Designer: John Model: Moxie Challenge #6: We’re Cursed (Frogs Everywhere) Title: Moxie Through the Muck and the Mire Status: Completed 11/1
Every night, Moxie woke in a cold sweat, the echo of a voice slipping away into the darkness. It wasn’t just a dream, it felt real, like the whisper came from just beneath her bed, or the walls, or the muddy edge of her thoughts. The voice pleaded softly, “Help me… please, help me rise again.” Each night it grew clearer, more desperate, until she could almost feel the damp breath of the words on her neck. The next night during her sleep, when she finally followed the pull of the dream to the swamp outside town, the air was thick with rot and the low croak of unseen creatures. There, hidden beneath a pool of murky water, she found an ancient altar, and large glowing eyes staring up from the depths.
The creature that emerged was a monstrous frog, its skin webbed with moss and eyes gleaming with ancient cunning. “You have answered my call,” it rasped, its voice the same one from her nightmares. Before Moxie could flee, the water surged around her legs, and a strange warmth spread through her veins. The frog spoke of a forgotten plague, of an age when frogs ruled the wetlands and mankind was but a pest. “Together,” it croaked, “we will restore the balance.” Her reflection shimmered, skin rippling, eyes widening, a faint croak trembling in her throat. As the swamp swallowed her scream, the ancient frog smiled, for its new vessel had been born, and soon the frog plague would rise once more.
In the real world, Moxie’s body began to betray her in ways she couldn’t understand. Her hair started to fall out, scattering across her pillow like faded threads of who she once was. Her skin took on a sickly green hue, darkening and slickening until it gleamed with a damp sheen under the moonlight. Her limbs stretched and warped, the bones shifting and reshaping, arms growing lean and powerful, legs thickening as if made for bounding through marshes instead of walking on dry land. She awoke from her nightmare, but this body was no longer Moxie's. All that remained was her mind and minor glimpses of her once beautiful skin and hair. The call of the mysterious voice dragged her possessed, disfigured body back into the depths of the swamp and into the ancient altar, where a massive glowing yellow orb floated in the murk. Its light pulsed rhythmically, hypnotic and alive, and as she drifted closer she realized it wasn’t a star or a lantern, it was an enormous egg. Inside, the ancient frog coiled and stirred, watching her with ancient, knowing eyes, waiting for the moment she would finally set it free.
Whereeeee do I even start with this challenge! When I saw I got Frogs Everywhere, I was instantly confused as to how I could make it work, as Gaia has very few choices for serious-looking frog items. Add in the fact that it was specified that we needed to make our models scary, I knew this was gonna be the hardest challenge yet! I decided to be creative with it and make Moxie the catalyst for the frog plague beginning. She heard a voice calling to her, which was an ancient frog that's lying dormant under the swamp inside of a glowing egg, which is the item Elfenmar. It felt perfect as it looks like a giant frogspawn! I think the overall concept of the story is similar to Vecna/Will from Stranger Things, except Moxie transforms into a deformed frog creature. I was warned that I'm most likely going to lose points for shaving off some of her hair, but I felt it was necessary to showcase the transformation she was going through. I also added Masquerade (tattered hair) to showcase the falling hair. I used Daring Dollhouse Demon arms to mimic long frog arms, as well as Demure Maleficent Yin's birthmark pose to match in color and show the frog transformation in Moxie's face. I used soooo many skin items to try to make her look as grotesque as possible, and I have to say, this is probably my favorite entry thus far in the competition. I love making dark avatars like this, so I had a blast once I found my footing! I realize you can't see much of her bottom half, but I did add Mercurio's Fashion to add a frog-like texture to her legs, as well as Hanyo's Resolve to make her feet look webbed. The only other option was... this, which looks a bit too dated and clunky for my liking. Overall it felt appropriate to have her sticking out of the water, similarly to a frog! I added Meracle Swimmer for extra green in the back, as well as Princess of Thorns to help emulate the swampy setting. This specific avatar is her coming up out of the water, causing the frogs around her to jump away. She then reaches for the ancient frog's egg, unleashing the curse upon the world!
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2025 5:04 pm
Designer: John Model: Moxie Challenge #7: All On Red Title: Mad Moxie Status: Completed 11/1
It's that spooky time of year again, and Moxie has no idea what to be for Halloween this year! While she normally doesn't dress up, this year is completely different, as she's received an invitation to Heidi Klum's famous Halloween party! She knew she had to look good, as her costume would be posted all over the blogs and social media. After pacing back and forth for what felt like hours, she overheard an advertisement on TV mentioning the circus coming to town. "That's it!" she yelled. She immediately began Googling sexy ringmaster costume ideas. While on her internet search, she frantically called her assistant. "Hel-" "Where can I get a real whip?" she interrupted. Fast forward three days, and Moxie's at the party! Covered in gold-trimmed red, Moxie has never felt so hot! She even got a wink from Heidi herself! Best. Halloween. Ever.
