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mayakern · 2 years

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Hello Maya! I don't know if you've talked about it, but how do you tackle the task of making a pin design?

I've seen many pin designs and as much the difference between artists' styles is understandable there are some that work better. Im guessing it has something to do with simplicity? Because some details might be lost when translating it into the pin and the limitations it conveys.

So the question is, how do you fit a pin design so it works and looks amazing?, because all your body of work is 👌👌👌👌👌

Do you like making pins?

Is there any insight you could share with us?

i’ve talked about this previously, but it’s been a while i think! there’s also a ton of youtube videos like this one that can help you out with the basics. i also strongly recommend buying copies of “welcome to pin hell” and “the inner circles of pin hell” by hannako lambert. she is a true master of the medium and knows far more than i ever will.

enamel pins are really their own medium and how much you can do with them is really just limited by your own understanding and your budget. you can go as simple and cheap as a simple line drawing with the “fill” areas left empty to be recessed metal, like i did for my bee pin.

working like this, because the metal linework is raised and unfilled, has the highest amount of fidelity between your original artwork and the end product. you have to remember that enamel pins are extremely small and so intricate work can easily be lost if you’re not careful.

you can also have the empty spaces filled with enamel, like i did with the anodized version of my bee pin.

this is called soft enamel. this also has a relatively high amount of fidelity to the original artwork. pins like this can also have special treatments of the metal, like the anodization above (i.e. the rainbow), that are only available for soft enamel pin or pins without any enamel. similarly, glitter enamel and similar speciality enamels are only available for soft enamel. i don’t often use soft enamel as it doesn’t suit most of my work, but it was the right fit for the bee pin because the recessed metal/fill did the best job of accentuating the design.

if you fill your pin and then grind down the metal so that it is flush with the enamel, this is called hard enamel. it creates a seamless, cohesive and polished look but because the metal is ground down, it decreases the fidelity of your line work. think of it as a tattoo: soft enamel or no fill is the fresh tattoo, it looks essentially as intended, though if the artist doesn’t know what they’re doing there can already be a loss of detail. hard enamel is like a healed tattoo: the ink will spread and, similarly, when the metal is ground down it may widen slightly. different factories will have different degrees of loss in fidelity depending on the skill of the workers and also how quickly they’re having to work.

the above pin uses a combination of hard enamel and recessed metal (the lines in the leaves are recessed). this is a pin with a very detailed design that can easily go wrong when not handled carefully. the recessed metal not only looks good and cohesive with the metal, but it also preserves a higher amount of line work fidelity than an enamel fill would, allowing me to be a little more detailed in the design. i also used cut outs give a more delicate feel, despite the sheer size of this thing.

and this is what that same pin looks like when made less skillfully. i would only make pins this detailed if you have history with your manufacturer and know the quality of their work—and if you’re willing to eat the cost of a bad batch. we’d been working with this manu for a few years when they sent us this back and let me tell you, i was crushed. this is maybe my favorite pin i’ve ever designs and apart from hating to waste money and material, it’s disheartening to see my work translated so poorly.

with enamel, each color must be contained by metal. it’s like a little pocket that you inject color into it. but, you can also screenprint on pins! this is a bit hit or miss, as pins are tiny and it’s super easy for the screen to be misaligned and have it totally fuck up your design, but when it works it’s really lovely! (the white spots on the mushroom and the yellow portion of the flames are screenprinted)

one of my personal favorite techniques with pins is to use the metal itself not just as line work, but as its own “fill”

these are the most basic techniques, but there’s tons more, including stained glass enamel and pins that are fully 3D sculpted, but i’ve never done those so i’d recommend checking out hannako’s books for info on those.

with all of this, when you work with a manufacturer, you’ll provide them a jpeg not just with the artwork, but with a “guide” for any processes (cuts, recessed metal, metal treatment, screen printing, etc.) and for the pantones. here’s what that looks like (the “x” denotes a cut)

if you plan to make a lot of enamel pins i highly recommend getting the set of pantone solid coated and uncoated books so you can accurately pick colors. also these books are expensive so store them out of the light so that their color remains accurate for as long as possible, because they will fade. 🤪

i also highly, highly recommend that you create a backing stamp for your pins. this is a name/logo that just gets pressed into the back. this not only helps people know where their pin is from, but also protects you in the case that a major company decides to steal your pin design.

and since i’ve typed up this whole informational post for y’all, here’s a quick reminder that my pins are currently on sale 😘😘😘

#enamel pin #enamel pin design #art tutorial #tutorial #artists on tumblr #art #maya draws things #art tips #faq #ask

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artofmaquenda · 1 year

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OMG! it is World Frog Day! This is perfect 💚🐸😂🥹

Here is my rainbow frog pin to celebrate!

