#new scene means i can change how it's colored < 3

[leenfiend]

what's ur type first < prev next > full comic

#new scene means i can change how it's colored < 3 #maybe someday I'll go through and make full b&w shaded pages #for all of them #but doubtful #wut #what's ur type #klance #vld #my art

[f1version]

NEW YEAR'S DAY ‧͙*̩̩͙❅ LH44

pairing: Lewis Hamilton x girlfriend!Reader ( she/her )

summary: New years is always special when you spend it next to those you love the most. That’s why you spend it with Lewis, and Lewis spends it with you.

warnings/info: fluff, midnight kisses, mentions of alcohol, they get a bit drunk. the extra bit has angst!

word count: 951 + an extra scene of 591 (1.5k)

note: so, the end of 2023. that’s so crazy. i’m so thankful for everything really, there’s a paragraph incoming but, yeah, thank you for reading and following along this year. you made a difference <3

btw i recomend listening to the instrumental of new year’s day by taylor swift !!

snowglobe, a holiday special

One minute before midnight. One minute in which people fall anxious, the sound of heels hitting the floor and whispers reciting resolutions over and over is their favorite tune for one minute. In your minute, you see people gather around the terrace of Lewis’ penthouse, stumbling and laughing, the blinding lights of New York lighting up part of their snow-dusted faces. You knew a couple of faces, some interacting with Lewis and you before your minute hit the half-mark. 

When you’re upon seconds, you look up at the waiting sky, stars expecting to be overshadowed by something bigger, louder. You can feel the anticipation in the air, spotlights from Times Square moving faster, the echo of people’s excitement drowning the streets.

Fifteen seconds away and you look at the man holding you close. His eyes dart between your eyes and your lips, a smile that could light up the world—and already does—on his lips. I don’t do New Year’s kisses, you remember him saying last year, back when your memories together consisted of clandestine meetings in hotel rooms and longing stares, too afraid to confess.

Perhaps this year is a completely different story, but the same character has his arms wrapped around you. There are changes, so many you can barely count, you wonder if this one will be one too.

“So,” Lewis says, “what a year.”

You smile, leaving a kiss on his cheek before resting your forehead on his. “You finally got the hint,” you whisper and he laughs, bringing you closer just as the insatiable sounds of anxiety start morphing into something discernible.

Ten. Nine. 

He lets out a deep breath, “I know what I said last year. About the kisses.”

Eight, they sing as your heart picks up. Seven, and Lewis laughing nervously. 

“And I mean it,” he says, “Meant it.”

Six. Five. Four.

You smile as your side of the world lift their glasses of champagne, recording phones, or just bring their loved ones close. It’s a bubble bath of each life trapped in its own delicate bubble.

Lewis smiles back, breathing heavily, “But I want you to be my first New Year's kiss.”

Three, and you laugh, rolling your eyes. Two, “Then kiss me,”

One, and he closes the distance, the so obnoxious world goes silent, and it’s the best kiss he’s ever received. It’s immersive; Your hands play with his braids and his draw shapes on your hips, his heavy breaths fall over your soft ones, and the taste of two different bottles of champagne tempt to be bitter.

The world around you starts echoing in your head, different colors tinting the perfect kiss. People are patting Lewis’ back as he looks at you, ignoring them for a little longer, only wanting to focus on the girl who enchanted him, the one he could hear talk and talk about for hours on end, the one who changed his mind over love and relationships, the one who held his hand through his darkest times. This was all he needed, all he wanted to focus on. On the girl he loves. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” you tease, daydream still in his eyes.

He smiles, “Oh, absolutely not”

Then you’re walking around, hand-in-hand wishing a happy New Year to the known and the unknown. He calls his family and you call yours, spending ten minutes together sweet-talking to a very sleepy Roscoe on Lewis’ screen. It’s absurd how fast minutes pass but how slow time moves. You see the crowd fading away, leaving the dance floor empty enough to drag Lewis’ over, dancing away the hectic city under you. It’s a new year, and you can’t warp your head around your luckiness.

By 5:44, everyone is gone. You and Lewis lay down on the couch after drowning 6 shots of Tequila, a strong scent of alcohol and sweat hanging in the air, with glitter all across the floor. You’re holding hands, eyes fixated on the ceiling, drunk and in love. What a wonderful way to start the year, you think. 

Lewis moves next to you, standing up a bit disoriented but with determination on his face. “A’right get up,” he says too enthusiastically for almost 6 am, “we have to pick all of this mess.”

You snort, ”Are you crazy?” 

“As ever,” he giggles, “Now, get up!”

This man is incredibly drunk, but so are you, so you stand up, your head spinning around each planet you can barely remember. Lewis puts his hands around your hips, holding you in place, “Lew, I feel like I'm going to fall and die. Oh my god!”

“Not true,” the Brit says, “you promised you’d die with me, and I’m not doing that today.”

You roll your eyes at that, laughing. 

Cleaning up—if you can call two drunk idiots laughing like crazy while trying to remove a stain of wine from the ceiling that—isn’t as awful. Spotify’s ‘Top Hits of 2023’ is playing in the background as you pick up the plastic cups on the floor, Lewis searching for dirty bottles around the house to then be wrapped around each other while cleaning them. The glittery floor is a lost cause, both try to recollect as much as you can with the broom but give up knowing you’ll be surrounded by it for the rest of the year. 

The house looks clean enough in your exhausted eyes by 8 am. Lewis follows you to the bedroom, briefly showering together before dropping under the cloud-like covers, dark curtains forbidding the early sun from disturbing your shortly-approaching sleep. 

You are curled up on Lewis’ chest when you hear him say: “Happy New Year, love.” 

“Happy New Year, Lew.”

EXTRA BIT!! ( 591 words )

“You know,” Lewis calls, arms wrapped around your body as you lay on his bare chest, “I’ve been thinking, well, overthinking, and I want to, like, get it out.”

He pauses, his anxiety clear in the way he speeds up the tender touches on your back. You look up at him, making a small motion of encouragement. He smiles.

“Half of the people today were strangers, friends of friends, and it reminded me that, once, you were a friend of friends. I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but I don’t want us to be like that ever again,” he says, stumbling on words. “I don’t want to call you a stranger; I’ve done that with enough people I’ve loved—not in the way I love you, but loved nonetheless. I’m just so sorry I was so late to this,” he whispers, and you want to interrupt, reminding him that you also played into it, but he talks first: “I know you were also scared to tell me; you don’t have to say it, but you just didn’t deserve all that waiting.”

You search for his hand, needing to hold it. He understands and wraps one of his around yours, taking a deep breath. He says your name before continuing. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, ever. I was scared because of those stupid things I used to tell myself, and you know the rumors around my last relationship. I was terrified of doing the same thing—being too greedy and distancing myself when things got bad—but I didn’t want to lose you. I do not want to lose you.” Lewis says, and you squish his hand three times, reassuring. You feel another breath being taken. “And I know we are okay; we are so wonderful, sweetheart. You’ve taught me so much, but I can’t stop thinking about the what-ifs. What if we have some inconceivable fight? What if the distance during next season messes with us? What if I screw up and you don’t want to see me ever again?”

“I really don’t want to lose you. I love you too much,” he concludes.

You feel tears crowding your eyes, wondering when did he started thinking about all of this. You sit up, looking down at his beautiful face in the faint darkness. His eyes are so full of emotion, so caring and afraid. You cup his face in your hands, leaning down to peck his lips.

“I love you too, so incredibly much. Thank you for opening up,” you said, knowing it was hard for him to talk about these topics. “But, Lew, trust me when I tell you that, as long as both of us are willing to fight for it, we won’t go back to being strangers. When these types of thoughts are overwhelming you again, talk to me, let me know, and we will discuss them together." He has tears in his eyes, and you are sure yours are already streaming down. “Don’t try to read the last page; whatever is written there can change, and if it doesn’t, who cares? Maybe we are set up to die together, just like I promised you, yeah? I’ll hold your hand through it.”

He brings you down to his arms, giving you the warmest hug in the freezing winter. He cries, and you do too, talking here and there, leaving kisses everywhere, drowning in each other's touches. Lewis believes this is the best start to a year he’s ever had.

taglist — @smartstupyd @ziarah @nouvellevqgue @iloveyou3000morgan @carsgovroomm @goldenalbon @doofenshmirtzevil-inc @panicsinvirgo . . . add yourself here

#‧͙*̩̩͙❅ snowglobe #‎ “ ࣭⸰ ★ my writings ! #lh44 #lewis hamilton #sir lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton 44 #lewis hamilton drabble #lewis hamilton blurb #lewis hamilton fluff #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton fanfic #lewis hamilton fic #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x you #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 mercedes #f1 fluff #f1 2023 #(the last one)

[cobragardens]

CORRECTED & UPDATED! Clothes + Equivocation = Romance:

The Husbands in 1793

EDIT: I made a significant error when I wrote this. As @goodjomans kindly points out in the comments to Part 2 of this essay (massive shoutout for this, goodjomans! also I love your name!), Aziraphale is the one who dresses the executioner in clothing like Aziraphale's original ensemble, not Crowley. This changes my conclusions about the meaning we can take from this scene!

On the one hand, mea culpa, y'all. I shall get on with eating my crow. On the other hand, I had to go through this frame-by-frame to catch which of the ineffable spouses puts Jean-Claude in his new togs, and the answer only lasts three frames. Here it is:

After Aziraphale changes his clothes, but before Crowley snaps his fingers and unfreezes time, there's a shot of the executioner over Crowley's shoulder, and he is now wearing a light coat with gold embroidery on the shoulders like Aziraphale's. Aziraphale arranges the executioner's death, not Crowley. So I feel like an idiot for missing it, but not a total idiot.

Let's discuss how this information changes what we can read from this scene! I'm going to leave my original text in place and edit with bold green. I can still stand by most of this essay, but this detail changes how I read the meaning of the husbands' communication at the end of this scene.

So we're all clear on the fact that the universe of Good Omens is an inescapable nightmare dystopia in which either of the husbands' merciless authoritarian regimes could be watching or listening to them at any time, yes? And that if either are caught 'fraternizing' with the other that means discorporation, torture, memory wipe, and/or death for either or both of them, yes?

Which means Crowley and Aziraphale can never speak or do anything openly to each other about their friendship or attraction or love. Everything they say and do has to have an innocuous meaning they can point to in case anybody ever sees or hears something Team Azcrow can't explain away. Walls (and ducks) have ears, and the price of slipping up--as we see in 1827--is heavy.

When a character says or does something that has two distinct meanings because they need to disguise what they really mean from one party but make their meaning plain to another, lit-nerds (and lit nerds🍃) call this equivocation. Equivocation is a kind of coded communication meant to pass hostile ears and eyes in plain sight but reach its intended recipient with its true meaning. The 1793 scene is jammed with it.

A lot of that coded messaging revolves around the clothes Crowley and Aziraphale choose in this scene, so--THESIS PARAGRAPH, BITCHES--we're going going to talk about how their clothes read to the people of this time period and location, what their clothes tell us about their characters, how their clothes help them equivocate, and what they're really saying with that equivocation. And Spoiler A-fucking-lert, it is ROMANTIC AF PRETTY GD ROMANTIC. Let's get nerdy!

We start with Aziraphale's beautiful champagne-gold and powder-pink ensemble.

This outfit would tell people of this time period 3 things about Aziraphale:

That he's insanely wealthy--These clothes would be silk, hand-embroidered with thread made with actual gold. Each individual garment could cost years' or even decades' worth of working-class wages and take a team of skilled artisans dozens to hundreds of hours to make.

That he's a fop--i.e., a man who loves fine clothes and dressing up and looking fancy. By the 1790s in England, once-fashionable foppishness was giving way to the Neoclassical 'Corinthian' style, and was considered effete. (Fun note: During this time period, effete did not automatically indicate gay, and pink was considered a masculine color, so while Az. is queering it up to the audience here, his clothes would not have read as gay or overtly effeminate to the other characters around him.)

Even though he's insanely wealthy, Aziraphale wears clothes that are decades out of fashion.

According to the Victoria & Albert Museum, "As the [18th] century progressed, the male silhouette slowly changed.[...] Coat skirts gradually became less full and the front was cut in a curved line towards the back. Waistcoats became shorter. The upper leg began to show more and more[...]. Shoes became low-heeled with pointed toes and were fastened with a detachable buckle and straps or ribbon[.]

Source

That description is not what Aziraphale's wearing. Judging by his heel height and the length of his waistcoat, Aziraphale is wearing a style that's at least a decade older than this:

And this is from 1765. The great crepes caper happens in 1793, almost 30 years later.

My inference: Just as he has in the modern period, Aziraphale has settled into a style he really likes and refused to let go of it long after it's gone out of fashion.

We'll come back to this set of Aziraphale's clothes in a bit, but we need to talk about Crowley's first, because Crowley's clothes in this scene help render a line he says later about this outfit very flirtatious and darkly romantic.

First, some background: What was considered acceptable attire for wealthy people in France changed pretty much overnight during the French Revolution after the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the fall of the French monarchy. Instead of advertising wealth, clothes now had to advertise political allegiance, and they had to do so loud and clear. And if you didn't want to be murdered by the French First Republic, that political allegiance had fucking better be to the Revolution.

People started wearing a looooooot of super patriotic shit. And I mean it was like little kids on the 4th of July; clothes were red, white, and blue in any hue and garish combination and print. The cockade, a fabric rosette in the colors of the French flag, was required by law to be worn by men, and despite that was just as popular among women. To show solidarity with the laboring classes, the fabrics the wealthy wore went from embroidered silk in light Rococo colors (what Aziraphale is wearing) to sober neutrals without decoration in wool, cotton, and linen.

Now, the script note for Crowley's clothing in this scene is this:

But clearly there were some changes made between script and filming, because Crowley does not appear standing behind Aziraphale; he appears lounging.

And he's not dressed as a French peasant.

Here's how French peasants dressed in 1790:

Peasants at this time wore styles that distinguished them from the styles of the upper classes not just in materials, colors, or patterns, but in shapes. Full trousers and cropped boxy jackets in French flag colors were the marks of the laboring-class Revolutionary, and both styles were huge changes from hundreds of years of French fashion up to that point.

And that's not what Crowley shows up wearing. Crowley is wearing the knee breeches, stockings, waistcoat, and frock coat of a wealthy man, and in fact his clothes reference a very specific type of wealthy man.

In the 1790s, if you were an aristocrat who wasn't happy about the Revolution and you were so sure of your privilege that you would risk your life showing it, you wore black in mourning for the monarchy and in protest of the violence of its deposition. If you were an aristocrat who wanted to protest and you didn't want to be immediately murdered by the French First Republic, you wore a style called half-mourning, which was black with a colored coat.

