orangeypopsicle

[orangeypopsicle]

Queen could be extremely skilled at video games if she ever played them because she’s a computer (smart), she just wouldn’t take it seriously enough to put all that energy into it.

#queen deltarune #deltarune

[orangeypopsicle]

Comic I had been drawing on-and-off where Velvet has a completely normal time about the stress of having a rapidly increasing fanbase in her shared dressing room.

#trolls band together #velvet trolls #veneer trolls #velvet and veneer

[orangeypopsicle]

I wouldn't even consider this to be a serious complaint, but I'm putting it in the critical tag regardless because the fanbase can be very interesting sometimes. I've seen a good number of posts about how the body types should be more diversified, but I also feel that the character designs would benefit by making a couple of visibly older characters? I specifically think Husk would look more interesting if he had features that were more reflective of how he was in his sixties to seventies when he died. I feel that additionally having a plus sized body type would break up the sameness in the main cast but also be reflective of how much drinking impacted his body. While Alastor is supposed to be in his thirties(?), I think it would be neat if he were aged up to look a lot older! A physically older design could match his overall vibe more and that he is a has-been that nobody seemed to notice or miss when he disappeared for seven years.

Though I must say that the amount of skinny, youthful characters is a pretty widespread problem in art spaces. Hazbin Hotel is just one of many examples.

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism

[orangeypopsicle]

I love that the fandom has agreed that Velvet and Veneer are twins. Velvet implies at one point in the movie that she's actually older than her brother, but I like to think that she was just born a few minutes before him or something.

#velvet trolls #veneer trolls #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Panel from a comic I may or may not finish where Velvet is having a normal one in her shared dressing room.

The dialogue is a rant I ad-libbed and am only partially confident about how canon-accurate it is, but here's the full text if anybody wanted to read it:

"Do you ever feel like our fans are going to get bored of us? They're always asking for more and it's annoying me a lot. I'd never let those losers tell me what to do, but I'd die before anyone catches me slacking! This look is cute, but I've done it a million times before. I think I'm going to do something a little more extra? Glamorous is all what I'm about, so I totally am! I'm iconic, I'm pretty, I'm young. I'm sixteen, I'm not thirty and old or anything. Blegh! We're still the trendiest celebrities on Mount Rageous! We're not nobodies like we were before, and I'm never going to go back to that place. I did so much for us to get here and I'm not going to lose it! Our fame is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wake up every morning and I think to myself, "I've got a million people who love me" and it's the best feeling! You get that, right? Yeah, you totally do! Why the fuck aren't you saying anything? Are you listening to me right now?"

#velvet trolls #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Overanalyzing the flashback scene because why not?

I've seen some people throw around jokingly that Velvet is "delulu", and "crazy", and stuff, but I legitimately think that she might believe some of the lies that she says. What makes me think this, you may ask? The flashback scene. I'm referring to is where the viewer sees the point of view from both siblings about what it was like when they were younger. It's quoted a lot because it's hilarious, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately.

There's three major elements that I considered while interpreting it: the tone/expressions of the characters, the people involved in the interaction, and how the flashbacks are utilized.

To start, Velvet is having a conversation with her brother. This is a person who lived in the same household as her and would know the most about her out of the entire cast. Velvet's argument to Veneer about not releasing Floyd to continue their lifestyle is that they would have to go back to an awful place, which would bank on him having that same perception. Her expression is very serious and upset as it transitions into her flashback.

The interpretation of "a dark place where we had nothing" is not left to the imagination, with a scene of the two starving and living in poverty. It cuts back to the current time, and Veneer states as if he were responding directly to the flashback, "Girl, we grew up in the suburbs. Our parents were dentists." Veneer doesn't hesitate to say this as what she had described is objectively false.

Both flashbacks take place in the same setting, but there are some key differences between them. The first flashback has them both filthy and holding the same bowls as the second flashback, but they're empty. The second flashback has a full table, and the table has no food in the first flashback. Velvet's interpretation has their parent's house as unkempt, sad, and colorless. In stark contrast, Veneer's flashback shows a tidy and vibrant house. However, Velvet isn't happy in both flashbacks. Velvet is sad in her flashback of their past, and Velvet is angry in Veneer's flashback.