Okay, so this challenge made me realize how awful I am at math. Haha Overall, I really enjoyed it! It really makes you realize how many amazing items are dirt cheap on the marketplace. For my inspiration, I really had no idea where to take this challenge, as a color theme is super broad. I knew I wanted it to be Halloweenish, as it's that time of year! I was asking a friend for some ideas, when I told him about the concept of this competition. When I told him my model's name was Moxie, he said "Oh, like Mad Moxxi?" Then it hit me! She has a sexy ringmaster / clown vibe, and I thought that the ringmaster aspect would be a perfect fit for a red challenge. I strayed from the clown part of it as makeup on Gaia can get really expensive. Gotta say though, I am obsessed with how the outfit came out. While I knew the look had to be primarily red, I love throwing in other colors for extra detail. Not only that, but I felt it was important to make her look expensive, even if the challenge is on a budget! I added Sangue Regicidio, TameD, Monsieur Loyal's Revenge, Illustrious Arc, and My Seductive Valentine for extra gold trim around the entire top. For the bottom half, I added Petal Professor Hana for a bit of gold around the crotch, and Rosamund's Rage to add some gold to the thighs and feet, as well as Celestial Imbalance to add a bit more design and color balancing to one of her legs! While I considered doing a red background, I really wanted to make sure Moxie's outfit stood out and didn't blend into the background. Lastly, I added Monstruous Cliffhanger to add a warmer tint to the overall avatar!
Surpise, designers!!! It is I, iiiFlames, once again, to bring you your feedback for the double header. A round of applause for everyone for coming through and putting in the work for the double header! You, designers, should be proud of yourselves for pulling off two entries in one week.
We're so proud of everyone for showing up and doing the work! As a reward for everyone's hard work, there will be no eliminations for anyone who submitted their entries this week! So, you can breathe, designers. For now. emotion_yatta
With all that said, here's your double header feedback:
kaekie — Willow • You got the highest overall score for the double header, as you should. You served us lice horror extravaganza with your plague entry and telenovela Gabriela realness with your red entry. Willow's dressed to the nines, deserving of many praises. • The judges literally have no negative notes for you; it's just that your fellow competitors beat you by just a teeniest smidge. Though you didn't take the win on either challenge, this doesn't and shouldn't take away the fact that you devoured and left no crumbs on the double header.
nenone — Bobbi • Your water to blood plague entry perfectly encapsulated the horror and glamour the judges were looking for in the plague challenge. And your concept for your red entry read well through and through, and perfectly executed, as the judges ate up what you served. • Though positively received, the judges unanimously agreed that the veil on your plague entry should've been only one, and that it could've been layered better. Your red entry's dress read more pink for some of the judges' eyes. Overall, all minor stuff, but regardless, you still did amazing.
John — Moxie • Shaving part of Moxie's hair for the plague challenge was risky, but it paid off for you. Moxie looks gross and scary, and we live for it. And your red Halloween costume gave us the Cirque de Soleil ringmaster fantasy that we didn't know we needed. Heidi's coming for that costume, love. • Some judges wished you had a tad more fashion going on with your plague entry, and some judges wished that your hat were red, and a touch more black to balance your red look. All in all, minor nitpicks on our end, but otherwise, fantastic job.
Endless Endeavors — Jae • Every single judge was gagging on your plague entry. Jae looks sexy and nauseating to look at as a fly. Your red entry was also well-received. It even got you a perfect score from one of the judges, given how good your red entry is. On budget, yet Jae looks like a million bucks in her red elven fantasy. • Some of the judges clocked some weird layering going on with the mouth and hip area, and would've wanted to see more fashion elements added in your plague look. But your red entry did not receive any negative feedback; it's that good. So, kudos to you, mama.
immortaljelly — Vanity • The idea and colours for your plague entry were well-received by the judges. But the highlight was your red entry, which was a huge hit with the judges. The streetwear concept made you stand out from your fellow competitors, and you delivered on the execution of your red look. • Vanity as a reaper figure was nice to see, but the judges were having a hard time distinguishing the details of your plague entry, which overall read as messy. Some of the judges saw that Vanity's hair was clipped under the fur of her jacket, but they didn't mind that as much.
lucifer eats pizza — Tamara • Your plague entry is fashionably creepy and creepily fashionable. Having links to share your concept was a good move on your end. And having Tamara, as the bride in red, was such a cute idea as well. She looks pretty in her red wedding dress. • Some judges find your plague entry to be a tad too busy in some places. And some find your red entry too simple compared to the others. Both of your entries were straightforward, but the judges wished you had added extra touches to your entries to elevate them further.
torimani — Mathilde • With how limited the items you had to work with for your plague entry, you managed to give us a serviceable look. Mathilde looks like the bringer of swarms. Your red entry looks gorgeous. The movement looks beautiful, and it overall reads expensive despite the budget limits. • Some accessory choices for your plague look did not resonate well with some of the judges. But the judges mainly weren't vibing with your red look. The mismatched reds, with some shades almost and are reading pink, are what's throwing them off with your red entry.
xXAcid_FreeXx — Emerson • You took a creative angle with your plague entry, with the "final girl" concept you went for Emerson, and it was well-received by the judges, as it made you stand out from the other entries. Your red look for your model looks seductive with the gothic motif. • Your plague entry had a creative concept, but with a so-so execution. You struggled with styling Emerson with your assigned plague, and it unfortunately showed. Your red entry got similar negative critiques as well, but your plague entry got hit harder of the two.
