River Swirl has a long standing fanbase for being the cute anime-ish commie hater of the glorious Rijeka Republika, I entered EaW past that peak (though still going strong) so I hadn't exactly understood her appeal. A gag often said is how Swirl characterizes the artstyle of the mod's characters — popularly cutesy on top of the gruesome backdrop of EaW's stories, not to mention being in her 40s.

All that to say I prefer River Swirl represented in a more age accurate manner, while I still think there's plenty of charm associated with the current Swirl that Scroup drew, that idea was what made me gravitate to her when it was first presented. It would reflect her role in the story and the responsibility she bear. There is also genuine beauty behind the weary eyes of someone carrying the weight of leadership. Plus it simply makes sense that you see her appearance being impacted by being head of state after a while, just something typically seen with people in a leadership role.

Bit wordy for a simple sketch, trying to make it a habit to communicate my art better :^)