Triforces and Toaster Strudels

Submission 1/2 for @creatingblackcharacters 's Melanin Beam Challenge 2026 - Qifrey from Witch Hat Atelier!!

Another favorite manga of mine became the Big Popular Fantasy Anime this year so it's a perfect series to demonstrate how Black characters can look in an anime/manga style as the protagonists!

Qifrey's an excellent teacher and extremely skilled witch, he's also full of Secrets and Mysteries that I will not spoil. He's been through so much and deserves this life he's built with the atelier.

Bumblebees look like passive, cuddly, and docile creatures; and they generally are- but they won’t hesitate to defend themselves if they feel their warnings aren’t being seen!

I.e. below, when a bumblebee feels threatened they will raise one or more of their legs into the air, signaling to whatever or whomever may be bothering them as a message essentiality saying: “hey, back off, too close!”

species: top, bombus pascuorum / bottom, bombus impatiens

If their defensive posture goes unnoticed or ignored, they may be pushed into defending themselves by stinging (which is an all around sucky experience for not only you, but also for the bee. (Note that bumblebees do not die after stinging, but it is still stressful for them.) If you ever find yourself getting close to a bumblebee while taking pictures, trying to move them, or just admiring them, remember this posture! If they do this, it is simply asking you to take a step back because it feels it is being threatened! You might get stung.

Despite making this post in August, this post spikes in brief periods throughout the year, depending on when folks like to start.

Reading all the cool costume projects people are working on

jennyanydots' post-ball reflection tea party going great this year