Velvet lashing out in the second flashback led to what I'm explaining the whole scene is about. Velvet's interpretation of the past was based on how it emotionally felt, which led to her memories looking far more depressing. Velvet's younger self, with those issues controlling her emotions, may have felt like she was alone and living in "a dark place". It was objectively false, but felt real!

I'm willing to give this scene that more thorough interpretation because it's clear manipulation if Velvet said it any other character, but when said to her own sibling, it's a very strange and blatant lie that would never have worked. Would it not have made more sense if she had instead left it at appealing to Veneer's materialism?

Emotions can be so powerful! It may even lead to a different view of the same event.

#velvet trolls #veneer trolls #velvet and veneer #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

More things:

Omg and I forgot about choreography! They very well could've planned it all themselves and I can see Veneer being more enthusiastic about it.

Also, now that I'm thinking about their discography, it's kind of interesting? Fame and Watch me work are straightforward. It's songs about how Velvet and Veneer are big shot celebrities who want all the praise from the audience. Sweet Dreams, however, is a depressing song when you think about the lyrics:

These lines in particular stand out to me when I'm putting the song in the context of the characters. This part is about how the world is a cycle of eating or being eaten. For two teenage characters with allegedly normal lives, the specific phrasing of how people use each other and some people even seek the abuse out is so bleak. It's dark but also not out of character for them either? Both Velvet and Veneer also operate on the principle of needing to step on people to get ahead or in other words, the main verse of Sweet Dreams.

These lines imply some degree of self-awareness with them, which I find really interesting. But when you think about it, they kind of are? When Veneer is told that his sister is awful, he reacts in a way where there isn't surprise but instead a quiet acceptance of the behavior. Velvet admits with a kind of defensive aggression that she lies to get what she wants. The two mention multiple times that they realize that people get hurt but want to benefit themselves more. I guess that's obvious, but writing this out solidifies with me that they're doing this because they think they're striking first before someone else does.

Y’all got to hear me out on this.

It had been established that they can’t sing and that their dancing abilities were also enhanced through trolls. However, we never learned who wrote their music. With no shred of irony here, what if Velvet and Veneer in their universe wrote Sweet Dreams, Watch Me Work, and Fame? Like, they have a good understanding of songwriting, but they’re also just complete garbage at singing. Which could also imply that they not only posses that skill but are naturally good at music creation given they’re aversive to practicing. The two could’ve easily done songwriting for other musicians (if Veneer actually wanted to pursue music himself, that is) but it wasn’t anywhere near glamorous enough.

Idk, there’s something kind of tragic about that in a way that scratches my brain in a good way. Something something the entire god damn thing could’ve been avoided if they were either humble enough to explore a different avenue in music or just put in effort to improve where they lacked something something.

[orangeypopsicle]

Y’all got to hear me out on this.

It had been established that they can’t sing and that their dancing abilities were also enhanced through trolls. However, we never learned who wrote their music. With no shred of irony here, what if Velvet and Veneer in their universe wrote Sweet Dreams, Watch Me Work, and Fame? Like, they have a good understanding of songwriting, but they’re also just complete garbage at singing. Which could also imply that they not only posses that skill but are naturally good at music creation given they’re aversive to practicing. The two could’ve easily done songwriting for other musicians (if Veneer actually wanted to pursue music himself, that is) but it wasn’t anywhere near glamorous enough.

Idk, there’s something kind of tragic about that in a way that scratches my brain in a good way. Something something the entire god damn thing could’ve been avoided if they were either humble enough to explore a different avenue in music or just put in effort to improve where they lacked something something.

#velvet trolls #veneer trolls #velvet and veneer #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Velvet gives off closeted/in-denial lesbian vibes or is that just me? I specify that Velvet is not out because she’s emotionally unavailable and I don’t know if she’d put herself in a position where she’s vulnerable (i.e. coming out as a celebrity and getting into a romantic relationship in general). She masks in social interactions when it’s beneficial, so I could see her pretending to like guys but it’s obvious to other queer people that she’s not feeling it. Veneer is one of the few people who totally knows intuitively because of how close they are, though. Closeted or not, she comes across as a total girl kisser who is looking for another feminine girl that will spoil her and get her hair done with.