In my shop here:

#frog #spirit #frog day #trippy #art #ArtofMaquenda #Maquenda #froggo

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see-starling · 1 year

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did y’all know there are pins (and they glow in the dark)?

#the luminous dead

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dilsdesigns · 11 months

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the tttyg 20 year anniversary celebrations aren't over til i say they're over. here's 2 enamel pins inspired by songs off the album (guess which ones!). one by me that you can get right here and one by @lilboatboutique that you can get here (i think this version is no longer stocked, but the glitter version is beautiful too! i know cuz i have that one as well).

Image description: Two enamel pins on the lapel of a denim jacket. One has black dyed metal and is shaped like a rectangular postage stamp depicting a plane crash in shades of blue with 'NOWHERE 23' in the top right corner in a capitalised serif font. The other has rainbow anodized metal and is shaped like a blob, depicting a space helmet against a starry void. Below that it reads 'HOMESICK' in a capitalized san serif handwritten font. End ID

#fall out boy #pete wentz #patrick stump #joe trohman #andy hurley #take this to your grave #tttyg #emo #alt #pop punk #dils declares #dils designs #doing my best to add ids to my stuff on here from now on #its difficult for me but im gonna try to be consistent with it

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sugaredtea · 11 months

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I am thrilled to unveil the highly anticipated presale featuring two captivating recolours of the beloved Elder Scroll pin. Whether you missed out on the original design or simply desire a new colourway to grace your collection, this is your exclusive chance to secure these mesmerising pins before they vanish!

> when live they will be here < goes live 19th may 5pm bst (british standard time)

*golds are completely sold out and won’t be returning

Key Features: ✦ Limited Edition: Only 50 pieces available for each variant. ✦ Generous Size: 2.5 inches in length, making a bold statement on any pin board or accessory. ✦ Exceptional Quality: Sandblasted plating ensures a sleek and polished look, while the resin topping adds protection for the rainbow variant's exposed metal. ✦ Durability and Elegance: Crafted with hard enamel, these pins are built to last, providing long-lasting beauty. ✦ Subtle Sparkle: The black variant features tasteful glitter accents, adding a touch of magic to your collection. ✦ Collectible Appeal: Each pin is back stamped and individually numbered, making it a sought-after item for pin enthusiasts. ✦ Secure Attachment: Equipped with three sturdy pin posts, ensuring stability and preventing any accidental slips.

#the elder scrolls #elder scroll #elder scrolls #tes art #teso #the elder scrolls online #skyrim #morrowind #eso art #teso art #sugaredshop #pins #pin collector #pin collecting #enamel pin

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cishetlessfashion · 10 months

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Pink and black kawaiicore/gyaru/harajuku nonbinary trans masc panromantic ambiamorous fashion with spikes, rainbows, blood, big pants, and short skirts for @mxmenace Hello Kitty spiked choker Pan flag shooting star earrings Pan flag unicorn enamel pin Gloomy bear pinup stickers Pink knife earrings Pink and black tripp pants Kuromi kandi perler necklace Pink and black cat ears Metallic pink skater skirt Spiked choker dolphin enamel pin

#trendercore #transgender #nb #enby #transmasc #kawaii #kawaiicore #gyaru #harajuku

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magicalshopping · 10 months

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♡ Rainbow Metal Pronouns Pins by Chunky Tomato ♡

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miepstheguineapig · 1 year

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To remember sweet Pien, I created a hard enamel pin of her wearing a black bow tie with glitters.

I love the idea of my piggies traveling the world and spreading joy, even after they've crossed the rainbow bridge.

Some details: ❤️ Super cute guinea pig pin ❤️ With glitter on the bow ❤️ Approximately 25mm (1 inch) ❤️ Hard enamel pin is made from metal ❤️ High polish copper finish

You can get it here: https://www.miepstheguineapig.com/shop/enamel-pins/

#guinea pig #guineapigs #guinea pigs #cavy #enamel pin #guinea pig accessory #Meerschweinchen #guinea pig gift

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eepy-pleepy · 2 years

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“Look up at me?”

