#BUT I LOVE HER BOUFFANT TBH

[thiziri]

WHY are people that bothered with Anne's hair? I don't get it????????

[viviane-lefay]

"She had an air of a queen but didn't hold the crown to back it up. The authority she carried was one she had made herself and bestowing a crown on her would do nothing more than add a fancy, yet useless, ornament to her. She was the first ghost King Boo had seen that didn't need a crown to hold the title of royalty."

Source

~*~

I really, really love that quote! It describes her so well.

Why, yes - she is a very lovely, elegant & regal spooky lady, and I'm quite sure that didn't escape the notice of her beloved monarch (as the respective fic I linked above so nicely illustrates).

Personally, I think he's just as enamoured by her as she is with him ... he's just not that good at admitting it. ;)

King Boo in the fic is so enchanted that he can't stop thinking about her, to the point that he's totally spaced out and loses touch with present reality (like, being called 11 times before even noticing, lol). If that isn't obsession on par with Hellen's ... well, then I don't know what is.

Frankly, I'm quite obsessed with her, too. I just love her design - it's very much my aesthetic! That mixture of Morticia Addams, Lily Munster, Frankenstein's Bride, Elvira, Emily from Corpse Bride, and some WoW Night Elf influence is just gorgeous!

Aside from that, I think she's an awesome character with a lot of potential. Oh, and she's a cat person, so what's not to love!? =)

~*~

Speaking of design & character interpretation, I thought I'd share some ideas and headcanons on that matter (although most of it is already established, given this isn't really a re-design, but merely my personal take on that, which already is).

~*~

Before I continue, a little clarification at first:

This is just about my personal opinion, interpretation & headcanon - and by no means lays a claim to general validity (nor does your POV, btw).

I have more of a pick & choose approach to fandom subjects, anyway, so I can customize the experience exactly according to my needs and wishes. This is fiction, after all - the realm of endless possibilities - where anything goes, and where there is a place for the preferences of all of us.

What this post, therefore, definitely is not, is an invitation for a debate regarding the “right” character interpretation, etc. - and all the potential drama that this might entail. If that is what you’re after, then I’d politely ask you to leave now, because all you are doing is wasting both of our time. Let’s just agree to disagree and move on, k!? I do my thing and you do you!

What I’m here for are mutuals.

I suppose, I made myself abundantly clear now!? Good.

~*~

Now on to the actual subject of this post:

—

The closest thing I have as a face-claim for Hellen would be a hybridization of Megan Fox, Carice van Houten, and Segovia Amil. (They have her characteristic features, such as a heart-shaped face with prominent cheekbones, a dainty nose, and these big, almond-shaped, almost feline-esque eyes. Aside from that, they also have her graceful and fine-boned, yet curvy and feminine built.)

[ BTW, here is a character moodboard I made with a pic of MF, who is my main influence for her look]

I imagine her to be quite a tall woman (5'11'')

her hair must be fairly long for her to be able to coif it into this huge bouffant style hairdo that she usually wears, so I decided ankle-length would be quite appropriate

although you can't see it, because her hair mostly covers this area - her ears are slightly pointy (I wanted at least some elven influence)

aside from the overall ghostly glow, her skin has a slightly iridescent shimmer about it - a little like being dusted by a finely powdered mixture of purple moonstone and amethyst (I'm talking about a natural property of her skin here, and not the powder she uses as a nervous habit of hers, which has a more mattifying effect)

—

The only thing I'd like to change a little, because I'm not happy with it, tbh, is her turning into this banshee-like form, once she loses it.

I'd much rather prefer it to be a "monstrous" form of a different kind - one not any less scary, but a little less unpleasant to look at.

Since she has this association with cats via her beloved Polterkitty, who apparently happens to be one of the cat-like yōkai (such as nekomata and bakeneko) you find in Japanese folklore, I would really like the thought of Hellen turning into a human version of such a creature when she's angry - a "were-cat" of sorts (with fangs & claws, and all that) ... like a Kyuubi-possessed Naruto, or Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk.