#velvet trolls #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Writing this because I'm scanning through fics right now like a sad cat in a wet cardboard box. Like, I'm so desperate for a story that shows the complexity of Velvet and Veneer's relationship, but also, I've been in such a depressive funk the past few weeks that I can't write it. I feel like I can dedicate another post to them here, though.

Velvet wasn't an angel, nor was Veneer heartless, but there is something to note how they both had a mix of qualities. This may be a controversial statement, but Veneer seems to have this issue where he leans on his more domineering sister due to low self-esteem, which results in him enabling Velvet. He loved his sister and was partially convinced to go through with harmful actions, but to what extent does loving someone also explain hyping up that person while they hurt people? Also, I don't particularly enjoy the difference in how he phrased the reasoning for his actions to Floyd versus the public. Veneer mentions the attachment to his sister when talking to Floyd, but his own personal gains in the situation are emphasized. When Veneer apologizes to the public for being a fraud, he mentions his want for fame but also retracts this statement by saying that only Velvet wanted fame, and he followed her due to not standing up for himself. It was an admission of guilt, but the shift to his sister being malicious instead of them both wasn't fully taking accountability either. It's a point of emphasis for me due to the softening of Veneer's personality by the fandom. He's a person with a reserved personality and more likely to feel remorse, but also is materialistic and a bit two-faced.

Since I don't want this to be a rant about Veneer because I very much love both characters, I want to get to Velvet. She's a person with a history of emotional regulation issues: explosive, self-serving, and self-centered. Velvet is a person who is desperate for attention and approval by any means necessary. She puts on a show (with talent she stole), gives it her all, gets very close to seriously injuring herself multiple times in the process, and offers to entertain them more when the audience cheers her on. Similar to her brother, I like to think that she's a person with horrendously low self-esteem but tends to deal with it by putting people down so that she can feel better. However, I want to give the benefit of the doubt that she may not be aware of the extent to which she uses people. When Veneer directly states his issues with their relationship in his confession of their crimes, Velvet responds by saying that she thought that he was on the same page with her ideas. Velvet implies multiple times in the story that she believes that they both wanted fame. Did that make Velvet's lack of concern over Veneer voicing his worries okay? No! I want to bring some attention to Velvet not seeming to fully understand how people feel when they are hurt or when they may have different needs. (Writer's note: Mind you, I have a disability and other mental illnesses that impair my ability to understand other people, so I'm more willing to humanize traits like that.) I also want to mention that Veneer did reap the benefits of exploiting the trolls and said that he enjoyed his luxurious lifestyle more than his remorse about hurting people. So it also may be a mix of Velvet struggling to understand people on an emotional level and a genuine misunderstanding.

Despite the two being a bundle of issues, it's very sweet how well they mesh and how they like to be in-sync. Veneer catches Velvet before she falls, Velvet pats Veneer on the head when he's nervous, Veneer instinctively goes behind Velvet to feel safe, they go shopping together and wear matching clothes, and they naturally lean into and are generally physically close to each other. They both aren't great as people, but care for each other.

On a semi-related topic and not wanting to make another post dedicated to it, I wish the movie expanded on the drug metaphor? It's a children's film, but I do feel that talking to young children at home who may be experiencing family members struggling with addiction has a place in media. It makes you do things you wouldn't normally do, it can make you hurt people in a variety of ways, it's an unfortunate lifestyle choice in a number of young people who were chewed up and spat out by the entertainment industry, it frequently starts with the idea that it's casual use/emotionally or psychologically beneficial and quickly snowballs horribly, and it alienates you from your loved ones. This could have been a unique opportunity to not only be about how drug use is harmful but also what it's like to be unequipped to help a person who doesn't want help. We tell children that drugs are bad but also don't prepare them for when the person doesn't want to stop despite all evidence showing that it's harmful. It can be very confusing because it's not emphasized how hard of a process it is to get sober or even want to get sober.

But yeah, those were some of my thoughts! Thanks for reading, if you got this far. 😅

#tw substance abuse #trolls band together #veneer trolls #velvet trolls #velvet and veneer

[orangeypopsicle]

Mount Rageon Headcanons

I've been having a rough week, so Mount Rageons have been on my mind. I'm not well versed in science, but I've been thinking of a few concepts about them. Bare with me and click the "read more" button to read it all because this thing is pretty long!

