aspect i used in it that wasn't part of the ref i DID use...so we'll see how that pans out...

I changed up a few of my entries at like, 9pm site time last night, heh. My Ny'vene couldn't be saved though...Y'know, i REALLY hope your Qitari wins, i think it's the best entry for them.

I tweak so, so much. My moostone nixi? Spent about three hours slowly changing the colors, swapping them around for the perfect layering effect, adding a bit of saturation here, a little less there...and that was while doing the same with the Larimar and Blue Amber attempts too! I do it like that for almost every design i make! I save designs when i like my results but i'm not done with 'em, so if i mess up on the next edit i can go back to my last save and start over! Or if i'm tired i can just come back later...