Here's a picture from a 1790 fashion magazine of an aristocrat in half-mourning:

"The text accompanying the plate describes his ensemble as 'half-mourning,' referring to the aristocrats who lamented 'the diminished powers of the monarchy and [signaled] their willingness to die for the royal cause'" [emph. added]. [Source]

Notice: the shoes, stockings, breeches, waistcoat, and cravat are all black. You with me?

Because here's Crowley in 1793:

I've turned up the brightness and exposure in this image so he's more clearly visible against the stone, but I haven't warmed it up. He's wearing a coat that's a dark blackish red. Everything else, even his cravat, even his shirt, is black. (The black shirt is anachronistic, a lovely little nod to Crowley's refusal to wear angelic white.)

This is 179fuckin'3, y'all. Marie Antoinette is executed in 1793. It's 3 full years after that fashion plate up there in his bright red jacket, and that lil dude was already risking his neck way back in 1790. As we can see from the fact that the government are apparently now grabbing random wealthy-looking Englishmen off the street to murder without trial, the time for a man demon to be sauntering around Paris dressed in all black or even nearly all black is well past.

Crowley's also wearing a whole assload of huge silver buttons, which would have been flashy and tacky and frankly pretty weird in 1793 but very definitely an eccentric Rich Person Thing to do, bc regular buttons at this time were horn or wood and covered with the garment's fabric. The only man in France who could get away with this fancy aristo shit anymore was Robespierre himself, and only "devotion to the cause[...] excused Robespierre’s showy dress since he was perceived as a bridge between the politically empowered bourgeois deputies and the ardently antimonarchical unenfranchised classes." [Source]

So when Crowley teases Aziraphale--

--both of them are perfectly well aware that Crowley's outfit would get him just as killed as Aziraphale's.

And that's why Aziraphale's expression is annoyed when he has abandon his "standards" and change his clothes. Because Aziraphale's the one who needs the favor, Crowley makes him take one for the team and wear the goofy hat.

The clothes Az. changes into here still tell people that he's rich, but they also say he's a hardcore Revolutionary. The red jacket in a current cutaway style, the cockade and sash, and the bonnet phrygien (the red garden-gnome cap) all announce this guy is a huge supporter of the Revolution. His clothes are all still aristocratic in shape and materials (and he keeps his now-unfashionably frilly lace cravat), but he's no longer flaunting obscene wealth in a city filled with angry starving people, and the gnome cap says he's in solidarity with the working classes even if he isn't one of them.

Once he restarts time, Crowley is not leaving that prison cell safely without either changing his clothes or taking Aziraphale with him, because Crowley looks like a rich asshole protesting the fall of the monarchy--which is frankly exactly the kind of thing he'd show up wearing to the Bastille during the Reign of Terror (just like he wears athleisure in Heaven). But Aziraphale's new appearance covers for them both: if the rich-looking guy with no cockade and wearing all black under his almost-black coat is in with this other guy who's obviously a Revolution fanatic, then the rich guy's probably okay, right? He just forgot his sash at home or something. Bees.

Something else happens when Az. changes, too. Look at Aziraphale's new dress from a different angle:

Half-mourning is a white shirt, but a black cravat, so this isn't half-mourning. He's wearing three different badges of the Revolution to make up for the fact that Crowley looks like a Satanic libertine (which tbf he is), but Aziraphale's new ensemble is black and dark red.

Y'all. Aziraphale changes into Crowley's colors.

Now, this is a more fashionable and higher quality version of what the executioner is wearing, so Aziraphale has very plausible deniability here; if anyone ever pulled him up on it, he could say he just copied our man Jean-Claude.

But let me show you what English fashion looks like right now:

This is a French painting of a wealthy Frenchman, but he's wearing the English 'Corinthian' style. It was painted in 1795, so this would have been the very cutting edge of fashion in England in 1793, and the fabrics and colors look right at home in Revolutionary Paris. (He's wearing the cockade on his hat, btw.)

Look at all that angelic white! The buttery almond of the buckskin breeches, the golden kidskin gloves, the rich tan of the riding boots! The blue of the greatcoat! All colors we know Aziraphale prefers!

And yet this is what Aziraphale chooses:

We know from the entire rest of the show how very particular about his clothes Aziraphale is. And yet 150 years before he (accidentally) admits in words that he's Crowley's friend, Aziraphale wears Crowley's colors to take him to lunch to say thank you for a rescue.

When we decide whether a character's speech or action is equivocation, one of the things we check is whether equivocation (and deception generally) is something that character does elsewhere in the text, which, with Aziraphale, hahahahaha, DUH. He's already using equivocation in this scene.

The lunch date itself is equivocation on Aziraphale's part. Aziraphale tries to thank Crowley for the rescue, but Crowley says,

So Aziraphale says,

No more words like "thanks" or "rescue" used, but a couple hours of good food and drink and conversation, Aziraphale hopes, will express the gratitude toward Crowley it's not safe to speak aloud. With this, Crowley and Aziraphale explicitly establish that they are equivocating for each other's safety and using coded communication--immediately before Aziraphale changes into Crowley's colors.

So yes, Aziraphale may well copy the executioner's clothes. But consider: When a character who can't speak or act openly says or does something that has two or more possible meanings, this can be read as equivocation.

We don't get a face reaction from Crowley about Aziraphale's new 'fit, so we can't be sure how he feels about this. But this whole scene is, even on its surface, about 1) the meaning clothes transmit to a viewer ("Oh good Lord," says Aziraphale when he sees what Crowley's wearing) and 2) how to show gratitude and appreciation when you can't speak of them openly. And we know Crowley notices clothing and clothing colors, because look at what he wears, like, ever. So it's very reasonable to presume he notices Aziraphale wearing his colors, and it fits well with both the rest of Crowley's actions in this scene and with his being very hurt and angry when Aziraphale later characterizes their interactions as "fraternizing."

Right, so we've covered what's going on with the husbands' clothes, and we've looked at two examples of equivocation on Aziraphale's part, viz., lunch and his change of colors. (Here's an example of equivocation on Crowley's part as well.) Now let's look at that super interesting thing Crowley says about Aziraphale's first outfit.

Here's the line:

Crowley follows up here on earlier lines in which he teases Aziraphale for coming to Reign-of-Terror Paris for crepes: "Dressed like that?" meaning Aziraphale was guaranteed to get arrested dressed like an aristocrat. The top layer of equivocation is always an innocuous meaning: the plausible deniability meant for the hostile/unsafe listeners. That's Meaning 1.

But "Dressed like that, s/he's asking for trouble" means two other things, too. It's a veeerrrrry familiar phrase, isn't it? We've all heard that arrangement of words in that order before. It's used when people think someone (usually but not always a woman) is dressed to invite sexual attention.

How do we know we're supposed to take this modern meaning from this phrase? This is how:

We have learned in literally the previous sentence to this one that rain has not been invented yet. The only two humans in existence have just left the Garden. Balloons definitely do not exist yet, humans couldn't tell you what lead is, and yet this is a phrase Crowley uses and Aziraphale understands. This tells us, the audience, in the very first line of the very first scene with these characters, that their speech is anachronistic and modern, and that we are to understand their phrasing in its contemporary sense.

So. When Crowley says "Dressed like that, he was asking for trouble" in 1793, we should read that in the context of the scene and in the senses the phrase carries to us today.

And since Crowley is using a phrase that means the executioner is dressed to invite sexual attention, and the executioner is wearing clothes identical to Aziraphale's, then Crowley is necessarily telling Aziraphale that when Aziraphale was wearing those clothes--those frilly, effete, unfashionable-for-decades clothes that nobody else likes and the French now murder people for wearing--that was, in Crowley's view...provocatively sexy. Meaning 2.

"Dressed like that, s/he was asking for trouble" is also what people say to justify violence, especially sexual violence against women and queerphobic attacks against men perceived as gay or just 'insufficiently' 'masculine'. In fact justifying assault is likely the most common way this phrase is used today by a wide margin. Meaning 3.

Crowley's joke isn't even really a joke in this sense; it's a vicious barb. And, because it must, it sounds like it's at Aziraphale's expense: You wore the wrong clothes, you weren't careful enough to guard yourself against the men who want to do you harm, so you deserved the trouble you got. Meaning 1.

Except remember: Crowley is also dressed for trouble. And Aziraphale is aware of this. Crowley's 'fit would be almost as offensive to the Revolutionary French of 1793 as Aziraphale's Rococo pastels, and probably just as likely to get him arrested and murdered by the state if he weren't making letting Aziraphale keep him safe by wearing the cockade and the silly hat. Crowley's not saying anything about Aziraphale here that he's not also saying about himself; and as we know from Aziraphale's initial "Oh good Lord" when he turns around and sees Crowley's black and red half-mourning (with extra black and gobs of silver), Aziraphale knows it.

Then why the rapey joke, Crowley?

This is fucking why:

Crowley rocks up at the Bastille just in time to witness some grubby fucker assault his friend. Assault the person Crowley will greet 15 seconds after this as angel.

Crowley's first act after freeing Aziraphale is to send this dude to his death. Nope! Aziraphale is the one who arranges to have the executioner killed in the clothes he would have killed Aziraphale for wearing. He takes Jean-Claude's ability to speak (but not to make sounds, interestingly! Jean-Claude can still whimper, Jean-Claude can still cry!) so the executioner can't tell anyone about the 'mixup.' It's unclear which of them blocks the executioner's power of speech. The vicious joke about assault in Meaning 3 isn't at Aziraphale's expense at all. It's not You wore the wrong clothes, so you deserved the trouble you got. It's If this guy thinks you deserve trouble for wearing the wrong clothes, he can eat his own rules.

And that's the other piece of evidence that, along with Crowley's ensemble, shows us the audience and Aziraphale which meanings Crowley intends with his equivocation. Meaning 1 is cancelled out by Crowley's clothes. That leaves Meanings 2 and 3.

Crowley and Aziraphale share clothes as a common interest. They don't have the same style, but they're both aware of current fashions, and Heaven and Hell aren't. You can't tell me Hastur or Uriel would recognize the significance of Crowley saying "Dressed like that, he's asking for trouble" about someone else while wearing black stockings and cravat and waistcoat himself. And that means Anything the husbands communicate to each other through clothing choices goes undetected by their masters.

SO. With all this in mind, let's go through the 1793 scene again and look at what their clothes help them say without words.

Concluded in Part 2!

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens costumes #good omens fan theory #good omens meta #good omens analysis #aziracrow #azcrow #ineffable husbands #aziraphale x crowley #azicrow #good omens 1793 #good omens 1984 #good omens clothes and equivocation

[rutilation]

This opening is replete with symbolism. 

Flower language has been a recent fascination of mine.

Do you want to make my new hyperfixation your problem? If so, then let's take a deep dive into the first opening before the new one airs tomorrow.

Before I start, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

While the use of flower language in this show mostly lines up with Japanese hanakotoba, there are still a number of flowers here that hold particular significance within Chinese culture, and thus have additional meanings that don't line up with those from Japan.  I’ll be mentioning them alongside the Japanese meanings where I deem it relevant.

The following will contain light spoilers of content from the novels/manga which has not been animated at the time of writing. I'll try to be vague and sparing with it, but there are a few flowers I can't discuss without them.

Past the title card, the opening begins with eight blooming flowers dancing through the frame in rapid succession.  These represent the storylines covered by the first cour of the anime in order of appearance, and each can be found in the episode(s) they signify.  From the top:

Rhododendron: This plant is all over the first two episodes, so I'm going to cover its appearances before delving into its meaning. In episode one, there are two shots of the buds of this plant, one as Lihua gives birth, and then again as the doctor examines her baby. They're finally shown in full bloom as one of her ladies disregards the branch Maomao used to warn of the toxic makeup. In the following episode, Gyokuyou has seemingly taken a liking to the flower that saved her daughter's life, and a few clusters can be seen in a vase during several shots before Maomao uses them as an example of a seemingly innocuous plant that could cause accidental poisoning, and indeed, if you look closely at the background during the scene with the soldiers, you can see what appear to be rhododendron shrubs. There are actually quite a few different possible meanings for the many granular varieties of Rhododendrons/azaleas.  Luckily, the characters said the name of the plant out loud for me: shakunage.  So, this is Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes.  In hanakotoba it means dignity and majesty, but also, on account of its poison, danger and caution. Those last two meanings clearly line up with its ominous usage in these first episodes, growing and maturing as the babies grew sicker. But in addition to their function as a warning of danger, I think there's a case to be made that they also represent Gyokuyou herself. As I stated earlier, she starts keeping them after the first episode, and Hongniang later starts growing the closely-related azaleas in the jade pavilion as well. As for how its meanings apply to her, Gyokuyou is regal, magnanimous, and never loses her composure (unless it's at Jinshi's expense lol,) but she's also described by Gaoshun as shrewd and cautious, being unwilling to hire any lady she doesn't absolutely trust, and constantly gleaning information to send back to her family. These all fit with the dual meanings of rhododendron. In Chinese culture, rhododendrons and azaleas represent womanhood and passion, as well as home and a desire for homecoming.

Cotton rose: A type of hibiscus, this represents Fuyou, decorating both her person and her chambers in episode 3.  It means 'delicate beauty' and 'graceful lover.' I think these are referring to both her skill in dancing, as well as her affectation of frailty and neuroticism. As far as I could dig up, its unique tendency to change color based on the time of day doesn't have particular bearing on its meaning in either Chinese or Japanese culture, but the story itself uses it as a metaphor for Fuyou hiding her passion, will, and cunning behind a wallflower exterior.

Balloon flower:  In hanakotoba, it represents undying love, sincerity, and grace. These grow in the crystal pavilion, adorn the iconography of Lihua's furniture, and likely inform her blue and violet color scheme. Its last two descriptors gesture towards Lihua's style and personality. She's elegant and staid, but she also takes everything quite seriously, and wears her heart on her sleeve. As for the undying love element, I see that as alluding to her love for her son, her agony at his passing, and her hopes of reclaiming that love again through having another child.

Violet: This one actually tripped me up for the longest time.  The flowers in the opening looked like hostas to me, but no matter how closely I looked at the backgrounds in this show, I couldn’t find anything along those lines.  Eventually though, I caught on that these must be the violets from episode five, even if they’re a different color from those shown in the episode.  And also droopier.  Anyway, violets mean humility, sincerity, and ‘a little bit of happiness.’  In the episode proper, they are crushed underfoot as Maomao narrates about the lengths she had to go to keep herself safe while growing up in the red-light district, illustrating how even the modest aspirations of an ordinary peasant are in perpetual danger in such a cutthroat environment.