First of all, I'm not sure what kind of animal species they would be. Like, is that just me wondering that? While they're humanoid, I thought it was interesting how their hair and skin were rendered. Their hair doesn't seem to be how hair would be on regular animals, where each strand is enormous and has a similar texture to their skin. I'm wondering if what we're describing as hair, isn't actually hair? Also, their proportions and body structures are interesting. The large head-to-body ratio and the flexibility of their limbs remind me of reptiles or marine life. Like, I feel that a species with a large head, skinny body, and hyper-mobile limbs would have a problem staying upright, especially at a high elevation with all that gravity acting on them.

While we haven't seen any adults, I thought it was really interesting how they're completely physically genderless but have gender aesthetics. On another contradictory note, wouldn't a developmental stage compared to a teenager (especially considering we see a wide range of teenage characters) at least look somewhat close to how an adult would look? If you look at the Mount Rageon characters, you'll notice that they're all universally built the same and even the eyelashes aren't universal in female characters. I'm actually wondering if that's supposed to be a gender indicator at all or if it's a cosmetic choice. I want to believe that they're completely indistinguishable gender-wise and choose what they want because I think that would just be really neat!

While nothing is supporting it in canon, I believe that Mount Rageons may not be native to the region we see in the show. The extreme color variance stood out to me because the official map shown outside of the movie indicates that the plant life in Mount Rageous is either non-existent or dead. Wouldn't the coloring imply the environment they lived in, like how animals in the real world are? The ground in this region is colored with a pink-gray hue, which looks like an intentional choice given that other regions have specific variant colors used. While I may not be ruling out that Mount Rageous may have once had lush plant life and the environment was polluted too much, it's at least established that the phrase "Mount Rageons" specifically refers to the teenage population that has moved up to the higher elevation of the mountain. I personally would like to refer to other age groups in their species as "Rageons" for this reason. They also aren't built like they naturally would survive in a mountainous region. Mount Rageons have very spindly limbs and they all lack body fat. I think that they may compensate for their lack of natural body heat through their thick jumpsuits. While it may be a wacky fashion, it also may be practical as well.

On the subject of body types and Mount Rageons, I'm also thinking about the flashback scene with Velvet and Veneer. Perhaps they eat fat and sugar in larger amounts as part of their regular diet because of a really high metabolism. It might explain why the foods in that scene are so strange looking. If I were to combine the previous idea with this current on here, maybe they're expending large amounts of energy by not being fit to be living on a mountain and are burning calories quickly. If I'm going to pretend that the scenes exist on their own and are not made by people who might default to thin body shapes, it might also explain why we don't see any plus-sized Mount Rageons in the cast.

Here's the million-dollar question: Why are teenagers separated from their parents and made independent so early? While it may be easier to say it's just cultural, I like to think that the large amount of people who live in Mount Rageous combined with how desolate the environment is means that it may also be for survival. When children reach the age where they're not as easy to watch carefully and are more likely to sneak off to potentially get themselves killed, they may be sent off to Mount Rageous because it is safer. Their parents may be giving them money to live on their own until they can grow up to face whatever the hell is towards the bottom of the mountain. To shorten what I'm saying, it's both cultural and for safety. I'm not sure if there will ever be a confirmed reason, but it sure is fun to speculate!

Thanks for reading if you got to this point!

#trolls band together #mount rageous #velvet trolls #veneer trolls

[orangeypopsicle]

Question:

How feasible would it be to create a canon accurate story while watching the third movie alone and external materials related to the third movie (junior novelization and art book)? I want to make a story contained within Mount Rageous about Velvet and Veneer, but would it be more beneficial to learn more about the world at large for further reader immersion purposes?

#Velvet and Veneer have me in a choke hold but watching the whole franchise to write a couple chapters is a... high barrier of entry #velvet trolls #veneer trolls #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Yes! That’s what inspired me to write all this.

I just can’t get into the mindset of Velvet being pure evil because she’s just a teenager. Especially considering that in real life, a huge factor for delinquency in teenagers and children is their home life. Not even talking outright violence here, it can also be contributed by a lack of guidance, emotional support, or routine. I wish I could say that I want to cut the writers some slack for not considering this while writing, but also the general lack of awareness surrounding risky and dangerous behaviors in young people can really get on my nerves.