Dean lifted his face but kept his eyes on his phone, still tapping. Charlie leaned in and dotted over another one of his freckles in blue. The kitchen table beside them was covered in brushes, wipes, Q-tips, and little pots of brightly colored face paint, in rainbow colors.

“I can tell you’re nervous,” Charlie said offhandedly, laser-focused and very close to Dean’s face, her pinky braced against his cheek.

“No you can’t. Why would I be nervous?”

“You always play Crossy Road when you’re nervous.”

“I always play Crossy Road when I’m bored. Seriously, how long is this going to take?”

“It’s your fault you have so many freckles.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not bullshitting new ones everywhere.”

Charlie poked him in the middle of the forehead with the butt of her brush. He pinched her side and she yelped, jerking sideways. The lid to the blue paint clattered onto the linoleum floor.

“Pick that up, ungrateful knave!”

“I can’t, I’m paralyzed by nerves,” Dean said, leaning back and setting one ankle on his knee. He turned a sunny grin up at her. Charlie cooed and grabbed one of his cheeks like a doting grandparent and Dean almost tipped his chair over trying to yank back.

“Don't smear the paint!”

Smug, Charlie exchanged the blue paint for purple. “Nope! This is the good stuff. You’re gonna have to work to get it off.”

Dean blinked up at her in horror.

“Jesus. Why did I agree to let you do this.”

“Because you look fucking adorable with rainbow freckles,” she said, and handed him the small mirror on the tabletop. He stared, then brought the mirror in closer and rubbed at his cheek. The rainbow colors didn’t budge.

“Oh no.”

Someone started hammering on the front door of the apartment and Charlie bellowed IT’S OPEN over her shoulder. Dean leaned away from her, protesting the noise with a loud, annoyed yowling. She rolled her eyes and pulled him forward by the chin.

“Shut up. One more color.”

“Shoulda just gone full Pride Braveheart, woulda been faster.”

“I told you, but you wanted ‘subtle’.”

“There’s always next year!” Sam said, poking their head around the kitchen doorway. They stepped in with Eileen and Dorothy in tow and Dean spluttered, pushing Charlie aside so he could sit forward.

“What’s with the heels, Sam, you’re already a tree!”

Sam was indeed wearing boots with three-inch heels. They were also wearing heart-shaped glasses, dangly earrings that almost touched their shoulders, metallic paint on their nails, and a loose, half-sheer top covered in constellations. Their cross-body bag strap had several pins on it, the largest of which said THEY/THEM above a small enamel nonbinary flag.

“You won’t be complaining when I’m an easy landmark in a sea of people, dipshit.”

Dot bent down to lay a smacking kiss on the side of Dean’s head. “Happy first Pride, Dee! I come bearing gifts.”

She swept a spot clear on the kitchen table and upended a small paper bag. A collection of pins clattered onto the wood.

“For Eileen,” Dot said, holding up an enamel pin of the ASL sign “I Love You”. Eileen beamed and pinned it to her jacket, along with her SHE/HER button and pansexual flag. Charlie helped to face and sort the pins, squealing when she discovered the Live Long and Prosper in the colors of the lesbian flag. She squished Dot in a side-hug and kissed her on the cheek.

“For Sam,” Dot said, handing up a little Sasquatch to an answering eye roll, “aaand Deanie Bean.”

Dean held out his hand to accept the last pins. One was a HE/HIM pronoun button, then a small enamel bisexual flag, then a pair of cowboy boots that said “PAGING DR SEXY, STAT”.

“Awesome,” he said, then grunted when Charlie plopped down on his lap. She took the pronoun pin and started fastening it to Dean’s Led Zeppelin shirt, which they’d altered into a sleeveless boatneck via some clever ripping.

“You don’t have to wear them all if you don’t want to,” she said quietly, tugging Dean’s shirt lopsided so the top of Dean’s flaming pentagram tattoo showed.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Charlie shrugged. “You just went a little green when you saw the flag.”

“Blame the freckles,” Dean grumbled, and Charlie kissed his forehead before bouncing to her feet.

“Alright, queers, wheels up, let’s rock ’n’ roll!”

“Who’s got sunscreen?” Dot called out, rifling through her tote bag as the group started migrating towards the front door.

“There’s some in the car. Pocket check!”