Chinese aster: Daisies and asters are my least favorite flowers to identify.  They all look the same.  As such, I’m a little less confident about this one, but I think it’s a Chinese aster.  The leaves and buds look similar, and the context in which it appears in episode six suits its meaning.  As Lishu’s ladies disparage her so-called pickiness, a shot of this flower opens the episode.  While the Chinese aster’s meaning changes based on color, white in particular means ‘please believe me.’ I think that speaks for itself

Toad lily:  This appears twice during episode eight, where Maomao gets drawn into the mystery of an attempted murder during her vacation.  Toad lilies symbolize hidden thoughts and intentions, alluding both to the possible conspiracy on the part of the women of the brothel, and to the fact that Maomao will never really know the truth of the incident, having to content herself with speculation.

Sacred bamboo: This one is easy to miss, because while the plant is in full bloom in the opening, it’s laden with berries in the show proper.  This is Nandina, a.k.a. the sacred bamboo, a mainstay of autumn and winter floral arrangements in both China and Japan.  It’s considered auspicious, symbolizing a reversal of ill fortune into prosperity--the precise opposite of how it’s presented in episode nine of the show.  There, Maomao fiddles with the plant as she contemplates all the instances she’s seen of good fortune being struck down by tragedy, and the prospect of that same sword of Damocles falling upon her head as well, a harbinger of eucatasrophe being used to symbolize straight catastrophe.  Also worth noting is the fact that the plant is very poisonous, so much so that it has a reputation for killing any birds which try to eat its berries; I think that bit of trivia might be the inspiration behind the decision to ironically invert its lucky image.  In addition to its central appearance in episode nine, it can also be seen in Lishu’s chambers in episode ten, mixed in among the vases of white camellias.

Japanese azalea: These mean passion and steadfastness, alluding, in my view, to Fengming’s devotion towards Ah-duo.  Fun fact: did you know that honey made from toxic azaleas, termed ‘mad honey,’ is sometimes manufactured on purpose?  It’s not super legal in most of the world, but apparently it can be used as a psychedelic.

After this, we see a panning shot of seven flowers, with the top four representing the high-ranking concubines, and the bottom three representing the high-ranking courtesans. While the first set of flowers grew from buds and flew across the screen, this set consists of still images. If I were to hazard a guess as to why, I'd say that it's because those previous flowers were conveying the movement of emergent stories, while these upcoming flowers portray the relatively static personality traits of individual characters. I'm going to tackle these in reverse order, as the first three flowers to appear are somewhat tricky to talk about.

Peony: This flower represents Gyokuyou, and in addition to appearing in her non-diegetic floral backgrounds, it also decorates the tapestries of the jade pavilion. In Chinese culture, peonies are one of, if not the most, important flowers. They represent feminine beauty, pride, honor, renown, wealth, prosperity, high-status, opulence, and a nobility of spirit. They are considered to be the king of flowers, and were historically only permitted to be grown by nobility. All of these superlatives are likely alluding towards Gyokuyou's status as the emperor's favorite consort, with the best shot at becoming empress.

Balloon flower: See above.

Lily-of-the-valley: This means purity, chastity, humility, and 'happiness will come again.' While the first three all seem to fit Lishu on their face, I find myself curious about the fourth meaning. I'm only partway through the third novel, but if this indicates that, at some point in the future, Lishu finally catches a break, then I'll certainly be happy to see it.

Dendrobium: In China, orchids in general are associated with elegance, refinement, and good taste, which fits with Maomao's description of the garnet pavilion as being beautiful in a minimalist sort of way. They also represent the virtues of an ideal gentleman-scholar: integrity, humility, temperance, and nobility. Furthermore, they are considered emblematic of spring; it, along with bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom, represent the four seasons. Returning to Japanese symbolism, the flower associated with Ah-duo seems to specifically be Dendrobium nobile. Nobile in particular means 'honest and to-the-point' in hanakotoba, likely alluding to Ah-duo's candid personality, and the fact that she is on casual terms with the emperor.

Regarding the final three flowers, the show itself doesn't explicitly tie any one of them to a particular courtesan--their flowers only appear as a group in episode twelve. But, by contemplating their meanings, and with some help from the characters' wiki pages, we can make some educated guesses.

Yulan Magnolia: This one, I'm guessing, represents Joka. On one hand, I'm kind of dumping her with this because the other two flowers just seem to fit the other two courtesans better, but its attributes nonetheless seem to accord what we know of her character--which admittedly isn't very much. In hanakotoba the yulan magnolia means nobility, sublimity and a love of nature. In China, its pretty similar: purity, nobility, dignity. It's also worth noting that they're commonly planted around Buddhist temples in China, and have been for many centuries, granting them an air of spiritual profundity. Joka is said to be aloof and cold, which is part of her appeal as a courtesan. While chrysanthemums and plum blossoms have a warmer aspect to their meanings, the loftiness of magnolia hews more closely to her characterization. Then there's the matter of her name, which is apparently a stage name. It translates to 'Lady Ka' (or 'Hua,' if you want to go with the Mandarin pronunciation.) Now, the 'ka' in her name is written as 華, and in the story, that character is only permitted to be used by the emperor and his family. So, for her to use it, even as a stage name, is a pretty bold pretense to nobility.

Chrysanthemum: In Japan, chrysanthemums are associated with nobility and the imperial family. In China, they are associated with longevity, endurance, and vitality, on account of their long-lasting blooms that persist late into autumn. I think this is most likely to be Pairin's flower. She's one of the few courtesans who's in her line of work because she wants to be, and is flourishing in an environment where others are desperate and debt-ridden. That covers 'vitality,' and Lihaku can attest to her endurance, if you know what I mean... Moving on, its mentioned in the novels that she's actually in her thirties, but still looks quite young, again harkening to the chrysanthemum's persistence.

As far as symbolism is concerned, chrysanthemums do seem to fit her character better than magnolias. But, something that gives me pause is her name, which means 'white bell,' on account of yulan magnolias being white and having a bell-like shape. I still think it's most likely that the chrysanthemum, and not the magnolia, belongs to her, but it was too notable a coincidence to not at least mention.

Plum Blossom: We can safely assume this one refers to Meimei, as her name is written with the character for plum. As plum trees are among the earliest to bloom each year, and will even bloom while snow still covers their branches, both China and Japan associate them with resilience, hope, inner-strength, and renewal. We don't know much about Meimei either, but my impression of her is that she seems to be the nicest and most even-keeled of Maomao's sisters.

Following this parade of showy flowers, we finally glimpse the emblem of our protagonist, Oxalis corniculata, the creeping wood sorrel, downcast and huddled amidst the underbrush of a forest. Whereas the other flowers we've seen thus far are primarily ornamental (even if some are also edible/medicinal,) wood sorrel is herbaceous and weedy, and is unlikely to grace any vases, wreaths, or arrangements. If it were spotted in a noble's garden, it would likely be uprooted, but to the peasant who finds it growing in a ditch, it's a tasty snack.

In hanakotoba, wood sorrel means joy, 'shining heart,' and 'a mother's love.' All three descriptors, I believe, are relevant to Maomao's character. Despite her flat affect, Maomao has a strong passion and sense of joie de vivre driving her through life. Those further along in either the novels or the manga will recognize 'a mother's love' as (somewhat ironically) gesturing towards her complicated relationship with her mother. As for 'shining heart,' I think that will become apparent as we go further through the opening.

But, before we do that, I'd like to take a moment to examine the moments when wood sorrel appears in the show itself. Thus far, by my recollection, it has appeared in episodes one, three, and twelve. The opening shot of the first episode is of a wood sorrel, informing the viewer in no uncertain terms that this is Maomao's flower, (in case the opening was too subtle.) In the third episode, several wood sorrels dot the field where Fuyou sits with her lover, symbolizing how Maomao has aided and protected them. In episode twelve, a single wood sorrel is tucked inside a lavish bouquet of her sister's flowers, a visual gag paralleling them fussing and fawning over her.

Returning to the opening, Maomao is shown contemplating a subtle glow in her closed hands while a reflected, sunlit version of herself glances back at her. Then, as all the previous flowers fall away, as Maomao casts the light up into the air, its glow illuminating her face, the wood sorrel finally stands upright, and blooms in full.

Now is a good time to mention a relevant characteristic of creeping wood sorrel: it only blooms in direct sunlight. When crowded by other plants, it curls in on itself, closing both its flower and leaves. This serves as a clear metaphor for Maomao's personality; under most circumstances, she seeks to be invisible and unobtrusive, but when she's in her element, she commands attention and respect.

Following this, we have her magical girl-esque transformation sequence, with her outstretched hands forming the shape of a blooming flower as she dances through a whirl of yellow wood sorrel petals. She then bows down in imitation of the flower, taking the light back into her chest (there's that shining heart I mentioned earlier,) as she dissolves into the stoic, unassuming version of herself once more, closing out the opening. (Jinshi who?)

I'd like to end this analysis with an observation. While the real wood sorrel exists at the perpetual mercy of outside forces, Maomao is not merely reacting to a light source that exists beyond her control. The light exists within her, and she chooses when it will shine down for all to see, and when she will hide it away in the depths of her heart. To those who've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading.

#the apothecary diaries #i like being mean to a certain someone #but i will note that i'm familiar with the interpretation that the lyrics of the op are written from his perspective #and i would agree that that reading has merit

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Any tips for picking back up in the middle of a revision without having to start over? I wrote a book in 2019 and started a major revision in 2021. I printed the book and tore it apart with notes and switching timeline events/chapters around. Now I look at all the notes that are good advice and I would like to apply this progress to the story, but it's so overwhelming and jumbled up 😵‍💫

I've also recently picked up a back-burnered project I've been dreading, only to realize the notes I wrote solved 99% of the problems I had. The only thing holding me back was me, and it sounds like you're in the same boat.

Draft A New Outline - Having a way to track what changes you need to make is helpful, like using an Excel sheet (I know, but it does work) or color-coding changes. This will help so much, especially if you need to track big changes.

Go Through and Highlight What You Like - You may have to throw out whole chapters, but there's reasons you don't want to. Note what you really like - a turn of phrase, a character moment - and see if you can fit it in elsewhere. Always keep that cut folder or document to dig through later.

Set Micro Goals (And Keep Them!) - It's easier to dive into a new draft than to revise an old one. Chunk your goals in easy to accomplish ways. Instead of tackling a whole chapter a day, tackle a scene or a page. Instead of revising 800 words a day, narrow it down to 500 or 300. I make a big chart with my revision goals on it, and you're damn right I slap a cute Daiso sticker next to each goal accomplished. It really helps.

Work Backwards, Revise Forwards - If you have an all new ending with bigger and better stakes, figuring out how to get your plot there may require stepping back, chapter by chapter, to see what subplots you should add or scenes that need to be moved around.

However - and this is just what works for me - working toward a revised draft means starting the rewriting/revising process from Chapter One. That way I don't accidentally cover the same ground twice, and catch when I need to start a subplot sooner or rework descriptions I've used more than once.

Move Past The First 50 Pages - Don't get stuck at the beginning! It's so tempting to revise the first act to perfection, but you might need two or three more drafts to get to the real end of your story, and that might mean tossing all that hard work out. Keep going, and if you find yourself getting caught into fixing Chapter 3 when you're not sure Chapter 30 works, make a note and move on. Finishing your second draft is just as important as finishing your first.

Good luck and keep going!

#revising #revision #writing advice

[liquidstar]

SEASON 3 TRAILER DROPPED HERES MY THOUGHTS (LN spoilers)

BROTHER AND SISTER OF ALL TIME THEYRE SO CUTE <3 love seeing how their relationship has progressed from beako literally throwing him out a window for stuff like this to her happily playing along its so so so so so cute. genuinely just one of the cutest and sweetest dynamics in the series

hi ram roswaal and fred :) this is probably all we're going to really see of you guys this arc lol

JOSHUA REAL!!!!! but not for long (also otto in the bg foreshadowing all the drinking hes about to do this arc. hes so stressed. poor emilia is trying her best)

julius looks so babyfaced here? they really emphasized his long eyelashes just like subaru has been on about every time he mentions him. they better include the scene where he checks him out, like, if they dont animate subaru looking dead at this mans ass im going to riot

i LOVE this shot of ana. you can really tell shes up to some corrupt capitalist bullshit as we speak. love her for that. wish i had this pic when i made that one money game anastasia video

the red dress actually does look really good on crusch like it compliments the green hair really well but also the crusch we know would not walk around in such a thing so its like. damn looks like the "memories are an important part of identity" story thinks memories are an important part of identity. who knew.

ALSO LOVE FELTS NEW LOOK SO MUCH! the only complaint is i felt (felt lol) like the red brought out her eyes more but the blue also looks cool. three primary colors all being used looks nice too

whatever who cares about all that THE CUNT!!!!!!! THE CUNT IS HERE!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR ALL THE DRAMA SHE CAUSES TO BE ANIMATED FOR REAL

no fucking way... did they actually...

THEY DID! THEY CENSORED THAT HORRIBLE FUCKING DESIGN OH MY GOD. SHES WEARING SHORTS AND JUST A CROPPED SHIRT. AND CHAPS I GUESS? BUT ALSO A LITTLE SKIRT CAPE SO NO ASS SHOTS... THIS WILL MAKE WATCHING THE SEASON SO MUCH MORE TOLERABLE. i mean not perfect but STILL.

photos taken seconds before disaster lmfao. i still love how chin thinks subaru is a freak and weirdo for being so buddy buddy with him after he and his buddies mugged him. twice. (even more times from subarus perspective. hell he stabbed subaru once) genuinely cant wait to see more of this dynamic its so stupid.

THE FUCKING CUNT!!!!!! also the apples lol

oh you poor thing. you have no idea what next level family drama bullshit awaits. good luck. get ready to kill grandma AGIAN lol

:'( emilia still misses her terrible cat dad and its kinda sad when you know were not getting a resolution on that here either. they both look so sad :(

i cannot wait for garf mommy issues round fucking 2.

THIS CRAZY BITCH!!! I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS CRAZY BITCH ANIMATED. I CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THEYRE PORTRAY HER MANNERISMS. ESP W HOW WILD PETELGEUSE WAS ANIMATED IN S1. REAL LOONY TOONS BULLSHIT. AND HER POWERS ARE ALSO SOOOOOO MUCH COOLER I CANT WAIT

NO MORE DRESSES FOR CRUSCH YAY

he fucking bit it. yeah i guess thats what dogs do tho.