I'm not trying to argue that Velvet and Veneer's parents were horrifically awful, but there is something to be said about how they raised two children who both turned out materialistic and disrespectful. I'm including Veneer in the conversation because I feel that the idea that he was a stand-up individual who was manipulated downplays that he was genuinely rude without being prompted (and not to mention that it's noted in the official art book that he's naturally a terrible person who is also self-aware and capable of feeling remorse). Despite Velvet never being seen with her parents as a teenager, it's clear that she had needed mental health help for a while, given that it's implied that the behavior went back many years as seen in a flashback. The act of screaming at someone without provocation and breaking things in that one flashback scene by itself is a clear sign that she was struggling in some way. Especially considering that she specifically yelled "Stop attacking me", which I found to be interesting as a dialogue choice. I'd like to note that some mental health warning signs are overlooked in young girls due to the perception that they're more unreasonable when compared to young boys. This topic is something very personal to me given that I'm AFAB and had some clear mental health symptoms overlooked in my teenage years because of this specific reasoning that I was supposed to be extremely overemotional and moody but was an indicator of something serious.

Essay aside, I'm trying to say that while they could've given Velvet and Veneer everything they could've wanted, they could've also not been attentive to the psychological needs of their children. Because while it's great to satisfy a child's physical needs and wants, it's a disservice to not prepare them emotionally to be a functioning member of society and not meet their mental needs.

#(I still love Velvet and Veneer regardless) #trolls band together #velvet trolls #veneer trolls #velvet and veneer

[orangeypopsicle]

I'm not trying to argue that Velvet and Veneer's parents were horrifically awful, but there is something to be said about how they raised two children who both turned out materialistic and disrespectful. I'm including Veneer in the conversation because I feel that the idea that he was a stand-up individual who was manipulated downplays that he was genuinely rude without being prompted (and not to mention that it's noted in the official art book that he's naturally a terrible person who is also self-aware and capable of feeling remorse). Despite Velvet never being seen with her parents as a teenager, it's clear that she had needed mental health help for a while, given that it's implied that the behavior went back many years as seen in a flashback. The act of screaming at someone without provocation and breaking things in that one flashback scene by itself is a clear sign that she was struggling in some way. Especially considering that she specifically yelled "Stop attacking me", which I found to be interesting as a dialogue choice. I'd like to note that some mental health warning signs are overlooked in young girls due to the perception that they're more unreasonable when compared to young boys. This topic is something very personal to me given that I'm AFAB and had some clear mental health symptoms overlooked in my teenage years because of this specific reasoning that I was supposed to be extremely overemotional and moody but was an indicator of something serious.

Essay aside, I'm trying to say that while they could've given Velvet and Veneer everything they could've wanted, they could've also not been attentive to the psychological needs of their children. Because while it's great to satisfy a child's physical needs and wants, it's a disservice to not prepare them emotionally to be a functioning member of society and not meet their mental needs.

#So uhh thanks for coming to my TEDTalk LOL #velvet and veneer #velvet trolls #veneer trolls #trolls band together

[orangeypopsicle]

Any Amazing Digital Circus Discord servers that are active but also, erm, slower? I have anxiety and am not good in big servers 😖

#the amazing digital circus

[orangeypopsicle]

Hey all, I don’t reblog very often but if you see this on your dash, please don’t use it. AI for homework is becoming increasingly popular and while it can sometimes give accurate information, there is a very non-zero chance that it will make shit up about whatever you’re asking and it’s more useful to look the questions up on Google yourself or something than entrust that somebody can vet that all for you. Not to mention that teachers are increasingly checking papers for AI usage.

Here’s a free resource for study help where you can submit specific homework or schoolwork questions or submit general topics which will be answered by human experts with AI. (AI always needs human review and touches).

No sign ups, fees or strings attached ever. Just a passion project of mine.

[orangeypopsicle]

Checked out Liminal Land for the first time because I heard Nexpo and Nick Crowley were involved and it was.. disappointing. The problems with AI generated art aside, the overall concept was cool but when it got to demonic child sacrifices it lost me, man. It could’ve just been a weird, unethically ran location where people kept going missing/dying and I think a lack of explanation would’ve actually benefited more.

#liminal land #horror arg