Everyone tapped chest, hips and butt and then threw a sassy snap in the air, everyone except Dean, who was busy pinning the bi flag to his shirt. Charlie patiently held the door for him, smiling like a proud mom.

“There,” he said, pulling the shirt lopsided again. Charlie slapped his ass as she pulled the door shut behind them.

“Gonna have to keep an eye on you, lookin like such a snack.”

Dean threw her a cheeky wink. Charlie cackled, looping their arms together as they caught up with the group. She whooped and threw devil horns in the air with her free hand.

“Pride’s not gonna know WHAT hit it this year!”

🌈

A fuckin’ heatwave, as it turns out.

Dean was too hot, and not in the Bruno Mars kind of way. Well, not just that way.

The heat was making him grumpy.

“How was your first Pride, Dean? Oh, fine, I got heatstroke and died. Music was good, though.”

“Oh my god. Go get another beer and stop whining,” Sam said.

“I spent my last buck on this itchy feather boa.”

“Dean.”

Dean made his best puppy-dog eyes up at Sam until they rolled their eyes and pulled a ten from their bag. Dean beamed and scrunched his shoulders.

“Thanks mom!” He turned and cupped his hands around his mouth. “OI! Charlie! Dot! Want anything?”

Dancing under some water misters, they raised their cups and shook their heads, tapping Eileen on the shoulder. She turned and Dean signed more drink?? and waved the ten with his eyebrows raised. She tapped her bottle of spiked lemonade and raised the number 1, nodding. He lifted a thumbs up and she blew him a kiss.

“Sure, I’ll take a beer,” Sam said loudly as Dean shouldered past them.

“Not good for trees. It’ll wilt your foliage. I’ll bring you a nice hose water.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

Dean was grinning and tapping the folded ten-dollar bill against his hand, eyes on the nearest drinks tent, when something very large and very rainbow tumbled out of the crowd and knocked into his side, shoving him into a small group of people wearing a lot of leather. He hit the pavement with a surprised oof.

“Sorry!”

A hand reached down to him. Dean squinted up at the stranger’s silhouette haloed by the blinding sun; a man, with… two very large wings.

“Did I fucking die?”

The hand closed around his wrist and pulled.

“I didn’t hit you that h—“

The man’s voice trailed away as Dean stood up and met his eyes.

Dean stared.

🌈

The girls pushed their way back through the sea of people to where Sam was standing, bumping into the arm they had raised over the crowd.

“What’s up? Did you spot someone famous?” Charlie said, pushing up on her tiptoes to try to see over the crowd. Her red hair was beaded with little pearls of water from the misters, sticking to her face.

“No, get this,” Sam said, lowering their phone and tapping the screen. Chewing on a grin, they turned it to show Charlie.

She grabbed the phone.

“Shut up. No way.“

🌈

He was tall, almost as tall as Dean, with messy dark hair and big blue eyes, a strong stubbled jaw and a mouth that made Dean think strawberry marshmallow. The very tanned, very smooth skin of his chest was on full display, showing off a wordy tattoo on his left side, just under his ribs.

The only thing he wore above the waist was a pair of great big, rainbow-feathered wings. Like proper enormous, angel-of-the-lord sized wings.

Dean shut his hanging jaw with a click.

“Are you alright?” The man asked, his voice as low and gritty as the pavement that had caught Dean’s fall. Dean dusted off his hands.

“Uh, depends. Are you real?” He leaned back and tapped one of the leather clique chicks on the shoulder. “Hey, sorry. Can you see him too?”

“What, the gay angel? Yeah.”

Dean held out his arms in a tah-dah sort of gesture. “Hallelujah.”

The man’s eyes caught on one of Dean’s hands.

“You’re bleeding.”

Dean looked down. The stinging skin of his palm was, indeed, starting to bleed.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” he said, blotting it on his black shirt. He watched the blood start to well up again. Angel guy came closer, his fingers grazing the back of his hand like he wanted to cradle it but didn’t want to come across as too familiar. The hesitant brush was almost more intimate than if he had just taken his hand. An electric thrill ran up Dean’s spine and he tensed to prevent a visible shiver.

“I’m very sorry. I knew the wings were a bad idea,” the man said.

“You kidding? It’s the most badass shit I’ve seen all day. Did you build them yourself?”

“My brother did. His are pink, yellow, and blue.”

“There’s more of you?”