YOU. DIVORCE MAN. KILL YOURSELF. SLASH SERIOUS.

the empathy powers will have a glowing eye effect. very cool but i hope they dont show it too much in the first scene bc like in the LN i think its cooler if you dont know why everything is so... Wrong.

i dont rly have anything to say i just think ferris looks cool covered in blood. imagine being healed here like doctor catgirl will see you now

emilia be nice. that crazy bitch might be your mom. just like how the previous crazy bitch was in fact your dad.

THEY CHANGED UP CAPELLA'S DESIGN TOO honestly tho her being sexualized makes sense w a lot of the themes (the way its intentionally meant to be perverse and gross in a way explicitly stated) so i didnt mind as much and she still IS here but. this is still an improvement imo just a better outfit looks cooler. bug.

NAUR I DONT WANNA WAIT... OCTOBER.... AUGH

#re:zero #very excited even the things that i was the most unexcited abt and made me wary to watch have been fixed a bit yippeeee

[genericpuff]

Absolutely love the rendition to the panel of Hades holding Persephone. Lovely to see it rendered as a more mutual act with Perse holding onto Hades instead of just letting Hades hold her, and ofc seeing Persephone actually look like an adult woman. (Not to even mention the colors and rendering because whoaa those were lovely)

And I have a question about this new rendition if I’m allowed to make it! The original had very dramatic and sharp composition with the angles and being off centered which conveyed much of the emotions and style that made early LO very striking. In adapting it, was it a conscious choice to change the composition or what were the deciding factors that made you and banshriek decide centering Perse and Hades worked better in this situation? :0

Ahhh thank you ;w; It took a few rounds of sketching to get the pose just right, the flats thankfully weren't as difficult as I was worried they'd be, but the challenge was definitely in trying to get the pose right while maintaining the height difference that's there.

As for your question, a lot of the posing and sketch composition is something I do, and then Banshriek typically goes wild with the backgrounds while making adjustments to those compositions if necessary, often times I leave the backgrounds up to their discretion as they're 10x more skilled at that sort of thing than I am and they often bring new perspectives to the table. This means that it often ends up being a game of give and take between what we contribute, sometimes I'll have sketches that they feel need to be adjusted, other times I'll have to add little tweaks to their backgrounds if it's missing something. We're both working off a base rough sketch, but we both get to contribute to the final scene in our own ways; splitting it between background and character flats has been a happy middle that's worked well for us :)

Depending on the scene, sketches can range from minimal to more detailed. Here's the original base sketch for that scene:

So originally there was a larger tree working over the side but I didn't really know how detailed we wanted to be in the actual full background, much of it depended on how complex Banshriek wanted to get. You can also tell that Persephone's face was originally buried into Hades' chest in the original panel, which I originally flatted in, but then wound up changing because I wanted her eyes to be visible to reflect both of their expressions of relief at the same time.

That said, with the pose changing from what it was in the original (from Persephone almost laying on Hades vs. him holding her and lifting her up) the composition had to change with it so I decided to just make them a bit more centered, that way the focus would be fully on them and the balance of the scene wouldn't feel "off" due to the pose change. I tend to follow the Rule of 3 here !

So yeah! That's pretty much why centering it felt a little better in this case. Though part me of does wish I was able to keep the original pose, when breaking that scene down into its bones I found it had to take a lot of liberties with its anatomy and proportions, as many LO scenes do. You can't really tell just on a surface level but Persephone's head is huge and the rest of her body is tiny (her hips literally come up to Hades' sternum and her feet meet at his knees). With the character design changes made in Rekindled to make Persephone a little less tiny and more consistent in her body type (while still maintaining the size difference between them) and to reflect their character arcs at this point (as I'm not rushing them into intimacy quite like the original comic did) certain things have to change to balance it out and accommodate. If you're a math person, think of it like solving algebra equations - what you do to one side of the equation needs to be reflected and adjusted on the other side.

And of course Banshriek did a lot more to really exemplify the mood shift in the almost labrynth-like forest Persephone grew within Tower 4. There are still trees and plant life everywhere, but instead of feeling like an endless maze with its tones of deep red that we saw Hades navigate, it now feels like a soft and gentle meeting point for the two. Like the original scene, the color change is used to change the mood of the scene and reflect the calmness of Hades and Persephone as they've found one another.

At the end of the day we did what we ultimately thought would work best for the way Rekindled is drawn, giving both Banshriek and I the freedom to fully utilize our respective skillsets. That way we were able to pay tribute to that original scene while also creating something new out of it <3

That said, I'm sure @banshriek can also chime in with their own design notes on this episode, if they have a minute to spare! I'm sure they'll have lots to say about the fun they had working with those new brushesヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

#ask me anything #anon ama #ama #anon ask me anything #lore rekindled #lore rekindled ama

[bonefall]

Clanmew Masterpost

Clanmew is a constructed language made for Warrior Cats that I, @bonefall, run with my buddy @troutfur! I make the vocab and he does the grammar. I hope that this post will become a good, central place to keep links to everything we've done so far.

CURRENT VERSION: 1.0 LAST UPDATE: 6/3/2023

Clanmew is an OSV-order language, made with the sounds cats make in mind. "Base Clanmew" is built around the Clan Culture updates of the Better Bones AU, which means it is made with the ecology of southwestern Northern England in mind and only contains words for plants and animals found there. It also has phrases for cooking and crafting.

(specific regions modeled: Lancashire, Chester, Manchester, Merseyside, Clwydd is modeled for river biomes specifically)

You are free to use it for your own projects! We encourage you to consider how this language would evolve in your Clan's history, and add or remove words to make a dialect that reflects the culture's feelings and needs.

THE BASICS:

Everything you need to know for basic structure is in CLANMEW 101. Start here.

We have a constantly updating LEXICON of all the words we have made so far.

Have you made a dialect? Let me know and I can link you here so others can see what you're doing with it!

Below the cut:

In-universe information; How Clanmew evolved linguistically

"Expansion Pack" posts where I discuss etymology

Pronunciation stuff (until I make that IPA chart I keep promising)

Working translations; Names, parables, OC submissions

Dialect submissions (These are manned by other people!)

Historical Trivia

The linguistic evolution of Clanmew from Old Tribemew and Parkmew

Animals are named for the sounds they make.

How pronouns for objects change based on how the speaker feels about it.

More, using human examples

there is a secret post about cursing but you have to find that on your own ;)

Through Time Travel Shenanigans, Hollyleaf's name evolves into the word "Scourge"

The Clanmew Play-by-Play of that

The word for Everything

How hard is it for speakers of the other in-universe languages to pick up Clanmew?

On nicknames!

Squirrelpaw and Crowfoot discover corn

The names of the three ideologies... also thistles.

The Invalid Five

Expansion Packs

Colors

Directions, way-finding

Spirituality terms

Rocks

Beetles

Follow up: some plant parts

Patch (pattern) vs Patch (plants)

Den, camp, territory, construction

The two violets

Shapes of flowers

Volume

Generic terms

Rollypollies and centipedes

Insults

Rain... because this is England

The Clan Clock; time terms

The four seasons

Clerics and Common Herbs

Roses

Water movement

BIRDS AND BATS

Finches

Texture

Dogs

Mint

Parts of fur

Forest terms

Foxes, parts of a forest

Cuckoo bird

DEER

Shade and understorey

Cedar

Waterside words

Pronunciation Stuff

Closest thing to an IPA chart I currently have

My process for coming up with words based on vibes

I was asked for more behind-the-scenes stuff so here you go?

How I hold my mouth when I speak

Trout Tips

How would Clan cats pronounce the Slavic TS, or the word pizza?

On the Double yy

Working translations

BB!Scourge's new warrior name, Iceheart, in Clanmew... and Nightheart!

Light, moon, wind, BB!Raggedstar's pre-honor title name

OC SUBMISSION: Flameshell, Fogwhisper, Willowsong

OC SUBMISSION: Lichennose, Mudthistle, Longpounce

OC SUBMISSION: Fallensky

PACK PACK KILL KILL

"I love you"

Baby talk

"What have I done?"

"Fool Tale"

How to Clanmew-ify a strange word

Dishonor Title for "Mudpuddle"

OC SUBMISSION: Riverrunner, multiple-word names, walking words

OC SUBMISSION: Firefang, Rabbitdash, Peachfeather, plus a bunch of words for weasel-like animals

Ivypool

The use of tense in names

PROPHECY SUBMISSION: "Dust and flame will combine to destroy home"

Skywatcher

OC SUBMISSION: The Caldwell Family

Foxheart

Runningnose

PROPHECY SUBMISSION: Six will come of every rank

OC SUBMISSION: Witherstrike

"I like this" and also parasitic worms

Prism, rainbow-color

OC SUBMISSION: Piebald Creature

Gayheart

Sneeze and Knockout

OC SUBMISSION: Penny-fitzgerald

OC SUBMISSION: Voidwhisper, Chalkwhistle

OC SUBMISSION: Poppyflare, Spikemane, Blizzardfang

OC SUBMISSION: Burning Hawk-fur

Mistyfoot

BRAMBLESTAR BUTCHERS THE BLOSSOMKIT NAMES

Dialect Submissions

Pfurr Clanmew (@troutfur)

#Clanmew #Clan culture #clanmew masterpost

[open-hearth-rpg]

Links: Great RPG Mechanics #RPGMechanics: Week Eight

I dig Forged in the Dark– it’s an interesting system which people have tuned in many different ways. It is tight, with many innovations– several of which I’ve talked about earlier on these lists. But FitD's tightness means that it can be challenging to balance the mechanics. Some adaptations, like Scum & Villainy and Hack the Planet, hew close to the original with mainly a reskin and a couple of tweaks. 

Others dig in and make more substantive changes, like Songs for the Dusk and Vergence. Some Forged in the Dark reworkings are excellent but still have some gaps in the mechanical balance. For example, I love Mountain Home. It’s a strong contender for my fav game of the year. But in MH, stress acts as a significant restriction on player choices. It's a currency you're often spending to resist bad results and there’s few mechanics to help clear that until the end of the year. It’s playable, but the game needs a couple of additional options (new buildings, GM rewards) to help offset that. A minor tweak could make things stronger. That experience with Mountain Home colored our thinking about Forged in the Dark games.

So when we started our Girl by Moonlight campaign my group expressed skepticism about the mechanics. GBM makes some major changes from the Forged baseline. In particular characters have so few action dots– meaning that any roll would be few dice, which in turn meant they’d either be constantly taking poisoned promises or resisting consequences. There were grumbles but we decided to give it a try. 

And it works– it works really well, all thanks to Links. We don't have the issues we imagined. Girl by Moonlight's Links system creates dynamic, interactive play with a lot of choices. Plus, in a way we couldn’t see before we started playing, it adds new and novel space for roleplaying. FitD is sometimes criticized for not offering obvious space for role-play and character interaction. Girl by Moonlight builds that in. 

In play, you can spend links to let you or the named linked protagonist regain 2 stress. You can also spend them to give +1d to that named protag or to have them ignore 1 harm tag temporarily. Finally you can, in certain circumstances, spend it to try to keep them from falling into the negative state called eclipse. In play, this changes up things dramatically– people are spending links to help one another and describing what they do to connect. It supplements the stress mechanics while making actions feel possible. The small number of action dots don't matter as much. Links clear after each mission so you want to spend them during that phase. 

But the other half of the link system is what really makes it hum. You create links during downtime by using the Make Connections action. You choose to do something with another PC to build your relationship with them. There’s a roll made, with a 1-3 giving two links; a 4-5 giving three; and a 6 giving four. When you Make Connections, your targeted player writes those down. This becomes a crucial action in Downtime, replacing Recover Stress from base Forged in the Dark. Choosing another downtime action has to be balanced against this one– making for interesting tension when other things need to get done. 

But here’s the key– Making Connections pushes for role-playing. It offers moments where characters can interact with other PCs. They can also take links with NPCs (and their mecha Engines in the “On a Sea of Stars” framework). That’s meant that we’ve spent entire sessions– profitably letting these scenes breathe and just doing downtime. It is amazing and dynamite. 

The thing that strikes me is how much I couldn’t see this interaction and dynamic just from reading the rules. It was only once we got to playing that I understood exactly why GBM made these choices and what impact they had.

#ttrpg #rpg #rpg mechanics

[bubbieboy]

bliss redesign based off one I made in my teens

thought process + various other bits and bobs under the cut

I was 15 and annoyed by everything that moved when this character first came out, so in my own head I was very much making a Point with this redesign. Hence, I made very minimal changes. I wanted to work with what was already there and basically just make the existing design more thought-through. Little breakdown ahead (keeping in mind i myself am very much An Amateur who doesn’t know shit and am just ranting about my opinions and i also haven’t seen a single second of the 2016 reboot so i don’t know much about Bliss to begin with)

1. one of my Biggest pet peeves with Bliss is that the powerpuff girls each have bangs that are simple, memorable, and iconic while also being unique from each other and being reminiscent of irl little girls hairstyles. It’s very neat and clever and I like it a lot

and then Bliss has this confusing jumble of shapes that looks like it changes in style halfway across her forehead

i have absolutely no idea what the intent is here. My only guess is maybe it’s meant to look weird on purpose like she was trying to cut it herself or something (I suspect it’s something like that since she seems to have normal looking bangs as a little kid from what I can see) but it doesn’t really come off that way if that’s the case. It just looks like baby’s first PPG OC where you Understand that it’s meant to be hair and that it is made out of shapes but have 0 understanding of hairstyle or character design in general. Heck I might have put this exact hairline on a character in the past at the age of like 8

So in my redesign she’s got 5 even notches across her bangs, not thee most exciting change but it does the job I think. It is pretty reminiscent of Blossom but they look different enough from each other that I wasn’t too worried about it

2. low-hanging fruit time, Bliss’s hair color is horrible on the eyes. I’m bewildered at the decision to do this, especially since there is just so much of it, I struggle to think of how she could exist in any scene without hogging all the viewer’s attention constantly. That said, I understand they wanted her to have an unnatural hair color to really signal that she is a Fresh new Teen character from the late 2010’s, which is. Whatever, that’s fine, so she gets purple hair now. I kept the streak for the same reason, especially since she’s got a lot of hair, so no harm in a little extra interest in there.

I also learned recently that her hair glows sometimes? which i did Not know when first drawing her but well i think the darker color helps anyway. It adds some contrast for when she’s normal vs when she’s glowing and makes the latter appear more,, idk threatening or powerful or whatever the mood generally is when she’s doing that.