SoggykittenART — Olivia • Your hailstorm plague entry looked ethereal. Olivia looks gorgeous and elegant. And your red entry looks regal and beautiful. With the limited budget, you managed to make Olivia look expensive with the concept you went for. • Your scores for the plague entry got dragged because you failed to add a scary or creepy element to it. Ethereal as Olivia may look, she doesn't seem to scare me with how you styled her. Your red entry looked more pink to some of the judges' eyes as well, and overall, it read a tad lacking comparing it with the other red entries.
𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 Jae’s outfit this week draws inspiration from New York’s legendary Club Kid scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s, a movement famous for its outrageous self-expression, gender-bending fashion, and unapologetic queerness. Born in the underground nightlife of Manhattan, the Club Kids blurred the lines between art, fashion, and identity. At a time when queer people were often pushed to the margins, they built their own world filled with glitter, chaos, and creativity. Their looks were loud, theatrical, and proudly weird - a sparkling rebellion against the idea that beauty or gender needed to make sense to anyone else.
This week’s challenge definitely pushed me creatively. I spent hours reworking the outfit over and over again. I started with a roller-skating look, but after realizing it felt too similar to another competitor’s entry, I wanted to go in a completely new direction. That’s when I experimented with a birthday clown concept, which was fun but didn’t feel personal enough. I wanted something that reflected my personality and my love for queer fashion history, so I turned to Club Kid culture.
Building Jae with that inspiration in mind was an absolute delight. I loved leaning into the excess... the mix of fabrics, bright colors, exaggerated shapes, and clown-esque makeup that all felt like something you might see under the neon lights of New York nightlife. The addition of a “runway” element also became important to me: a nod to ballroom culture, another vibrant queer movement that coexisted and often intermingled with Club Kid culture in thrilling, creative ways. Both scenes celebrated individuality and performance, transforming dance floors and runways alike into spaces of self-invention and unapologetic joy.
Designing this look gave me permission to let go, to be bold, and to not be tied down by any single idea of good taste. In a way, that freedom mirrors what I love most about the Club Kids. They showed that fashion can be liberation. Their fearless mix of camp and color still inspires drag, fashion, and pop culture today, reminding us that being “too much” is not a flaw but a superpower.
As soon as I saw this item it brought me back in time. I made my Gaia account in 2007. I would have been in grade 8 at the time, my last year of middle school before moving onto highschool. At the time the internet was like it is now, a but of a pool between adults and teens/kids. However, at the time any chatrooms and forums were separated by age. If you registered an account as belonging to someone under 18, you were normally limited to kids forums, just to keep from adults talking to kids and vice versa. It was a sound safety feature, but anyways who didn't break it. I broke the rule on every site I signed up for, neopets, marapets, gaia, etc. But Gaia was the first mainly forum based site I was on. It was exciting, but I do remember getting into some scenarios where people felt very hostile and rude. I had to find the spaces that felt fun and welcoming on my own, and avoid the general muck that was the internet back then. This is mainly unrelated to my entry, but a fun aside.
The Taste the Rainbow and skittles collabs on Gaia mainly happened after I had joined. There was Skittles, The Sims has a couple items on here. The cars for street racing are Scions (which I legit thought were made up for Gaia so I was shocked when I saw one irl for the first time). There are a variety of items that feel like random product placement at this point on Gaia. That's because there wasn't as much funding from users, most of gaia's money was made through advertising. They still have ads, but I assume for the most part their money is made through us, the users. Using the taste the rainbow jacket made me nostalgic, so I decided to go for some old new streetwear looks.
Evidentially, I was young when the early aughts came around the first time. I spent a lot of time wanting tube tops and platform flip flops, and having my mum tell me that those were not appropriate for someone my age to wear. So I had to settle for brightly coloured tourism shirts that were often oversized and aeropostale bremuda sorts (when the first aeropostale opened in my city it was revolutionary). We didn't have Justice, cause Canada, but we had lasenza girl, and zellers. This is really a trip down memory lane for me.
As such, I have decided to take a bit of a risk on Tamara's look this week and go Rallytar chic. And now you may say, "Mads, can Rallytar really be chic??" and the answer is...I don't know. I tried! I had to incorporate all the heavy hitters. The Kiki Slippers, the Angelic Anklets, the HORNS AND ANGEL WINGS.
And Gogh Reed, of course. Some of the parts I remember the most about early Gaia is grinding to buy wishlist items. I regret having sold my gogh reed after the market had collapsed, just to buy a bunch of newer items. Felt like a good decision at the time, some of those older items are insanely hard to find now. I was surprised to see how much the skittles jacket costs.