“Just us,” he said. “Here, at least.”

Dean tipped his chin up a fraction. He clapped the man’s shoulder amicably.

“Us black sheep are cuter anyway,” he said, and reveled in the small smile he got in return. “I’m Dean.”

“Hello, Dean,” the man said, taking Dean’s proffered hand and shaking it. “Castiel.”

“Wow. Props, man. Never heard that one before.”

“You’re not religious?”

“What?”

“It’s the name of an angel.”

“Oh. Is that why…?” Dean asked, gesturing to the wings. Castiel nodded.

“My siblings and I are all named for angels. Gabriel thought these would be fitting. And adequately blasphemous."

Dean grinned.

🌈

“Who do you work for?”

Sam jumped and Charlie yelped at the sudden accusatory voice behind them. The group turned to find a man glaring daggers, hands on his hips.

Above his head stretched a pair of pink, yellow, and blue wings.

“What’s with the sneaky pictures of my friend over there, huh? What are you, P.I.s?”

“Nothing like that!” Charlie said, holding out a placating hand. “That man in the black shirt over there is their brother!”

The winged man looked up at Sam, who was nodding vigorously, and immediately adopted a less intimidating stance.

“Ah. Sibling blackmail, I respect it. Whatcha got?” He said, and moved in with eagerly wiggling fingers.

🌈

“The freckles are a nice touch.”

Dean snorted. “Sure. Looks like I contracted a bad case of the gay.”

Castiel laughed, throwing his head back. His dark hair shone like a rich red wine where it caught the sunlight.

“Condolences,” he said. "Did you know, some people believe they're angel kisses?"

"What?"

"Freckles."

A sly smile grew on Dean's face. "You tryina take credit for something, angel?"

His smile only got bigger the pinker Cas' cheeks got.

"Of course not, Dean. Just making small talk."

They stood in line together at the drinks tent, caught between the baking pavement and the punishing sun. Dean grimaced and pulled his bi pride feather boa away from his neck, arranging it like a sash so it didn’t touch as much skin.

“God. Don’t those things itch?”

“No. They’re very hot, though,” Castiel said, pulling the wings away from his back to let the breeze through. Dean eyed the curve of his spine in the little alcove he’d created – the way his skin shone with sweat, the outlines of his phone and his wallet against the swell of his, uh. Castiel started to turn and Dean quickly averted his gaze.

“How’s your hand?”

Dean lifted it between them. It was still trying, sluggishly, to bleed.

“I’ll see if I can get some ice and napkins,” Castiel said.

“It’s fine, man, really.”

“To you.”

“Cas.”

“What can I get you two?”

They looked up to find that they were next in line to order. Dean started to open his mouth to correct the person but stopped when Cas touched his hand.

“I got it. What do you want?”

“You don’t—“

“Dean.”

“Fine.” He’d just sneak the ten into Castiel’s pocket later.

He gave his order and stood off to the side, holding his drinks while he watched Cas pay for them, asking for extra ice and napkins. Dean rolled one cold, wet beer bottle against the side of his neck, eyes on Cas’ slender fingers as he tucked his wallet back into his pocket. The motion pulled the waistband of his jeans lower over his hipbones and Dean had to look away or risk accidentally boiling the beer he held against his skin.

“Here, over here.”

Cas led them past the drinks tent and up onto the grass, finding a relatively uncrowded shady spot under a large tree. He set his drinks on the ground and gestured for Dean to give him his hand.

Dean hissed when the ice hit his palm.

“Sorry.”

“Dude, quit apologizing.”

There was a flash of blue when Cas’ eyes flicked to look up at him. He patted one of the napkins gently against Dean’s raw skin.

“Thank you,” Cas said.

“…Weird track switch, but sure?"

“For letting me help,” Cas clarified. He gave a wry smile. “Despite protest.”

Something akin to panic fluttered like a single trapped moth behind Dean’s ribs. Shit, was this goodbye? Why did this sound like goodbye? This couldn’t be all there was.

“It, uh… it ain’t all better yet,” he said. Cas’ brow furrowed.

“What?”

Dean’s heart was hammering. Risk it? Risk it?

God, yeah.

“You didn’t kiss it.”

Cas searched his eyes. Dean wondered if his own pulse was visible slamming against his neck.

Slowly, Cas lifted Dean's hand between them. He touched his lips to Dean’s palm, over the napkin. Dean swallowed.