I did re-add that toothpaste blue to her eyelids though. I like to think it’s also the color of her lasers. It’s a cute color, just not as like 70% of this character’s palette

3. real talk I was drawing this from memory and didn’t mean to change the way her hair flares out from her head. realistically I think the original is fine, maybe just a little boring but fine, so that part of the redesign was an accident. Only thing is, it’s in the exact same position in every screenshot I’ve seen? It doesn’t seem to whip around when she’s flying or anything which looks weird and probably looks weirder in motion, especially since it takes up so much space onscreen. Idk it’s a strange decision, esp since the original show liked to use the ppg’s hair to emphasize their movement, so I’d just bring more movement into her hair. I mean if nothing else it’d make her look cooler.

very very rough little visual of what I mean

I also ended up making it shorter in my redesign—again, not really intentional, but I think it’s better that it eats up a little less of her silhouette

4. Her headband is largely the same, I didn’t hate the idea of her having an accessory, so I just toned down the colors. I’m not personally a fan of the powder blue and that pink heart is very bright and just doesn’t go with the rest of her (once again the color of her hair is doing it no favors). I also moved the heart over. Not necessarily needed I think, but I feel like it reads quicker as a headband and not a weird crown that way+introduces some asymmetry into her design that I think is nice.

5. my biggest gripe other than her bangs are her hips. I’m not against adding anatomy to this character design to make her read visually as older than the girls, but it’s so awkwardly done and distracting. I feel like it even interferes with her line of action more often than not (which is not helped by her unmoving hair).

Part of the issue is she still has the teeny tiny torso, just… with those square-ish hips slapped on, which makes her legs look all gangly and stretched out. I tried to balance out the proportions more in my redesign, as well as change the hips to a flared skirt. I think it helps differentiate her from the girls and still implies hips underneath, it just also functions as a less clunky transition from her torso to her legs.

Lengthening her torso also allows the stripe to look more like a belt above the skirt, which I think helps to sell her as “similar, but not the same” from the ppg

6. Her leggings(? Idk Im not a fashion person) aren’t a bad idea I think. like a more mature version of the girls’ stockings, but I think the white makes them look really distracting. It would help to make them a darker color I think, but since I wanted to keep them reminiscent of the girls’ socks I kept them white and just shortened them.

7. Not really sure what Bliss is wearing on her feet. I think they’re Mary Janes, but they’re drawn a bit different from the girls’ and I honestly think it’s too babyish a shoe for her to wear. I’m not sure what she’s actually wearing in my redesign either honestly, but the goal was just to make them look like the girls’ Mary Janes while clearly being something different.

8. Uh her signature color is something I’ve contemplated changing a lot but to be real I think it’s fine. I feel it was a very bad idea from a marketing standpoint because people were hype about Bunny and would obviously be mad they didn’t get her once the character actually dropped (and in the long-run she would just end up being overshadowed by the character everyone has already assigned that color to) but I’m personally not bugged by her being purple beyond that. If I were to draw them together though I think Bunny would have a more pinky shade of purple and Bliss leans more blue.

Loosely on the same topic, because of Bliss I’ve had a running headcanon that “only child” types of powerpuffs tend to come out purple. Kind of like how trios tend to have a red, blue, and green. It’s a fun little piece of fake lore to rotate around in my brain

Anyway with all that out of the way, here’s some redesigns I decided to have some fun with. Wasn’t being too precious about recognizability or simplicity or anything like that, but I did run out of steam partway through. There’s also one based off Whoopass Bell bc idk, why not

Finally, here’s some OCs I only ever drew once before out of a desire to give Bliss her own teen girl archetypes to form a team with. This is Bee and Beetle, who I’ll probably definitely forget about again immediately after posting this

#ppg Bliss #the powerpuff girls #my art #powerpuff oc #under the cut anyway #trying to do an interesting background #i got bit by a drawing bug and felt the strong need to finish this post today #i’ve been meaning to put together some art and a little ramble about bliss for a while #largely because idk if or when i’ll ever actually talk about her again #i also skimmed through this post once or twice so sorry if it’s incoherent #anyway this took a long ass time i need to take a nap or something

[odyssean-flower]

The Chief Justice and the Worst Painter in Fontaine Chapter 4 - The Chief Justice, the Painter, and the Lovely Picnic

Summary: It was supposed to be your time to relax and get in touch with your (extremely) buried creative side…but then your boss showed up. A/N: 4th and final chapter! tbh i feel like that title doesn't apply to the work that well, but i like the sound of it so i'm not changing it! Word count: 6.3k Masterpost here

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 (Bonus Scenes) || Chapter 4

The hot and sultry summer changed into a cool and crisp autumn. Unlike the seasons, your relationship with Neuvillette didn't change so drastically, but it did change.

For one thing, you two finally stopped apologizing to each other every other sentence. After your friendship was "officially" decided, the tense and polite formality between you two had dissipated. Of course, you weren't hugging him or anything like that, but you felt at ease enough to put your hand on his shoulder or touch his arm. Although, you noticed that he would only reciprocate if you touched him first.

And another thing-you two were conversing more. Well, it was mostly you talking and him listening. Neuvillette seemed to be the type who didn't mind staying silent for long periods of time until someone talked to him, and he was a good listener. You talked to him about trivial things like what you've been reading lately, or a new dessert you've tried. You tried to avoid talking about your personal life or work-related things. He was still your boss, after all, and your friendship with him was so delicate and fragile, like a glass orb, that sharing too much felt like it would strain it. 

With the cost of buying canvas and paints hurting your wallet, you decided to switch to a more affordable art-related hobby: sketching. Now you no longer had to lug around your easel and canvas. With just a sketchpad and pencil, you had more freedom to move around than before. You took to it like a fish in water, sketching little animals, flowers, and buildings. You didn't want to brag, but you felt like you were much better at this than at painting. Or maybe you improved your art skills in general through painting?

When he heard about your money troubles, Neuvillette offered to buy the supplies for you, but you adamantly refused. You didn't want him to spend money on you when he had already done so much, and painting was always just a means to an end anyway. 

Neuvillette still took you around to various scenic places. He would tell you about the historical events that occurred there like he had been there in person (though he never talked about his own past), and point out all the interesting but unseen things about them. But more than learning, you loved listening to him talk and watching his face as he did so. The elusive, nearly imperceptible curving of his lips or the way his eyes would soften whenever they landed on a water creature was fascinating to study. How can anyone think he's cold and unfeeling? You wondered.

But sometimes you felt a painful tug on your heart, though you didn't know why. You felt it when you looked at his tall, broad back as he walked in front of you, or in the silences that followed after you finished chattering about something. You had an inkling as to the source of these feelings, but the fear of exactly what you would find there made you deliberately not think about it.

However, it was easy to push such things to the back of your mind when you walked with Neuvillette under the warm sun or sketched something that caught your eye while he waited patiently for you. It was your secret, fervent wish that such golden days would last forever.

On a certain autumn day, you and Neuvillette were on the slopes of Mont Automnequi, admiring the changing colors of the leaves. From a distance, it looked as though the slopes were covered in flickering red and orange flames. You had brought colored pencils for the occasion and couldn't wait to use them.

The two of you settled down in a spot that had a good view of the trees but was also within a short distance of the water. It was almost an instinctual thing by now, how you two would always gravitate to the sea.

As you were getting out your sketchpad, a cool breeze suddenly blew through you, causing you to shiver. You were wearing a sweater, but it seemed that it wasn't thick enough. 

"You should be dressing warmer for the weather. You'd catch a terrible cold," Neuvillette scolded you. 

"Yeah," you agreed. "But it's fine. I don't get sick easily."

It was true. You could count on one hand the number of times you've ever gotten sick.

But Neuvillette didn't seem convinced. To your amazement, he took off his outer jacket-or rather, jackets, you didn't even know he was wearing two-and placed them over your shoulders. They were voluminous and heavy, practically drowning you in their fine fabrics.

"Y-You can't, sir!" you spluttered. Without his two coats, Neuvillette was only in his vest and white shirt. "What if you get cold?" 

"I am made of much sturdier stuff than that. There's no need to worry about me. Humans are such fragile creatures, you must take good care of yourself."

You tried to protest some more, but he wasn't having it. You eventually stopped as the warmth from his jackets seeped into you. They held a scent that inexplicably reminded you of clear waterfalls and the pavement after it rained. It was a pleasant, refreshing scent...wait...

Your face turned bright red when you realized what you were doing. Not only were you surrounding yourself with the Chief Justice's body heat, but you were smelling his clothes as well. 

Don't be weird, don't be weird... You chanted in your head. You snuck a peek at Neuvillette to see if he noticed how flustered you got and turned even redder.

Without his customary--dare you say, trademark--deep blue coats, Neuvillette almost looked like a completely different person. Less imposing and grand. You would even go so far as to say that he looked vulnerable, but he had a sturdy, virile build--

Stop thinking and start sketching, the tiny part of your brain that remained your voice of reason commanded. 

Your hands moved on their own, moving across the paper with the pencil. In order to distract yourself further, you spoke as you sketched.

"Monsieur Neuvillette, I heard that you're going to be presiding over an important case next weekend."

It was a complicated case of fraud that involved a great many people, so it was necessary to question them all. This wasn't the first time Neuvillette had to miss a weekend. You were surprised that it didn't happen more often.

"Yes. I truly regret that I can't come here with you again next week. That is when the leaves are at their most beautiful."

"Well, I think they look incredible right now. I wish I'd brought a picnic basket. It's the perfect weather for baked treats like pies and brownies."

"A picnic, huh..." Neuvillette stroked his chin. "A fine idea."

"We can have one after next week. What kind of foods do you enjoy eating, sir? I can try making them." Come to think of it, you had never seen Neuvillette eat. Sometimes, you would bring sandwiches and offer one to him, but he would always decline. Maybe he didn't need to eat?

"Hmm...I suppose I do enjoy bacon. Stews as well."

"Bacon?" That was unexpected. You thought it would be something fancier. Maybe you could make bacon sandwiches or something.

You switched your pencil for a colored one and started coloring idly. The red and yellow leaves fluttered this way and that, sometimes landing in the water. The contrast between the colors of the leaves and the water was very pretty. You should sketch that too...

You looked down at your drawing and choked back a gasp. There wasn't a single drawing of trees in sight. Instead, the paper held a sketch of Neuvillette's face. 

It was a surprisingly nice sketch. In fact, you would call it one of your best works yet. It was Neuvillette's head in profile, his eyes fixed on some distant point, his hair a waterfall down his back. You had been coloring the blue streaks in his hair. 

How did this happen! You wanted to scream. Luckily, Neuvillette wasn't facing you then, but he would want to see what you drew. You quickly tore the sketch out and stuffed it in your pocket. 

Neuvillette heard the tearing sound and turned around. "Was there something wrong with your drawing?"

"Um, y-yes! Something very wrong! It's not fit to be seen! At all!" you stammered. 

"I highly doubt that. Every one of your works is a treat for the eyes."

You laughed shakily. "You really do know how to encourage someone, sir. Have you considered coming around more to the Maison Gestion? I think just a few of your words will be able to boost the morale there for a whole week."

"Really? If you say so, then I shall try doing that."

"Oh, no, that was a joke--" Just then, a red leaf twirled and fluttered, landing in Neuvillette's hair. Reflexively, you leaned forward and picked it out. Your fingers brushed against the silky white strands. He was taller than you, so you had to stand on your tip toes and lean close to him in order to reach the leaf. Too close, in fact. Your noses were practically touching.

For a heartbeat, neither of you said anything. You saw yourself reflected in his eyes. Did he also see himself in yours? His throat bobbed. You were probably making him uncomfortable. You should step back now. The sun was beating down on you harshly. How strange. It was supposed to be cooler today. You really should move back--

Neuvillette made the first move and took a few steps back. The leaf spiraled down from your hand.

"T-There was a leaf in your hair, sir," you said weakly. 

He simply nodded. 

You turned away to hide your flushed face. Your heart was pounding wildly. What happened back there? Where were all these feelings coming from?

"[Name]," you heard him call out to you and turned around. "It may be presumptuous of me to ask this of you, but I would very much like for you to--"

There was the loud blaring of a ship's foghorn. It drowned out the rest of Neuvillette's sentence.

"What were you saying, sir? I couldn't hear you."

Neuvillette stared at you for a few seconds, then shook his head. "...No, it is nothing. Please forget about it."

You spend the rest of your time together in companionable, albeit somewhat tense, silence. When you got home, you reached into your pocket for the sketch of Neuvillette's face but discovered that it wasn't there. Where had it gone?

"Hey, do you want to go watch the trial tomorrow? They say that it's going to be a real spectacle."

Your roommate asked you on Friday night. She was referring to the fraud case. It was all over the newspapers and all that your coworkers were talking about this week. It was rumored that the tickets had sold out within ten minutes.

"How did you get tickets for that?"

"I have my ways," your roommate said mysteriously. "So, do you want to go?"

You thought about it for a moment. Normally, you would have said no. You had never really found trials entertaining, and ever since you became friends with Neuvillette, it felt even weirder to go to a trial. It felt like you were crossing some invisible line, even though you couldn't think of any reason why it would be inappropriate.

You won't lie, you were kind of interested in the outcome. And besides, it wasn't like you had anything to do tomorrow.

"Sure, I'll go," you nodded.

Your roommate raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? I thought you'd turn me down, considering how you're always out doing art stuff on the weekends."

"Well...it's good to change things up once in a while. Plus, it always rains after a trial, right?"

"Yeah. Although there hadn't been any trials scheduled on the weekend lately."

"Really?" You didn't pay attention to that kind of thing.

"Yep," your roommate gave you a sly look. "I heard that the Chief Justice himself specifically arranged things like that.

"Huh..." you said, trying your best to sound nonchalant. You were sure that you never gave anyone any hint of your relationship with Neuvillette.

Your roommate gave you another meaningful look. "Alright, then, let's get up early tomorrow so we can get there on time."

The trial was as dramatic and intense as you had expected, but you found that your mind wasn't focused on it, despite--or because of--how loud the whole performance was, you caught yourself longing for the clear air of the outdoors, the sounds of the waves and birds.

The one thing that did keep your attention was Neuvillette himself. Though this wasn't your first time seeing him presiding over a trial, you were struck by just how different he was at work. He questioned the witnesses thoroughly, and his reprimands for the rowdy audience descended like a towering wave crashing down into the seats. He was seated high above the audience's seats, but you could feel his apprising gaze distinctly.

If it weren't for the times you spent together, you would have never imagined him capable of speaking to anyone warmly with that voice. Or be a water connoisseur. Or compliment your amateurish paintings so sincerely that even you began to wonder if they weren't as bad as you thought.

