Have some concept art for if our sad and depressed Prince here crossed paths with the Grimm Troupe in Pharloom somehow and decided to join and leave all his sorrow and memories behind.
A fresh start, if you will. His only condition is that will not perform those dances, not here. No, those dances have had their day.
It is time for new dances, new memories, and a new path. Hopefully one less sorrowful, now.
Perhaps he can find some happiness again.
Not 100% thrilled with how the design came out, I definitely feel like there's more that could be done there, especially with a cloak or a cape of some kind, but I wanted to get this done before I forgot about it again XD If anyone has suggestions, do feel free to tell.
I don't know what possessed me to make an entire comic on this silly little headcanon/au take, but here we are, and it's finally doooooooooooooone- XD
As a brief summary/additional info and context: I normally operate on canon Zasp bein' a dude and the stinger just being an artistic decision by the devs as with all the wasps. However, I was messing around with Bug Fables Amped ideas and angst potential, and went "ok, so what if Zasp was intersex?" (i.e. genetically possesses both trait sets). Partly because in a hive setting, that could go a few ways, and partly because I don't think I've seen anyone run with that take as of yet.
The comic is... perhaps not long enough to really give this scene the right room to breathe - Zasp talks too easily and the whole thing goes more smoothly than it realistically would, but I hope it gets the general vibes across. Maybe someday I'll make a fic of it XD Bits and pieces of the notion come up in the fic I did write (2:35 AM), so there's that lol
I.e. a variety of different styles and such. Some further rambling below the read more!
There's not much in-between on the comfort scale. Either it sucks in some capacity or it doesn't suck at all. The tradeoff is, of course, how long it lasts. The more uncomfy, the more permanent.
Lacquer and staining is probably the most popular variety - it's painless and can be removed if you end up really unhappy with it. It does have a raised texture as opposed to a groove, so it can sometimes chip, but hey! Stuff can't get stuck in it.
Lacquer is slightly different from staining - staining on completely bare shell tends to wear off after a time, as it's basically just painting a permeating pigment over the shell. Lacquer is more of a resin-like consistency, and both adheres and lasts much longer.
Paint is slightly less popular in most places (popular in the hive, though), because it doesn't stand up to much wear-and-tear.
Artia's tattoo is painted because a) it was accessible and b) Reed wasn't... enthused about her doing something more permanent. He's willing to take the L with his tattoo if their relationship goes south or something happens to him, but he doesn't want her to do that to herself. He also has experienced the more painful end of the spectrum and. really doesn't want her to put herself through it just for the edgy. Artia was a little miffy at first but not that upset. She wasn't really looking forward to the carving process....
Basic carving is the next most common and preferred as a more permanent form for those committed enough. It comes with some discomfort, but that pain can be managed if you're smart about it (and/or willing to fork over some extra money for painkillers). This is also a precursor step to other more elaborate methods, and should be allowed to heal over some before attempting anything further. They should also be checked and cleaned somewhat regularly, given how much they can collect debris (especially if they're deep). Depth of the carve varies - depth is one means of translating shading and value in the design. It can also portray the significance the owner places on it.
It can be covered up if you fill it and sand it down, but then you have to match shell color. The seams are usually still visible.
In Kabbu's case, the Northern Tribes have some traditions and ceremony orbiting tattoos. It's not uncommon to have a tattoo of your clan (the circular one). His other is of the pictograms representing the first letters from Master and Bit. He got that one after arriving in Bugaria proper.
Sanding is a slightly less painful but also fuzzier version of carving. By definition it's usually shallower and has softer edges, but is also way less uncomfortable. Difficult to properly fill in and cover over, though. This one is usually followed by color-staining for better visibility.
Carving can likewise be stained. The safe option is to wait for the carve to heal properly, then stain it. The best spot for pigment duration, though, is to apply the stain partway through the healing process when the chitin is still a little softer.