Why yes, that IS an appropriate comparison - she did a Hellen smash with her desk after all. There wasn't much left afterwards. So it is understandable that Luigi was scared, given she'd be able to make mincemeat out of somebody that way.

Bad for her opponent that she doesn't have any tails to remove, as a potential weakpoint, like Polterkitty does ... although I'm not entirely sure on that matter as yet (even if she did, it would be a quite risky, if not lethal, endeavour to remove one of those - Polterkitty was pretty fierce already, just imagine what Hellen could do ...).

As for the eyes turning red - that's fine, she can keep that.

That would be about it regarding the more visual design aspects.

~*~

Now on to some thoughts on her name (no changes here, of course, just a little interpretation) ...

I've already pointed out in another post, how interesting, and fitting, I find the mythological references you can see there - one quite obvious, as well as another, that is a little more obscure.

The more evident one is, of course, the reference to Helen of Troy, who is said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world (of this myth, i.e. the Iliad), and there also are close ties to the goddess Aphrodite.

Frankly, I think this totally applies to Hellen, too, considering how lovely she is. She is merely a spooky version of such a lady.

Then you can also find the goddess Hel hidden inside the name, which was pretty much the Germanic equivalent to Hades, being the ruler of the Netherworld (also called Hel, or Helheim) - so there is the spooky theme again ... and, perhaps, an explanation as to why (in the fic) King Boo perceived her as someone with "the air of a queen", something he never experienced before with anyone he met.

If you combine these two references, the result is a "Dark Venus Persephone" kind of being - a sublime beauty, with the power and dignity that would make her a true equal to the god of the Underworld himself (... and his perfect match =D).

Aside from that, it might also be interesting to mention that the word "hell", which can also be seen in her name, is said to be derived from, or at least related to, the word "hel", and, in contrast to the terrible meaning it has in the Abrahamic religions, the Germanic one describes a realm of a more neutral nature - despite being a rather gloomy place overall (btw, the location of her hotel seems to be located quite far in the "north", as you can clearly see the aurora polaris in the night sky).

So, I think, the same could be said of Hellen, too, as I, personally, do not see her as a bad person, but rather as one of a more ambiguous nature. Which side is seen ultimately depends on how she relates to the one she interacts with, which can be either good or bad, as she is seen to be fiercely loyal to the ones she loves, but also quite terrifying, if you get on her bad side (which is when you get to see the "hell" part).

Finally, coming to her last name "Gravely", which, of course, quite obviously refers to the word "grave", and thus to her spectral, other-worldly nature.

What I think it could also give insight into, however, is a facet of her personality, as "gravely" - or the verb "grave" - describes a state of being serious or solemn, thoughtful, and, perhaps, a little strict (she definitely has high standards and expectations, both regarding herself, as well as others) - traits I can definitely see in her, despite the rather dramatic side of hers that she shows more openly.

Anyway, that is what I could derive from the information that her name provides, plus my own perspective on it.

~*~

Besides Aphrodite, Persephone, and Hel, there are also some other goddesses who, I think, fit her symbolism-wise, and who inspired my interpretation of her:

Nut (Egyptian goddess of the Sky) - Hellen's beautiful indigo coloured hair reminds me of the night sky.

Bastet (Egyptian goddess of felines & sensual pleasures) - This, of course, I chose because of Hellen's association with cats, but there is also the affiliation with both moon and sun, which I also thought fitting, as I think Hellen's nature isn't just nocturnal, as her shining, golden eyes make me think of the early morning sun. There is also another aspect, tied to a headcanon I have of her, but I'll leave it at that, for now.

Sekhmet (Egyptian lion goddess of war) - A hint at my interpretation of her fiercer nature (aside from the Japanese inspiration).

Frigga (Norse goddess of the household & domestic arts, as well as marriage) - Since you could say that domestic arts are somewhat related to the hotel business, this is a goddess who reminded me of Hellen's hospitality and profession. The fact that Frigga also happens to be the queen of the Aesir also serves to both emphasize Hellen's position as the boss of this establishment, as well as her regal charisma (and what she is to King Boo imho ;D).