You briefly wondered if he, like you, longed to be in the wilds of Fontaine. It was an impertinent thought. Neuvillette was a man who took his job with the utmost seriousness.

You were sitting near the back row, which was more elevated compared to the front rows, but you still had to crane your neck just to see that blue and white figure. You wondered if he could see you down here. Probably not. You were just one small speck among many. 

You felt that painful tug on your heart again. 

The trial eventually ended with the accused being pronounced guilty and sentenced to prison. As you got up from your seat to join the masses of people leaving the opera house, but your roommate tugged at your sleeve and said, "Hey, mind staying behind? I want to talk to you about something."

You blinked in confusion but shrugged and sat back down. However, she didn't speak right away. It seemed that she was waiting for everyone to leave. You had a bad feeling about this.

When the last stragglers finally left, your roommate took a deep breath and turned to you.

"Are you dating Monsieur Neuvillette?"

You stared at her. Her eyes were completely serious. "W-What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?" you splutter. Stay calm, stay calm. It's the truth, I'm not d-dating him!

"Well, I don't have any concrete evidence," your roommate admitted. "But there are some things that don't add up. For instance, you know how I mentioned that the Chief Justice personally arranged his schedule so that he wouldn't have any trials on the weekends. Well, that all started happening around the time you took up your painting."

"So? It's just a coincidence."

"I also noticed that the weekends where you don't go outside the city match up with the weekends where there are trials."

"Because it rains on those days!"

"Hmm, makes sense," your roommate nodded to herself. "Oh, another thing. The Melusines have been getting really friendly with you lately."

It was more like the other way around. The Melusines you ran into the streets or at work would all run up to you and greet you happily. Some of them even offered to help you carry your bags or give you little gifts, like wildflowers. It was a bit embarrassing for you.

"Aren't they always like that with everyone?"

"Sure, but not to this extent. And like I mentioned before, it only started happening when you started painting."

"That doesn't mean anything! Maybe I just befriended them while I was out."

Your roommate sighed, like she was fed up. "[Name], I saw the note in your drawer. It mentioned Monsieur Neuvillette."

"...Huh?" What note? You retraced your memories until you finally remembered. The note you left in your drawer before you left to go underwater with Neuvillette. Looking back now, you were extremely paranoid. "Oh, that note!"

Yeah, you weren't explaining your way out of this one. "Okay, fine. Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette and I are...acquainted. He takes me around to different drawing spots on the weekends. But we're not dating each other! We're just f-friends!"

"Friends, huh... Okay, I won't pry into what you do on the weekends. But I just wish you told me about it."

"It's not something I can just tell someone."

"Is it?" your roommate raised her eyebrows. "Even though you're just friends? You know me, I'm not the kind of person who will sell you out to the tabloids or anything. I just...felt a bit sad. We haven't been hanging out together on the weekends lately."

"..." You looked down. You and your roommate both worked at the Palais Mermonia and came home pretty late at night, so you usually relaxed together on the weekends by going shopping together or going to cafes. You haven't done that at all recently, though. 

I'm such a terrible friend, you thought to yourself.

"Hey...I'm not blaming you. If I could spend alone time with the Chief Justice himself gazing at the beautiful scenery, I'd also ditch you in a heartbeat," your friend laughed, which only made you feel worse.

"I'm sorry...I swear I'll make it up to you! Next week!" you remembered the picnic. "No, the week after that!"

"Oh, not next week? You've got some special plans with Monsieur Neuvillette?" your friend teased. 

"No...not really..." you mumbled.

"Now that I know who you're hanging out with these days, it makes sense to me why you turned that person down when they asked to grab a coffee with you last Saturday, even though they've been your obsession ever since you started working at the Palais."

"Oh, them," Your friend was referring to a coworker who worked in a different department. You have had a huge crush on them, but strangely, you haven't been thinking about them at all recently. "I already had plans that day to go see the autumn leaves."

"And Monsieur Neuvillette, too, right?" your friend grinned. "Ah, I feel sorry for that guy. If only he knew who he was up against."

"I told you it's not like that!" you punched your friend's arm lightly, but your mood had considerably lightened. As you looked at your friend's laughing face, you made a promise to yourself that you would definitely spoil her the week after the next. 

The two of you finally decided to leave the opera house. However, as soon as you went outside, you were met with slate-gray skies and torrential rain. "Huh, that's weird," your friend muttered. "It hadn't rained like this in a while."

Neither of you noticed the flutter of stately blue robes, or the wearer of said robes gripping a piece of sketch paper in his hand.

The rain continued without ceasing that day, or the week after. 

People were getting worried, and some were even whispering that the prophecy was beginning in full force. The streets were grey and sloshing with water, and the sky was always covered in thick clouds. 

You must have been the only person in Fontaine who wished for the rain to continue on forever.

On the Monday after the trial, you received a note from a strangely desolate-looking Sedene.

You soon found out why she had that look on her face. 

"I am writing to inform you that we will no longer be meeting each other on the weekends as before. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience I have caused you."

That was all that was written.

It felt like the world had crashed down around you. You read and reread the note over and over, wondering if you had read something wrong, or if you missed something. But the words didn't change. You even asked Sedene if Neuvillette had said anything, but she told you that he didn't. 

Neuvillette no longer wanted to see you.

You didn't really remember how you got through the day after that. It felt like a blur. The rest of the week went by in the same way. You spent the weekend in bed, crying.

The next week was no better, both in terms of the weather and your mood. It felt like something vital had been taken from you. All you could think was, Why? Was it because you went to the trial? Was it because you were taking up too much of his time? Yes, that must be it. Your roommate had said that he rearranged his schedule to make his weekends free. Everyone knew that the Chief Justice was swamped with work. You should consider it a miracle that he was able to spare so much time for you. And now everything was going back to how they were before. That was how it should be. 

Yeah, you knew that this couldn't last forever. 

Telling yourself that, you threw yourself into work. Just because your boss didn't want to see you anymore, it didn't mean that work was over. You couldn't quit, since you were no good at anything else. You even took on extra work, staying late at night in the office. Your worried coworkers and friends kept trying to get you to rest, but you brushed them off. It might seem counterintuitive to spend so much time in a place so closely linked to Neuvillette, but anything was better than being alone with your thoughts.

Your roommate, unable to just watch you work yourself to the bone anymore, forced you to take a day off. 

"You need to talk to him," she said after you told her what happened.

"...I can't do that," you mumbled. You were lying in bed. It was so warm and comfortable here. You wished you could stay under the covers forever and never go out. 

Your roommate sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Why?"

You looked at her incredulously. "Because he's the Chief Justice of Fontaine? I can't just barge into his office and demand answers from him!"

"I didn't say that. Although, I wouldn't blame you if you did. My point is, what does his being the Chief Justice have to do with this? You two are friends, aren't you? Friends are supposed to be equals. Yeah, you're in a lower position than him, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve respect!"

"But this is different..." you insisted feebly. "He'd done so much for me, and all I've done is take advantage of his kindness."

"From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like that's the case at all. He was the one who kept offering to take you to places, and he never asked for anything back, right? He never used his authority over you. You know what I think? I think you do mean something to him, or else he would have stopped bothering with you a long time ago. Something unexpected must have happened to cause him to break it off with you."

"..." You turned over.

You heard a sigh. "Listen, [Name]. I've seen your face when you get back from painting. You looked happier than I had ever seen you. Do you really want to give all that up without a fight? Or even just closure?"

The sound of footsteps exiting your room eventually faded, but your friend's words remained in your mind.

The second offensive was far more blunt and overt. 

"I'm being mobbed," you said to no one in particular. 

You were surrounded by a gaggle of Melusines. Their heads only reached up to your thigh, so you could probably get out if you tried, but it was their tear-filled eyes that stopped you.

"Please make up with Monsieur Neuvillette!" they cried out in unison.

"...Huh?"

"He's miserable without you, can't you see?" one of the Melusines, Everallin, said, gesturing at the sky. You looked up. It was raining as always.

"See what?" you said, confused.

The Melusines looked at each other for a moment, then said, "Never mind." 

Another Melusine named Menthe spoke up. "Anyways, please go talk to him!"

"But...he was the one who told me not to see him anymore!" And besides, you heard that he hadn't been in his office for the past two weeks.

"Our Father isn't the best at expressing himself to humans," a third Melusine, Liath, piped up. "Especially the ones he really likes."

"Wait," you suddenly felt dizzy. "He likes me?"

"Yeah," Everallin nodded. "You always talk to him, and you treat him like a normal person! He always asks us for advice on how to act around you. He's so busy all the time, so you're like...his sanctuary!"

You didn't really know how to deal with this information. "He talks about me to you all?"

The Melusines looked at each other again. "Uh, Everallin, you weren't supposed to tell them that," Menthe whispered.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, you felt like laughing. Maybe, just maybe, your roommate was right. "Okay, everyone. I'll try."

The crimson leaves had mostly turned brown and rotted off of the branches, leaving them bare. The ground was somewhat damp, although you brought a thick blanket with you that blocked the moisture from seeping through. It was no scenery for a picnic, but there was nothing you could do about it. 

At least it wasn't raining anymore. However, the sky was still overcast, still threatening to rain at any moment. 

You put down your picnic basket and sat down, gazing off into the distance. Today, you would find out once and for all if your relationship with Neuvillette was truly over. 

After the meeting with the Melusines, you decided to confront Neuvillette once and for all, if only to put your own mind at ease. 

First, you wrote a note for Neuvillette. It read as follows:

Monsieur Neuvillette,

I hope this finds you well. I have received your previous note, and I respect your decision. However, I would very much like to have that picnic with you, one last time. Though I can't possibly imagine your thoughts and reasons, I do know one thing for certain: our relationship deserves to end on a good note. 

I will be waiting for you at the spot where we viewed the autumn leaves together. Please feel free to come or disregard this note entirely. I am fine with either choice and wish you the best.

You entrusted it to Sedene, who eagerly assured you that she would get it to Neuvillette no matter what. Did all the Melusines in the city know about you two? 

Next, you and your roommate worked together to make the picnic. You also asked the Melusines for advice on what to make, and they were only too happy to help. You made a promise to yourself that no matter what happened (and the big dent it would make in your savings), you would treat your roommate and the Melusines to a big meal in the future. 

You had been hesitant about the picnic at first since it felt foolish to do all that work without even knowing if Neuvillette would show up. But your friend reasoned that "at least you'll have a nice meal to comfort yourself with," and you agreed.

And now the day had arrived. 

You weren't sure where you should be looking. You didn't think you could handle looking at him approaching you directly, but you had no idea which direction he would be coming from. You adjusted your seated position several times. Should you sit cross-legged or with your legs stretched out for a more casual, nonchalant feel? Your stomach was making little flips, and your palms were clammy despite the cool temperature. You tried not to think about anything, especially the possibility that he wouldn't show up. 

The clouds threatened to rain at any moment. They loomed so closely that it felt like you could practically touch them. 

Inexplicably, you recalled that old legend of the hydro dragon and how it rained when it cried. You wondered what it was so sad about these days.

"Hey, hydro dragon!" you shout up at the sky, mostly to relieve your own tension. "I'm going to need you to hold back those tears for today! Or else I'll never forgive you!" Man, yelling does feel really good.

You glare at the clouds, which, to your astonishment, parted a little before your eyes. Oh Archons...is the hydro dragon listening to me?

"The hydro dragon would not deserve your forgiveness," a familiar and, as you realized now, dearly missed voice sounded from behind you.

Why does he keep showing up at the worst times? You resisted the urge to jump into the sea and turned around. 

Neuvillette looked as stately and elegant as he always did, but you thought that his eyes held a hint of melancholy that wasn't there before. 

"Monsieur Neuvillette!" your voice cracked, and you cleared your throat. "You really came! I'm so happy to see you...haha..."

Neuvillette didn't say anything but simply stared at you. He was probably thinking he made a huge mistake coming here. You decided that you would simply barrel on without thinking about anything. That could all come later.

"Sit, sir!" you patted the blanket. "Now, I know that you said that you no longer want to see me, but I think it's a shame to end things on such an abrupt note. Even though the weather isn't cooperating with us right now, I do want to enjoy this lovely picnic with you. It's made by me, my roommate, and the Melusines."

You smiled with what you hoped was a reassuring smile, but it seemed to backfire once again, as Neuvillette seemed to clench his jaw and step back. Maybe he thought you poisoned the food. 

You opened the basket and took out the food to show him that it was completely safe. "See, I've got bacon and mushroom sandwiches, apple pie, Poissonchant pie, and a nice warm carrot stew made from the purest waters in Fontaine. Oh, and I also have bottles of that water if you prefer that. The Melusines helped me get it from the mountains up north." 

Neuvillette was still standing, looking down at you with an indescribable expression. Act cool, [Name], you told yourself and bit into a sandwich. It really was good. You tried your best to act unbothered and nonchalant.

Finally, Neuvillette sat down and reached for one of the bottles of water. He brought it to his mouth and drank it, then slowly closed his eyes. Success! But now you suddenly realized how small this blanket was. Your knees were practically touching his. You turned your head to the side to avoid staring at him but felt a gaze on the back of your head as you did so.

The two of you ate and drank in silence. It was awkward, to say the least. You kept thinking about how to bring up the main topic. Should you subtly lead up to it or ask him outright? The picnic was diminishing; soon it would be finished, and he would have no reason to stay here any longer. You imagined him his tall back walking away from you. Maybe that would be the last you'd ever see of it. Your heart clenched. You didn't want that to happen, not while you still had the power to stop it.

"Um..." you ventured, but before you could say anything, Neuvillette spoke first.

"...You shouldn't have wasted your time and efforts on me. I'm unworthy of it after how I treated you." His voice was quiet, so much so that you had to lean closer to hear him.

"Well, it was a pretty cold move to suddenly tell someone you're not going to see them anymore through a note, without even giving them a reason," you admitted. A raindrop landed on your nose. "But I don't think we're past the point of no return yet. After all, I decided to do this, and you agreed to meet with me."

Neuvillette didn't say anything. You decided to take this as a good sign.

"So...why did you send me that note? Was it something I did?" 

"No, of course not. You've never been anything less than delightful," the speed with which he said that was surprising. "The fault lies with me. I completely forgot my position in regard to you."

You tilted your head, not understanding.

There was a brief pause before he continued. "I was very pleased when you agreed to join me on the second weekend, and the subsequent weekends after. I believed that you...enjoyed my company, just as much as I did yours. I wanted to take you to as many places as I could, just so I could see your reactions to them. And yet, I failed to consider the fact that you might not want to go on these trips, or that you might have felt an obligation to accompany me because I am your superior. And then I learned that because of me, your personal life has been affected negatively."