“Better?”

Dean shook his head. God, he was going to rupture several veins the way his heart was going, but something – maybe everything – about this guy made him want to throw caution to the winds. He took a step closer. He turned his hand in Cas’ lax grip so his fingers brushed the strong line of his jaw.

Cas didn’t stop him. He leaned in.

Dean closed his eyes and kissed him.

“WOO!”

“YEEOW!“

They leapt apart, almost spilling the drinks by their feet.

“Jesus!”

Sam, Charlie, Dot, and Eileen were standing at the curb by the drinks tent, whooping and hollering along with a man wearing a set of pink, yellow, and blue wings. Gabriel leaned back to check Sam’s raised phone screen, then cackled and high-fived them.

“Don’t worry guys, we got it!” Gabriel called, throwing them a thumbs-up while Sam gleefully showed the other three the footage. Dean looked over at Cas like he was afraid Cas might try to deck him. He found Cas watching him in much the same way.

“Do you know those people?” Cas said.

“Unfortunately. The skyscraper? That’s my sibling. The gals were the ones who talked me into attending. I don’t know how they found your brother.”

“Trust me. Gabriel found them.”

“Awesome.”

The group was coming in to join them under the tree, making ridiculous cooing noises.

“You’re all horrible,” Dean said, and swiped the drink he’d ordered for Eileen before she could grab it. She pouted at him. He narrowed his eyes and mouthed traitor, but gave it over anyway. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then discreetly flicked her eyes in Cas’ direction and signed he is smokin’ so only Dean could see it. Dean shrugged in the universal sign can you blame me? and she grinned.

“So when’s the big daaay?” Gabriel sing-songed, looping his arm through Cas’. Cas shoved him off.

“It’s a wonder I make any friends with you around.”

Gabriel just laughed and pinched his sides, making him hunch over defensively, which brought his head low enough for Gabriel to pull him into a noogie.

“Oooo looked like a little bit more than friends, little bro!”

“Gabe!”

“I’m so proud of you!“ Charlie said, swinging a punch at Dean’s arm. “Way to just go for it!”

“Charlie, ow?”

“Our little gaybie, growing up so fast.” She wiped away a false tear. Dean rolled his eyes and pulled his feather boa from his shoulder, winding it in loose coils around Charlie’s neck and lower face. She laughed, spluttering through the feathers.

He jumped when he realized Gabriel was standing right at his shoulder.

“Shit. How do you do that with those on?” Dean said, looking up at the wings. Gabriel just narrowed his eyes at him, singular in his focus, like he was reading the fine print of his soul through the back of his retinas. His gaze shifted to consider the middle of his face.

Dean hissed when Gabe suddenly gave him a cheerful clap on the arm. It was right on the same spot Charlie had punched.

“Damn it,” Dean muttered, rubbing his arm.

“Cute freckles, Prince Charming.”

“Thanks.”

Apparently satisfied, Gabe turned away, almost knocking Dean over with one of his wings. “Seriously melting my balls off out here, where’s the nearest ice cream tent?”

“The snowcone van is right over there,” Dot said, pointing. Charlie bounced up and down, grabbing Dot’s arm.

“Ooo! Do you think they have rocket pops?”

“Gangway!” Gabriel declared, leading the charge back towards the thick of the crowd milling on the street. Charlie and Dot followed in his feathery wake.

“Hey, um,” Sam said, still hovering nearby. “I can delete that video. I don’t mean anything by it. Your business is your business.”

“Since when?” Dean said. He felt feathers brush his arm and glanced over.

Cas met his eyes, his gaze a calm, steady blue. Dean’s stomach did a little pirouette.

“Might be nice to remember. Look back on someday,” Cas said. Dean raised his eyebrows.

“You goin’ somewhere?”

In his periphery, Sam and Eileen started to sidle away. Dean hooked Cas’ pinky with his own, loose.

“I wasn’t going to presume anything,” Cas said. Dean’s fingers crept further, capturing Cas’ ring finger along with his pinky.

“Yeah I probably shouldn’t, either.”

Cas looked down, threading their fingers together properly. Their palms settled against each other. When he raised his eyes, it was tentative, almost shy.

Dean couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this giddy. He swung their joined hands between them.

“Hey. Did it hurt?” He said.

Cas squinted at him. “What?”

“When you fell from heaven.”