~*~

Other than that, the archetype of Virgo is quite a dominant feature of her personality, as you can definitely see the traits that are characteristic for this zodiac sign (perfectionism, attention to detail, conscientious, service-oriented, helpful, analytical, etc.). Then there are two other signs which are also heavily featured in her characterization, as secondary dominant influences (in equal measure) - Scorpio and Leo.

~*~

That is about it - for now.

Hope you like it.

[cryptidofthekeys]

Vivian Hollyflower

Sooo here she is!! Fawn grandma, doe grandma! I honestly fucking loved making her design, I mean I do prefer to make male characters but its nice to make one like this, one like her every once in awhile, who knows maybe I’ll make Grandpa eventually ...if I do tho uh y’all might get mad fjkldkfjds ...not bc im making a grandpa- oh no, but uh bc of what’ll have h a p p e n e d TO him lmao

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| Name: Vivian Hollyflower

| Nicknames: Viv, Vivi (vee-vee is the pronunciation), Hol/Hols, Holly, or even simply Flower

| Gender: She/Her

| Age: N/A exactly but she is pretty old tbh (I gotta do math n stuff)

| Height: 5’2”

| Species/Race: Humanoid Fawn, upper half is human, lower half is Fawn, I’ll explain what she looks like more properly in appearance

| Occupation: Owns a Florist/Bakery, it's uh two in one- there’s a flower shop on the left and the bakery is on the right, it’s called “The Hollyflower Specialty” its mostly bc well, flowers and baking are her specialties ya know?

| Eye Color: Light pastel blue

| Hair Color: Gray and her hair is like just super curly in all honesty, bout to shoulder length but just a big ol curly mess

| Skin Color/Body Type: Upper half is what this is referring too, she’s kinda pale and overall very chubby

| Appearance: Her main attire (excluding the apron she wears, I’ll get to that in a bit) but her main attire is a long light pastel mint green bouffant dress that’s got white flower patterns sewn in all over it, she wears a light pastel blue garden hat with what appears to be strawberry designs on it, its of varying pastel colors not just red ones, has a moss pocketbook (literally, its made of moss), she has of course, long deer ears (a tawny brown color on the outside, white fur on the insides) she does wear hoop earrings in her ears but that’s about all for jewelry in all honesty she’s not a big jewelry person, nothing like claws or sharp teeth or any of that, she also doesn’t have scars of any kind really… Has a deer nose essentially, that’s the best way I can describe it, and also she DOES have antlers (i dont care if that’s contradicting or whatever, my ocs, my rules lmao) she actually has fairly huge antlers with tons of tips (she’s somewhat had them sawed down until the points aren’t TOO sharp anymore)

Wears a flower crown over her antlers, it’s a bouquet consisting of baby’s breath flowers (partially for the meaning but also, she just really likes baby’s breath flowers)

Now her lower half which is usually covered by the dress, her lower half is p much just furry legs- her fur is that tawny brown color with white spots all over them all the way down until you reach the black hooves, yes she DOES have a little tawny brown tail, white fur on the outside, another thing she usually carries a branch walking stick (not just decor, she needs it)

Also wears some big round glasses that help her see better before I forget to mention, she also has some freckles on her face and some on her arms, btw her apron! It’s a light pastel blue and light pastel green color and it’s got a checkered/plaid pattern, there are words written on it ‘Happiness is Homemade’ it’s cheesy sounding but she adores it!

| Personality: Vivian is very lovely, she’s sweet, kind, caring, and gentle as can be- literally she wouldn’t hurt a f l y, she’d sooner catch and release it rather than swatting at it- She’s very polite and loving, she’s just,, everybody’s grandma who needs a grandma! Sure, someone might not be a fawn or a woodland creature of any kind but to Vivi it doesn’t matter, even if you're human. If you need someone to take care of you or someone to just show you love, caring, and compassion in life then she’s your grandma! Yeah, she’s your grandma now- Just come on inside dearie, she’s already got some fresh treats baked for you, plenty to drink as well.