"Huh? What do you mean by my personal life?"

Neuvillette's expression didn't really change, but you thought that he looked a bit embarrassed. "...I overheard your conversation with your friend in the opera house. Because of my willfulness, you have been neglecting your friends and...unable to pursue romantic relationships."

Your mind was whirling with all this new information. "Wait, wait, hold on. You overheard that conversation? Does that mean you saw me in the audience that day?"

"Yes."

"Oh...if you were close enough to hear us, does that mean...you wanted to talk to me after the trial?"

"Yes. I wanted to compliment you on your sketch."

"Sketch?" At your quizzical look, Neuvillette slowly pulled out a well-thumbed piece of paper from his pocket. It looked like it had been opened and closed many times. He handed it to you, and you opened it. 

It was the sketch of Neuvillette you had unconsciously done all those weeks ago. It felt like an eternity had passed since then.

You looked up to see him staring at you intently, his eyes filled with naked hope and self-loathing. It was like you were looking at yourself in the mirror.

You were also somewhat reminded of those otters you saw underwater, but you weren't about to tell him that.

Laughter bubbled up within you. Your roommate was right. When you got right down to it, the two of you were the same.

You carefully placed the sketch back in his hand and closed his fingers over it. Then, you looked right into his eyes. "Monsieur Neuvillette...you are a great fool."

He blinked, then nodded. "Yes."

"At first, it might have been as you said. I went to the places you told me to be because I was so scared of offending you. But as I got to know you more, I learned that you were nothing like what I was expecting, and I began to look forward to our time together eagerly every week. Because of you, I saw and learned things that I would have never encountered. I chose to spend time with you because I like you," Realizing that could cause misunderstandings, you added, somewhat weakly, "As a very, very dear friend to me. If anything, I'm the one who should be feeling guilty for forcing you to rearrange your schedule just to make time for me or making you feel obliged to take me to places."

"It's no great matter. I can simply make up that work during the week. And thinking of places to invite you to has never been a chore."

"Don't overwork yourself," you couldn't help but scold. "So, you see, we're both chronic worriers who constantly overthink everything, not realizing that everything can be solved by just talking to each other."

Neuvillette smiled. It was a small smile, but your breath caught. "Yes, I suppose we are."

"Next time, I'll be the one inviting you somewhere. I actually know some pretty niche spots in the city. Oh, but you might already know them, though."

"Please don't worry about that. I'll be happy to follow you to wherever you may take me."

"So, that means there will be a next time, then?" you said.

"But of course. We need to make up for lost time, after all."

"Great! Oh, maybe we can invite my friend or the Melusines on some outings, too?"

"As long as it makes you happy, I will never say no to it."

You turned red. Sometimes, Neuvillette would say the strangest things that made your heart beat faster and your legs feel restless.

"But, there is one thing I want to ask of you," Neuvillette said. He sounded serious.

"What is it?"

"As we are friends...I believe it is improper for only one party to address the other with their title, so..." he trailed off. Was Neuvillette nervous?"

"Oh!" You got what he wanted to say. "Do you want me to call you by just your name?"

"Yes, very much so."

"Okay...Neuvillette."

The sun broke through the clouds at that moment. You saw slivers of blue sky for the first time in weeks. It looked like this bad weather was finally ending.

"Wow, look at that," you breathe. "Do you think the hydro dragon is happy now?"

You could hear Neuvillette's smile in his voice as he said, "Yes, I think he is."

#genshin impact x reader #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette #painter series #my works

[fluffyhare]

Like Real People Do, Part 7! ♡ (Casper x Avery)

☁️ Summary: Casper and Avery wake up together for the first time. It's chore day, and Casper needs to go grocery shopping. Avery tags along!

☁️ Warnings: Lee!Avery (my beloved). Avery teasing. There is quite a... descriptive kiss scene. No nudity, no NSFW like usual. Not actually a TON of tickling in this, but... let me cook, okay? 💙Some suspense at the end.

☁️ Author's Note: It took me a while to come up with how I wanted this to go, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out, and I have a ton of new ideas now. Hope you like it, and as always, your support and comments on my work are incredibly appreciated. 💙

This is a series now!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7 *you are here

Part 8

If you just got here and want to know more about my characters, you can read my comic starting right here!

I awoke to birdsong, and – as had become increasingly rare for me – a bedroom filled with light. 

The humidifier, having long run out of water, rasped beside me on the nightstand. I switched it off and checked the time on my phone. Eleven-eleven a.m. Lucky. 

I rolled onto my back, rubbing my eyes. It was Saturday. I was grateful to have slept so well, but Saturday was chore day, and I was starting late. I sat up, and as my vision came into focus, I noticed two tented points at the foot of my bed. 

“Oh, that's right; Avery stayed over last night,” I remembered. I cringed, hoping I hadn't done anything weird in my sleep. 

As I turned to look at him, my breath caught. 

Avery was still asleep. He had folded the blanket – I wondered if he'd gotten too hot in the night – such that it only covered him from the waist down. His hands rested neatly on his chest, over his bunched-up tank top, which had ridden up to reveal his pale tummy. I stared in fascination as my curiosity from the previous day was satisfied; it was easier to see his “internal storm” on a larger canvas. 

Sunlight filtered through the venetian blinds, painting Avery in golden stripes as I watched the clouds beneath his skin swirl and undulate. Flashes of miniature lightning streaked randomly through the misty haze. Rain, too, condensed in tiny droplets on the inside of his transparent skin, streaming down his sides like a car window in a storm. As my eyes traced along his skin, another of my curiosities was satisfied; nestled in the center of his belly was a small, spiral-shaped navel, which I noticed with amusement was the same color as his “moderately embarrassed” blush. 

Despite the silent tempest raging inside him, Avery was dead to the world, his chest slowly rising and falling with his undisturbed breath. 

The urge to reach out and touch his stomach – which I could only imagine was as plush and delicate as the rest of him – was, of course, completely unbearable. I turned away, feeling my blush begin to spread like wildfire. Should I cover him up? Was it right to stare, when he hadn't revealed this to me himself? 

I felt the bed shift. 

“Dewdrop…?” Avery's voice – normally airy and mellifluous – was even woollier than usual. He smiled sleepily as our eyes met. “How long have you been awake?”

“Not very long,” I croaked nervously. My tired voice was not as pleasant as Avery's. I grabbed my water bottle from the nightstand and sipped. “I… um. I didn't mean to look, but…” I let my eyes trail down to his tummy, suddenly tongue-tied. 

Avery looked down, then snickered a little. “Oh, my belly? Sorry, I got a bit hot last night… you are a very warm sleeper,” he chirped, and then I watched his expression change as he read my face. 

“Oh,” he said in a low tone, with an inflection that made my ears burn. 

“Hehe… It's not a secret, you know; you can look and even touch if you want to. I know you can see lightning in there, but I promise, it's safe. You won't get shocked.” 

I inched a bit closer, pressing my lips together. With barely-contained eagerness, I rested my fingertips on Avery's bare tummy. Though I couldn't hear the squall inside him, I could feel the wind, rain and low rolls of thunder against my hand. It was mesmerizing and almost hypnotic to watch – I was reminded of staring into a campfire, the flames dancing and licking the night sky. 

Avery looked like he was holding his breath; I guessed that his tummy wasn't only trembling from the storm. Experimentally, I drew a wide circle with my fingertip around his bellybutton, my eyebrows raising as I glanced at him. 

“Pfff, kehehehe,” Avery tittered, a pale blue tint rising in his cheeks. 

“What's wrong~?” I teased. 

“Aheh… th-that tickles…” He raised a hand to his face, shyly obscuring his huge grin. 

So sincere as always. My heart liquefied. 

“Why do you always cover your smile like that?” I asked. I knew why I did it, but Avery wasn't nearly as shy, especially not about tickling. Come to think of it, I'd noticed he covered his mouth fairly often when he laughed, even if it wasn't from being tickled. I paused, stilling my fingers so he could answer. He looked away from me uncomfortably. 

“Ah, well, I… the truth is… I'm shy about my teeth,” he nearly whispered. 

I was dumbfounded. 

He wasn't smiling anymore, so I had to imagine Avery's delicate, round teeth. They were small and a bit crooked in the front, but grew to be relatively large toward the back. I loved them. I loved his smile. I loved his big, uncontrollable laugh. I loved him. What could he possibly be shy about? 

“Dude, are you kidding me? They are so fucking cute. I get the worst butterflies from your smile, are you serious? Like, what do you even think is wrong with them? They're perfect.” My response was untempered; I was incredulous. 

“Ah… it's just that, I know they don't look human… Even in my human form, I can never get the teeth right. I'm worried they unsettle you. I'm worried they look strange, and I don't even know if there's a way for me to fi—!” 

My hands clasped both sides of Avery's soft head as, for the first time, I pressed my lips hard against his. Through my palms, I felt electricity flowing in wavering, erratic pulses. My eyes squeezed closed as I tamped down my screaming internal monologue, which threw up big yellow caution signs, warning me that Avery would be upset, that he wouldn't like it, that I had morning breath, that I wasn't a good kisser. All drowned in a sea of insignificance as he placed his large hands on my shoulders, pushing me backwards onto the bed so that he could kiss me – really kiss me – back. 

Everything about Avery's mouth was cold, his teeth like icy glass marbles. His lips were soft as cashmere, and he tasted like clean rain. As he kissed me, his hands cradled the back of my head, fingers gently curling into my blue hair. I inhaled through my nose. The scents of wet brick, cloves and old paper assailed my senses in an intoxicating bouquet. Though he was gentle, I could sense the sheer power behind his touch; it was obvious how much the cloud-man had to suppress his strength to handle a fragile creature like me. My head spun; he was cautious, at first, then excited – his curious tongue slipped eagerly over mine, first boldly exploring, then a shy retreat, then bold again. Avery kissed like a hurricane walking on eggshells. My hands buzzed with static as they followed the curves of his head, gently stroking his face as I let him devour me to his heart's content. 

After a while, he pulled back, leveling his eyes with mine. I snorted, then laughed – I couldn't help it. Avery laughed, too. 

“Don't tell me that was your first kiss,” I joked. 

“Was it that obvious?” He was already so flushed that it was hard to tell if he was blushing, but he looked embarrassed. I placed my hand on his cheek. 

“I mean… yes, hehe. But that isn't a bad thing; it was really cute. It's fun to kiss someone who doesn't know how. I'm sorry I stole it from you, though.” 

“Please, don't apologize. I can't imagine a better first experience.” My turn to blush. 

“Aha, well, I… I did my best,” I accepted awkwardly. 

Avery sat up, bringing me with him. My head reeled as my vision swam with stars, my body wobbling a bit. 

“Oh god, I'm sorry, I forgot you can't sit up that fast. Are you okay?” He steadied me with a hand on my shoulder. 

“Ah, yeah, no worries. It's already going away.” I checked the time. Twelve thirty. 

“I have to go to the grocery store today. Do you want to come with me? We can probably get it done in an hour.” 

+++

It shouldn't have made a difference, because I was the only human to have the pleasure of seeing Avery’s real form at all, but I was honored that he'd become comfortable enough to transform in front of me. Watching electricity spark and pop around Avery's head as he condensed his cloudy visage into a human one was like watching a scene from Fantasia; loud, magical, captivating. He was still pretty tall in his human form – enough to earn curious glances – but thus far, he'd never been detected as anything other than human on our outings. 

“So… ever met the man himself?” Avery closed the passenger side door – so gently, I wasn't sure it was closed – but I decided to leave it. 

“Ever met who?”

“Gary.”

“What? Gary who?”

“This store is called Gary's Market, isn't it? It says so on the sign.” 

I tried not to laugh; I didn't want to insult Avery. Though he was academically knowledgeable about humans, the nuances of real human life often eluded him. A few giggles snuck out. 

“Nah, dude. This is a local chain, but, we don't usually meet the people stores are named after. Unless it's, like… a one-man show. Like ‘Lisa's Bakery’ and Lisa is the only one who works there. You know?”

“Ahh… that makes sense. I wonder what Gary is like.”

“Honestly man, like a lot of business owners in this country, he's probably a douchebag.” 

“What does d-”

“Avery, I love you, but please don't ask me what douchebag means in this busy parking lot.” 

Avery tittered. “Okay, sorry.”

I grabbed one of the only two available carts. It really was busy that day. 

“Shit, I forgot my list,” I cursed, biting my lip. I already disliked grocery store trips, and I was feeling especially anxious with the unexpected crowd. 

I felt Avery's cool hand on my shoulder. “Hey, don't worry. I know what you normally get, I can help. Okay? And if you feel like there are too many people, we can always come back later.” 

I managed a smile. “Thanks, man. Let's get this over with.”

We started looping up and down the aisles, Avery reminding me to get staples, as well as things he knew I liked: Rice, chicken, eggs, my favorite tea cookies, my favorite brand of hot sauce. Somehow, he already knew which things I was running out of, and which would last until the next trip. I was touched by his observance and consideration; I never realized he took such an interest in the mundanity of my life. 

Two aisles left; frozen goods, and fruit. Mercifully, the frozen section was a wide aisle that was also pretty vacant, and I was able to relax a bit. 

“How are you feeling?” Avery asked, his eyes trained on me. 

“A bit better now. I'm glad we're almost done, and it seems like people are leaving.”

“Come here, I have to tell you something.”

I closed the gap between us, looking quizzically up at Avery. 

“Closer,” he lilted, smirking. “It's a secret.” 

I turned my ear toward Avery, and he stooped to my height. As he did, he ensnared my body in his arms, ensuring I could not escape. 

His lips brushed my ear – intentionally, I was certain – with a kind of tickle that nearly made me scream as he whispered: 

“When we get back, I am going to give you such a tickling, you won't even remember what it's like to be anxious.” 

He let me go, and I teetered like an elephant on stilts, my blush burning from my collar to my hairline. Giggling, he braced me with a hand on my back. 

“You can't just… you… that was so uncalled for, I just can't believe…” I babbled, taking a few moments to steady my gait. I was preparing to fire back, but just then, an exhausted-looking mom with a gaggle of noisy kids entered the aisle. I glared at him as he tried to hide his escalating laughter behind his hand. 

“This isn't over,” I threatened quietly as we rounded the corner into the fruit aisle. 

When it came to fruit, I let Avery get whatever he wanted. Since his favorites – strawberries, watermelon, and citrus – weren't in season in fall, he selected pre-cut pineapple and grapes.

Finally, we arrived at the – very long – checkout line. 