Filling is a tricker process, usually preceded by a deepish wedge carve so the filling doesn't pop out of the shell. It's a painful progress and probably the closest to "taboo". You absolutely do not get this from anyone except a professional, and it's a longer process. You have to do the filling at a part-way point in healing so that it can sort of bond with the shell. Then you sand the excess filling away. It can be solid colored or even metallic if done right, or translucent and resin-like.
It isn't recommended to get too many carving-based tattoos (especially deep ones) - too many could register to the body as shell injury, and injury extensive enough to warrant a molt. Molts will undo the whole process at best. At worse, the molt can get stuck around the carving point or the procuticle can get snagged on the edges of the carve. Tricky business. This is also why carved tattoos aren't too popular. Adult molts can be somewhat selective in region, so it won't necessarily be a full-body molt, but even so.
Related to that, it's not usually recommended to get tattoos until you're done with all your (predictable) molts. Too much hassle. Painted tattoos are the most popular with teens and young adults.
Burning - or branding - is not popularly practiced or an accepted form of "tattoo".
Zasp's came courtesy of his former hive. He later gets a lacquer tattoo of his own volition. Eventually he gets a carved and filled tattoo over the branding on his back.
Diesel demanded attention and got a four-outfit lineup out of it -_-
Additional sketches below, and then some commentary on The Lineup (and a lil' gif spurred by a friend's commentary)
Exposition on The Drawing™:
The Lineup:
"First Trial" - I.e. when he first arrived. The outfit should reflect the basic bluecollar feel with little fanfare. He's factory fresh and ready for work.
"Back and Forth" - I haven't quite got the timeline sorted, but this is also the start-point of deviation from the series as far as Diesel's timeline. After he's sent away the first time, he's got a stretch of going back and forth from the Mainland to Sodor, staying in different places for different lengths of time, and changing hands between owners a whole bunch. During this time, he also goes through a few different livery changes. Between being hauled on and off of Sodor, and constantly having his livery stripped off (badly) and repainted (also badly sometimes), he's more than a little the worse for wear both visually and in terms of his own identity. (The correlation between being on Sodor and being "awake" is. a whole thing to try and explain in this AU, if I try to do that here, this post will be way too long XD). TL;DR Diesel is Not Doin' Too Hot.
"Permanent Return" - The point at which he's permanently on the island and actually owned by Sir Topham, rather than being borrowed/loaned/etc. One of the first things Sir Topham takes care of is getting him a fresh coat of paint (and making sure it's done properly and not a hash job). It doesn't fix everything, but it certainly helps. Identity and awareness issues persist, but at least Diesel has something to stand on.
"Settled" - "Settling" in this AU is a phenomenon in which an engine settles into a stable sense of identity (age, gender insofar as it applies, general disposition, etc). There's still some malleability, but it's steadier than it might be for a human. Here, Diesel has finally clicked and feels properly himself. He has also figured out an outfit besides The Overalls. (The overalls still appear frequently, but he now has something more relaxed as well.)
Not pictured - he has a standard working jacket that he typically wears overtop when it's cooler out.
The Sketches:
The jacket, for reference. Also just a headshot for practice drawing him.
The shot with the hand includes a small braided bracelet made by Sophie, his (eventual) main driver. (Timeline is TBD, but right now I have her meeting him on the Mainland during his final couple stretches there, and for Various Reasons she moves to Sodor when he does for the final time.)
In the middle is a rough height reference. Still undecided on how tall the engine golems are going to be.
The full body is a rough reference for his layout as a golem. It varies from engine to engine, and diesels have different specifics than steam engines. Of particular note: the vertical air whistle slats, the vents on his cheeks, the braces and rigging on his forearms and shins, and grated rib-vent layouts.
Also, small headshot of Sophie as I'm currently imagining her, and some topside chatter between the two.
Bonus: the aforementioned gif, probably something that occurs on the mainland, and what you might see should you walk into the shed with all the lights off.
Tfw you wake up in a dream-warped forest a few feet to the left of reality and are being stared down by three vaguely druidic lumberjack golems-but-off.
As one does.
Methinks I shall put any rambling in a different post XD
A version with some goofy/minor lore text plus some alts under the cut:
