Happy End of 2025 - New Years Art Dump

Hey there. Happy New Years and Holidays, the curtesy of all events than the obvious. It had been some time since the last blog post and much longer since one celebrating a holiday event; which, sadly. Of all the little pieces of art that'll show up on this post, there isn't or won't be one dedicated to the end of this year and the start of 2026. Rather just another tangential ranting post what will some freee time during the holidays. And I am all too glad to welcome anyone willing to come along and read through whatever thoughts I have written in relations to what I have drawn. So with all that established. Here I go; Attraction

First, let's get some of the existing ones out of the way. Having been quite some time since I drawn or thought of anything related to the story that helped me pool any random ideas I thought of all in one place. Honorably dubbed as a concept dump. With the last piece of art, barring the Christmas art for this year, a sticker sheet of some of the main cast around the introductory portion of the story in May. There is still some hesitancy to return to the story - you'll find out a section or two below. Between difficulties in drawing them while my art style continues to remain inconsistant and needing to actually sift through and trim everything in the notes to make the story somewhat more understanding than a 4 AM panic concept note. That and the continuing rotation of existing and new story ideas, it was kind of dropped aside from some time to time revisit of the notes.

Sticker Sheet

And I am not kidding about the art bit earlier. With months between the last time I had drawn any of the characters. I had to retrain my muscle memories and still retain some of the progress I made drawing just prior to the Holiday Ensemble pieces for Christmas. Taking many a sleepless night and undos to get it somewhat okay before proceeding with the Holiday art. Only tidying up and couldn't help attaching some notes to the doodles for this post.

Practice Sketches

Although I can't promise or could make promises that there'll be any more relating to this story. Only hoping whenever I come back to this story again, there'll something to post about here or lump together for another art dump post.

For now, this and the Christmas post will be the last of this story. But moving on,

FEEDBACK

Originally a simple one-off story concept in the middle of working on some fan story (see the last bold section), until a lull during a period of art block had me dwell on the concept a bit more. And now it's the current story taking spot over the rotations of unfinished stories and ideas.

Following a group of Disaster Responders dispatched to an earthquake site. The epicenter where a sudden shockwave branded every living person with the exact time of their death.

In particular, Yuuya Suenaga, a civilian local to the site of the earthquake. Learning of his inevitable death from the time marked on his eye. Pleads to spend his remaining time to aid in the relief efforts. Ultimately recruited despite a ban of civilian volunteers, just as Yuuya confessed to see the last moments of his death...

The second concept doodle sheet, with the first posted some time ago. Containing more information of the protagonist Yuuya and the surrounding cast. Most of them centered around the main organization known widely as Disaster Responders, the members and their operations during an apocalyptic event.

A FEMA variant of the usual modern setting, superpower centered stories. With a specific prompt on how an ability 'reproduce'. In terms of how characters only gain an ability following exposure to natural disaster caused by an unknown and a very spoiler heavy source.

Giving an example involving characters who survived the same disaster. Each of them developing an ability surrounding the theme of the control of another person's autonomy. Such as,

- [Commandeer], allowing a person to 'share' the senses of another person.

- [Karaoke], a form of ventriloquism that turns any person caught within a distance to broadcast whatever the speaker is saying, or in the case of the ability, sing.

And [Puppeteer], a more obviously related ability to the theme where a person can fully control another person's body while they are fully aware and helpless.

Now when the person with the [Puppeteer] ability is exposed to another shockwave, their ability mutates rather than be written over by an offshoot of another ability. In a lack of a better word, evolving from the ability to control a person's body [Puppeteer] to an ability to change the surrounding momentum force of a target, only allowing them to move to a set direction/path of the whims of the person [Pivot].

Starting from that prompt is where the story began to and continues to develop now. Much of the enthusiasm is from coming up with different abilities based on the prompt, the characters of those abilities and the inevitable conflict surrounding the studies and use of those abilities.

With the main faction of the Disaster Responders the story centers around. Belonging to an organization funding the entirety of the operation and their relief efforts. As well as a separate branch of 'Responders' trained to dispatch against more humane hazards encountered during the dispatch.

The most immediate threat are a group of Catastrophe Chasers known simply as Ruin Stalkers. Intentionally exiling from functioning society to stalk the ruined sites after a catastrophe. Building their own form of social hierarchy based on clans and territories.

Left to their own device despite impeding the Disaster Responders, who are unable to retaliate when the Ruin Stalkers causes outright conflict from the existing tension between the groups. The stenuous circumstances lasting to the present setting of the story, all involving and seemingly faciliated by an enigmatic figure known simply as 'Imamura'.

All of the above. The factional conflicts and tension, the strange circumstances surrounding the spread and mutation of abilities, all comes to a boil within the earthquake disaster and the strange 'Doomsday Clock' Phenomenon.

And all serve as basis for practice in the very slow progess to learn and write a manga. With only this little doodle sheet to show for it.

Hopefully lasting long enough to get more progress in before another old or new project takes its place. Unlike the story that came before it and the story that will be given a rant section after this one,

Omen's Bidding

In the aftermath of a near extinction disaster caused by a strange three day eclipse. Centuries after the catastrophe and longer more for humanity to rebuild thmselves, enough for the event to be more legend than facts.