“See, that wasn't so bad, was it?” Avery said. 

I looked up at him, and my stomach dropped. 

Around his head, the faint outline of his cloud form was starting to appear. I desperately checked my phone – less than a minute left on Avery's transformation. I looked at the grocery store line. Due to the crowd, it had taken longer to get through shopping than usual, and I'd lost track of time; we weren't going to make it. 

Panic spread from my face to Avery's. For the first time, I saw his eyes flood with real fear. 

“What do we do?” He whimpered uncharacteristically. 

My first thought was the bathrooms, but they were all the way at the back of the store. The checkout line we were in was not close to the exit, either. I looked around frantically, before my eyes settled on a set of black double-doors labeled in bold red letters: “employees only.” It was the only refuge we might get to in time. I prayed nobody would be back there; I didn't want to think about what would happen otherwise. 

I swirled the cart around, tucking it into the nearest aisle and taking us out of the line. Then I grabbed Avery's hand, power-walking toward the doors.

“I'm not going to let anything happen to you.” 

I pushed the large doors open and we were out of sight. 

#tickle fic #tickle fluff #tickling community #casper and avery #like real people do #fluffylore #writing #my fic #romance #tickling #ocs #my ocs

[the-s1lly-corner]

Which of the creeps (that you write romantically for) be okay/like a bada$$ s/o? Like every1 is intimidated and every1 thinks that if you try to fight them you’re stupid? Have a great day!!

Creeps with a badass reader!

i actually really like this idea!! also im so so sorry it took me so long to get to this </3!! ive kinda been focusing on art these past few days, and when i havent been drawing ive kinda been. laying in my own. feelings. sleepy.... yk how it is!!

with that said! yeah! i wont be doing all the bare bones list of characters i usually do with non specified characters! to keep true with the prompt im going to stick with characters i feel would like this kind of S/O and/or compliment the readers fierce nature... also going to aim for a more comedic style

LIST OF CHARACTERS: Laughing Jack, Eyeless Jack, Hoodie, Splendorman

CW; mentions of violence

Splendorman;

No because just think about it; a soft easy going cryptid with a strong and ready to fight partner

"he asked for no pickles" dynamic basically imo LMAO

he would rather you tone it down, or at least dont fight for him... he doesnt want you to get hurt, or in trouble..! mostly trouble, he knows you can handle yourself

he wont ever say it but hes internally swooning anytime you fight for him, though. like. "oh? they would do this for me just because someone said something vaguely mean about me?"... hes red in the face

tries to introduce you to new people to make potential friends since he kinda thinks part of your bloodlust(/j) is from loneliness, which in turn makes people see you as.. mean... so its a loop. he doesnt mean it in a bad way! he just cares about your well being!

overall he secretly thinks its hot but hed rather you stay out of trouble and hed try to find ways to make you less fierce...

Laughing Jack;

like splendorman he thinks its hot but he WILL vocalize it

also he thinks its really funny whenever people try to antagonize you

pulls a bag of popcorn out of thin air and watches the show/hj

he will literally cheer for you from the sidelines and becomes the fights personal announcer

absolutely treats you when you win; showered in praise and love and gifts

hes flustered; depending on what color you think he blushes (personally i think he blushes a purpleish-grey), his entire face is that color when he watches it happen

again, hes really into it

smh ive been on a lj trip these past few days and i hardly got anything for him here god mfing damn!!!!

Hoodie;

ngl he probably throws himself into the fight and yall both kick the shit out of the person

basically think something like this scene (ive never seen jjba my friend showed me this) where he just joins you after watching for a few seconds (we can say the third person is masky/j)

anyways it wont let me move the gif up so pretend the gif is under the above bullet point instead of at the end of this segment

really yall are kinda the same but hoodie is more likely to sit back and access the situation before jumping in and fighting someone unless like. its an immediate life or death thing

now how does he feel about you being a proclaimed badass?

he respects it, and he knows that you can defend yourself when hes not around so it also puts him at ease

maybe you two will spar every now and then to get better at defense and offense stuff (he will not go easy on you btw, bro will give it his all)

Eyeless Jack;

he doesnt really like the fighting since hes also likely the one who has to patch you up afterwards. like even if you win the fight youre still going to be hurt in some way, this applies to all the other characters too. ej is just the only one who has the knowledge when it comes to tending wounds...

with ej, in my au, he doesnt really. like conflict, especially since his own body is changing into something that isnt human; he already has enough on his plate already, doesnt need to go bury an extra body because he let his temper get the better of him

and every now and then, that mindset of avoiding conflict bleeds to how he views you and your attitude

hes happy that you can defend yourself, like hoodie he admires it; but at the same time he gets so scared that youre going to pick a fight with the wrong person or get hit in the wrong spot, and..

he does not pity those who are dumb enough to rile you up, though..

overall he worries for you and already has enough on his plate with himself ... but dont think that he sees tending to you as a burden! hell do it regardless of what caused your injury

possible idea for an angst post? ooo? maybe, if you guys want it

#creepypasta headcanon #splendorman x reader #laughing jack x reader #hoodie x reader #eyeless jack x reader #splendorman x you #laughing jack x you #hoodie x you #eyeless jack x you

[ecargmura]

Bucchigiri?! Episode 3 Review - The Hidden Third Party

This episode doesn’t dish out action scenes like in the previous episode. It’s a bit slower, but it feels like a build-up for future events. There’s an introduction to a new group, NG Boys, with their leader Akutaro. They’re from a rival school and they cause chaos in the streets compared to Minato Kai and Siguma who are rival gangs in school. What this episode is mainly about is welcoming Arajin to the Siguma Squad, where his welcoming party is practically a face punching tournament. That’s crazy.

I can’t believe I am saying this, but Arajin is really starting to get on my nerves a bit. I normally do like my boy failures a lot, but I don’t really see any redeeming qualities in this main character. In fact, he’s the weakest part of the show by far. Everyone else in this show shines more than he does—heck, even Senya shines more than he does. It’s been three episodes yet he still shows zero positive qualities. He’s mean to Matakara and his mom, simps for Mahoro yet cannot take the hint that she isn’t into him, and refuses Senya’s help only when it’s absolutely necessary. There’s nothing that pops out in him. I’m not going to drop the show as I love the other characters far more than Arajin, but come on, it’s been three episodes. *sigh* I just hope he starts getting better later on and not be so one-dimensional. Maybe my mind will change later on.

Call me crazy, but I like Mahoro! I like how unhinged she is. Who cares if she’s a raging brocon. She’s entertaining to watch because she’s so obsessive. It’s fun to see her manipulate the simpleton Arajin because she knows he’s into her and she can use him for her big-brained plan of having Marito all to herself. While her screaming in Matakara’s ear wasn’t nice, I did like how she is slowly showing off her true colors.

The NG Boys seem like the common enemy for this show as they are on nobody’s side. They’re very dangerous as they legit have weapons. They’re the ones who beat up Outa, most likely. However, the character that interests me the most is Akutaro, the leader of the group with the glasses. Other than having the same voice as Luke fon Fabre from Tales of the Abyss, he’s a big enigma. He’s seen talking to himself, so I predict that he is being possessed by the blue genie like how Arajin is being possessed by Senya, the red genie. If this is true, that means Akutaro is the main villain.

I’m starting to get which character is who now. The pink-haired boy with the hat is Hagure and he’s Jabashiri’s friend. Zabu and Komao are the ones that hang out with Matakara. Zabu is the green haired guy and Komao is the one with the blond pigtails. Outa is the guy who’s always with Marito and got beaten up by the NG Boys. I’m glad that I’m able to remember who is who now.

Also, congrats to Bucchigiri for getting an English dub! I have no idea who any of the voice actors are, but I hope you all do well! I’m curious to see what will happen now that Marito has gone to the Minato Kai domain. Will they collaborate? I feel like that’s going to happen. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#bucchigiri?! #arajin tomoshibi #matakara asamine #mahoro jin #marito jin #outa #jabashiri #hagure #komao #zabu #akutaro #review #anime #anime review #senya #ecargmura #arum journal

[binariesuns]

A lovely anon asked for a coloring tutorial and here’s is it! My photoshop is in spanish so I added a translation in some parts that I felt it was necessary (the other stuff is pretty much in the same place) but if you have questions let me know!! (image heavy!!)

First, I choose my scene > delete the unnecessary frames > sharpen my gif, you know, the basics, this tutorial is pretty good explaining it! Then, I start with an exposure layer, I feel you can play with values more than a curves or brightness/contrast layer (which is useful when you work with dark scenes). This scene is not too dark so I didn’t do much

After that, I use a color balance layer. Most scenes have either a yellow or a blueish filter, so depending on the scene you have to play with the numbers. If it’s a yellow scene, try to add more blues, if it’s a blue scene, add more yellows (and the same if it has a different filter). In this case my scene has a soft yellow filter, so I added more blues. If I see the filter is too difficult to work with color balance I use a curves or a channel mixer adjustement! these are good tutorials explaining how those works

Now it’s time to make the colors pop! and i start with a selective colors adjustement. I set it in absolute because the change is more ~radical~, if you are going for a softer look, set your selective color to relative (that part at the end). In this case, the predominant colors are blue and green so I play with them:

Here’s how it looks now! as you can see, the sky is more blue and the grass looks more greenish

You can end the coloring there if you want, but I’m too extra so I add a vibrance layer to make the colors pop more. Adding a vibrance layer can make the skin look orange so I advice to check this tutorial explaining how to fix it

Then I add other exposure layer to add more contrast in the gif so it doesn’t look ~plain~

This is optional and I usually do it when I work in dark scenes but I like to add a white layer, set it in soft light and play with the opacity depending of how light I want the scene

Now, a new selective color layer again! I wanna make the sky more cyan and the grass more ~lemon green~ so here are my settings:

Here’s how it looks now, it make a BIG difference

Optional but I like to add other vibrance layer if the scene let me do it (which means is not grainy/the colors are well defined)

And finally, I add a levels layer to add more contrast on my gif. I set this one in 50% (forgot to add it to the screencapture sorry lol)

And that’s it! That’s the basic coloring. Of course you can play with layer modes or other adjustements! I like to do it depending of the ~vibe~ I’m looking for my gifs, here’s for examples of what I do when I’m in the mood of experimenting 1. Gradient map, set it to hue 50%

2. Hue/Saturation, in this case I’m playing with the yellows, set it in normal 50%

3. Selective color, modifying the cyans

4. Gradient layer, the layer mode is color 100%

Keep in mind that every scene is different, so what works for this gif It could look bad in others and that’s why it’s important to experiment! Depending of how vibrant/colorful you want the gif to be you can add more or less adjustements

And that’s it! if you have a question feel free to send me an ask and I’ll gladly explain it :)

#completeresources #allresources #dailyresources #makersleague #tutorial #coloring tutorial #rresources #gif tutorial #photoshop tutorial #reblogresources #is this clear?? i hope so fjdshjs i tried my best anon #also idk who to tag sorry sdhfd #ps help

[hobiebrownismygod]

I was wondering if you could do an analysis on the difference between Mike’s and prowler miles (I’m hoping that makes sense)??

I wasn’t sure which one you wanted so I went over their differences in characterization and their differences physically and in their different universes!

how they’d act emotionally (mainly headcanons):

Miles-1610:

Love language is definitely quality time

He spends as much time as he can with his family

To the point where his parents get concerned if he goes a couple hours without talking to them

Very emotionally intelligent

definitely an empath

he can feel how other people feel and understands how to cheer them up

kind of like how he could tell something was up with Gwen when she visited

Lots of self-control - not impulsive at all

Flexible to change and can adapt to new circumstances really easily

Finds motivation easily

Gets stressed easily because he tends to put a lot on his plate

Miles-42

definitely went through a period of depression

love language is probably words of affirmation

cuz he doesn't have a father figure anymore (except for Aaron but he doesn't really count)

so hes probably always looking for praise and would do anything if it meant someone would tell him they were proud of him

definitely lashes out

very impulsive, can't control his words sometimes

can lead to him being very harsh or condescending without realizing it

he's a genius so he probably has a high IQ

and high IQ often means having lower emotional intelligence

so I dont think he'd be as much of an empath as 1610-miles

probably has anxiety attacks

nightmares and sleep paralysis are common for him

not energetic at all but can find motivation easily

the differences in looks:

So you can't tell it this much in this picture, but Miles-42 has much sharper lines across his face than Miles-1610

His face is also slightly more narrow, and more "adult-like"

He has more forehead wrinkles and his eyes aren't as wide as Miles-1610's, which I believe signifies how Miles-1610 is a much more "innocent" guy, with a more "child-like" look onto the world while Miles-42 would have gone through a lot more and wouldn't have the same outlook.

In this picture especially, you can tell that he looks a lot more tired, with a more angular face and much sharper wrinkles than Miles-1610.

I believe its a result of stress and anxiety, probably even depression, and that impacts the way he looks compared to Miles-1610 who, although he's experienced anxiety, wouldn't have felt it on the same level as Miles-42.

It could also be that since Rio-42 and Miles-42 are canonically struggling with money, he doesn't eat as much, and is therefore skinnier.

the differences in universes

so this is a lot more obvious

but earth-42 is literally on fire

you can see it in the background in this scene

You can also see the names of the Sinister-Six villains in the background

So earth-42 is run by villains, because there's no Spider-man to protect them. Since the Prowler is canonically a vigilante in Earth-42, we can assume that Miles-42 fights against the Sinister Six in order to protect New York.

But they do control most of it, and are probably all some type of businessmen or own a large part of the city, considering the fact that that their names are written on billboards and building in the background.

Also, the color schemes of the universes' are very different.

Earth-1610 tends to be red, blue, pink and yellow, all very vibrant colors. The red and blue are Spider-man colors as well. It makes the universe pop out, and the sketchbook animation style makes it seem even more lively.

Earth-42 is green, purple and black, all Prowler colors. They signify how dark it is compared to Earth-1610 and just how problematic it is for a universe to not have a Spider-man.

Hopefully this answered your ask properly, if not pls let me know anon! <3

#across the spiderverse #atsv #spiderman atsv #miles morales #beyond the spiderverse #spiderman #prowler #the prowler #prowler miles #miles morales prowler #earth 42 prowler #atsv prowler #miles molares #miles g #into the spiderverse #spiderverse #spiderman: across the spiderverse #spiderman across the verse #spider man: across the spider verse #spider man across the spider verse #spiderman across the spiderverse #across the spider verse #atsv analysis #atsv brainrot #earth 42 miles #earth 42 #earth 1610 #earth 1610 miles #miles g morales #miles 42