Dean cackled when Cas rolled his eyes in a dramatic full-body gesture and shoved him over onto the grass.

Feathers and Freckles on Ao3

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Tag list (message me to be added or removed!)

@one-more-offbeat-anthem @blue-eyed-cutiepatootie @yourspecialeyes @sleepycas @castiel @wormstacheangel @meg3point0

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astranite · 11 months

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Pride, Paint and Rainbow Pins!

@thunder-pride fic for Virgil’s day! (a little late but technically still on today’s theme!)

Pride! Fluff! Virgil being artistic!! Demisexuality and gayness!!!

Please say hi, I’m new here!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47711119 (I’m AstraNite on AO3 too if you want to read it there!)

Now without further ado-

----------

Virgil wondered whether there was such a thing as too many pride pins.

He fumbled the backing of another and creatively swore as he poked the sharp pin into his thumb. The things he did for art.

He’d only taken the numerous pins off of his denim jacket to protect them from getting covered in paint but maybe he should’ve chanced it with the stray art supplies. Last week’s tonne of concrete dropped on him in the exosuit had hurt less. Virgil frowned at the bead of blood that welled up and sucked it away revealing the tiny pinprick wound. His medic knowledge told him he’d live. He pouted, probably.

The last pin went on one-handedly, with not inconsiderable difficulty. Or Virgil was being dramatic about it, could be either. Gords wasn’t the only one in the family with that skill.

Tubes of fabric paints were scattered across his desk, like a particularly colourful minefield. He replaced them in their packet, neatly lined up by gradient. The brushes were already washed and drying by the sink. Virgil never considered a project truly finished until he’d put his tools away.

With the pins reattached to the front panels of his jacket, he flipped it over to show the newly painted back piece. What had once been plain blue denim was now covered shoulder to shoulder in art.

Thunderbird Two soared upwards in all her painted glory, the final details just dried. She was steadfast determination from nose to wingtips, green and majestic.

However it was the background of rainbow sky Virgil was most proud of. Red to orange to yellow, green, blue, purple, blending and swirling together. Fluffy white clouds, then a sprinkling of stars finished it off. The colours were nearly pastel in hue but somehow fiercer, forming a kaleidoscopic sunset.

A rainbow, all joy and hope and Pride.

Virgil swung his jacket over his shoulders, then stood in front of his mirror to admire his handy work. See Scott, he didn’t wear flannel all of the time, just most, because hey it was comfy.

After some twisting around to see what the new art looked like on, Virgil stood there grinning because it was exactly as amazing as he’d hoped.

He fussed with a few pins that weren’t sitting right to his artist’s eye, then turned away from the mirror to look down at himself.

Coloured enamel and shiny metal caught the light, rounded button badges nestled between.

A rainbow gay flag and demisexual flag pin sat pride, get it— pride, of place near the lapel.

Over his heart lay his first badge, an artist’s palettle swirled with ‘love is love,’ which he’d found in a gutter with a broken pin when he’d been sixteen and lost. His teenage self had never imagined how far he would come.

The green ‘he/him’ pronouns pin was a few years old, worn in solidarity with the red one Alan had gotten when he’d first come out as trans. A MLM gay flag in its green and blue was next to it. The tiny astronaut waving a demisexual flag came from John’s packet of space themed aro and ace pins. A rainbow frog had been gifted to him by Gordon who had its panromantic counterpart.

The ‘queer engineers’ badge Virgil had designed himself, on request from Brains. A green carnation turned up one day after he’d been admiring Kayo’s violet pin. The rainbow Thunderbird Two pin was his newest addition, as this year everyone had convinced Scott that International Rescue pride merchandise was a priority. Scott had been first in line for what they nicknamed the Thunder-Bi One badge, sporting it on his flight jacket along with his Aro-plane pin.

A progress pride flag shone for its inclusivity.

Wrapped in trans flag colours and rainbows, a circular badge read, ‘You’re safe with me.’

Virgil had amassed quite a collection of pride pins over the years, so many cool designs by amazing artists in the community.

They were more than the pieces of metal and plastic they were made from. They were a way of showing who he was and what he believed in. A celebration. A remembrance of their history. A part of their community.

They represented Pride.

So, no. There wasn’t a such thing as too many pride pins.

After all, what else would go with his rainbow bootlaces?

#thunderpride #thunderbirds are go #virgil tracy #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderfam #AstraWrite

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