After the entire student body of a night class disappear following an earthquake, barring one comatose survivor. A student assigned themselves patrol duty to prevent such a case from happening as it caused an outcry of panicking hysteria and superstitions.

In their patrol of the old school building where the incident took place. Their routine is interrupted when a student tries to barge in the area off school hours. Begging help and sanctuary from people claiming he 'owes' them a debt.

Their claims given ground when hoards of apparitions began to siege the area. All focused on the single student and the other spirit's attempt to seize him.

Steeped in ghosts and rather grounded supernatural elements in comparison to the other ideas before and after it. Funnily started as a mix between a concept inspired by the Ghost Fixers manga by Yusaki Tanaka and a random story meant for a Shin Megami Tensei fan story.

Only becoming its own thing when the expected elements are too far apart to tie it to the series it's supposed to be taking place in.

Especially as the story was used to make doodle sheets. The first of the many after it where it's a collection of random characters, scenarios and concept doodles.

There was some difficulties to settle on a style at the time of the first doodle sheet below. Between testing brushes and art styles that'll be easy to use and quick to help in getting ideas on the page.

Only around the second doodle sheet was when I got to some kind of consistency in style. Although by then, rather than a compilation of whatever than came to mind, it's more focusing on the characters than scenarios or worldbuilding.

Mostly designs of the different ghosts that either will hold an important role in the story or act as episodic antagonists. With only some inclusions of human characters, from the human cast to ghosts possessing human bodies.

The second and currently last piece of art relating to this particular story. And unfortunately one that fell into the rotation of unfinished projects, stepping back to the story that came after it and was talked about earlier (Feedback).

A rather sad exchange of state despite the foundation it created for the story ideas and concepts after.

Miscellaneous

Finally and rather meagerly - a little concept sheet for a Persona and Shin Megami Tensei OC. Still a little hesitant to fully immerse into the Persona series knowing exactly how it'll take over however long until I become too overwhelmed to continue.

A small accompanyment to, really, the second Persona/SMT inspired story.

The first revolving around a cast tied to an incident surrounding an Aztec-themed doomsday cult, where the last and important sacrifice is spared from death only to face remnants of the cult as an apocalypse nears. Needing to decide for themself to either resign to their original fate before the apocalypse commense; return to the past to facilitate their own sacrifice and prevent the tragedy, or challenge the source of the apocalypse, i.e. fight god. This time the embodiment of the primordial Earth itself.

Most definitely intentional in tone to the main SMT line of games. With the three different choices given above aligned to the Law, Neutral or Chaos routes.

While the following story (the character concept is meant for) is about a gang of former delinquents, the Wolf's Head, in search of their leader who faciliated their reform before disappearing. Maintaining a hierarchal system in their school - one to protect those unable to defend themselves, and punish the tyrants and those who challenge the system.

Unintentionally roping in two transfer students, the main P.O.V. protagonists, when they unintentionally broke the rules in defense of themselves. Warned to stay out of trouble or be considered a threat by the gang, or granted safety under their protection. Incentivising them to dive into a seemingly brutal world nestled in the technological and societally utopic city.

Ready to challenge the remaining Wolf's Head gang and dismantle their system out of either a wounded pride or a sense of justice. Doing so just as letters, sealed with a tarot card and a note bizarrely urging them to indulge in their impulse to lash out in violence. Learning not long after receiving it, the note bears the handwriting of the missing gang leader who both reformed the delinquents and re-invent the school's social system into the current hierarchy.

As letters and tarot cards come into the possession of the people the leader came in contact with, and soon the populace of the city. All seemingly facilitated by an organization known as the Hornless Goats, facilitating and encouraging the message when the city is locked down and sealed from the outside to create their 'World without Consequence'...

Made on a whim between me developing the story and related worldbuilding elements of Omen's Bidding and Feedback, most definitely before the conception and soldiering interest of Feedback's story. -

The Persona most definitely drew creative liberty in the events surround King Richard the Lionheart's death. Taking more elements of his killer, a young(-ish?) soldier defending against Richard's army with a crossbow and a frying pan. The king himself would be the ultimate form of this character's Persona.

Its traits and stats reflecting the event and what would be expected of a heavily armored soldier.

With the character, Satoko Miyajima, hinting their persona's identity through their liberal choice of weapon in a frying pan. Their importance in the story in the stage of Biblical themed area as another hint. A champion of misguided justice towards a flawed system. One that perscuted their sister rather than the stalker who caused their sister to defend Satoko in violent means. Their resentment fueled by the aftermath of the event as it condemns them and their family. Leaving them indignant of the handling and subsequent derision of the ordeal, soon encouraged to take up arms in defense of themself while their city falls into chaos.

In the timeline of all the art. It was around this character sheet where I started to continue making more concept sheets for whichever story that got me through a rut. Only a little after when I return back to the style of this sheet - monochrome, screentones, etc. in trying to start on a comic or manga. No progress on that front yet. But hopefully there's be something to show for it with a whole new year and all. So, thanks. For finding yourself here and reaching the end of this little ramble of mine. Wishing you a Happy Holiday and a great, if not survivable year ahead. Bye bye.