There’s nothing really deep about her, like she doesn’t have a tragic backstory, she hasn’t been hurt, she literally has no anxiety, depression, nothing like that- Vivian is just, well, Vivian- I’m tired of making these really complex OCs with super dark, depressing backstories or giving them anxiety/depression/etc troubles, nah she takes good care of herself not just others, never one to neglect herself or anyone around- Overall she’s just,, lovely- a deer grandma who wants only the best for her grandkids! …But now, don’t underestimate her just because she is kind and caring, you mess with the ones she cares about, you mess with her grandkids or anything like that- she won’t hesitate to take a k n i f e to you- like that one meme of just ‘BITCH I HOPE THE FUCK YOU DO, YOUR GONNA BE A DEAD SON OF A BITCH I TELL YOU THAT’ she only gets fierce and aggressive when you threaten her loved ones so don’t underestimate her just because she’s oh so cutesy and kind.

| Side Facts: Aside from a bakery/floral shop she owns (it’s, the bakery/floral shop is not really in the forest obviously BUT its just on the outskirts of The Town of Wimbor, the forest’s name is Winderidge Forest) she owns a cabin out in the forest, it looks fairly cozy, has some moss growing on the roof, the outside is painted in blue and greens (she likes to keep it forest themed, and uh i guess sky or water theme, whatever ya really wanna take away from the blue) has some dark brown beams as well to give it an earthy feel as well.

She has a plethora of plants inside, some are uses for helpful medicines in case she needs to treat wounds, some are just plants she adores, and some are tea leaves and or things she uses for preparing a meal, she uh doesn’t eat meat or anything like that- I mean deers are herbivores but that’s not entirely why I’m doing it, she’s just a vegan who cannot handle meat of any kind, it makes her terribly sick if she ingests ANY kind of meat.

She has all sorts of books stored up, cookbooks, bedtime stories, etc- if you name a book she probably has it somewhere on her bookshelves- she doesn’t have any horror ones though, she’s not a big horror fan but ya know, if you talk to her about it and are a horror fan well who knows next time you visit her she might have stocked up in a few… Heh-

She doesn’t have any technology, not just because she’s old but honestly she has no use for technology… The only appliances she’s got are basics essentially, she has an old gramophone and a typewriter, she writes on the occasion- it’s mostly poems or just anything she might find interesting in her days, she does have a few diaries around as well …Guys, there’s no juicy lore- it’s just an old deer writing about her day or writing about the pretty sights she’s seen while out for a stroll, or about how nice someone was/is to her!

She usually isn’t working on the weekends, from Friday to Sunday, works Monday to Thursday essentially, sure she DOES have other employees she’s obviously hired, she doesn’t just tend to the bakery all by herself, she’s only one doe- she can’t do EVERYTHING on her own and she isn’t afraid to admit that, she pays them well and accordingly and even cooks them some food and offers some of the baked treats as well, she treats n o  o n e unfairly- not even in the floral shop, she’ll offer the same foods to them and even give them a flower to take home as a special treat.

She has countless scrap books of her youth too, you’ll be surprised to find she used to dress up entirely like a punk, it's not just a ‘youth’ thing either she didn’t grow out of it, she still has those clothes lying around to preserve the memories, she could still wear them if she desired but she likes her aesthetic right now the way it is …She has no idea she could do both though actually, she has no idea she could combine and dress up in pastel punk attire, someone needs to tell her that lmao and who knows she might try combining them.

She might love her cozy cabin but you’ll usually find her, even on her days off she’ll be strolling around, walking through the forest and exploring all around, gathering more herbs or flowers, or even drinking from the spring water areas (she could theoretically drink from ponds, lakes, etc and not get sick due to her fawn anatomy, i know she does have human anatomy but still) so yeye- that’s about all I can think to add for her …I m i g h t, I just MIGHT give her some lore but it won’t be ANYTHING complex, it’ll be something simple, bc I definitely have lore ideas but it’s nothing major.

I suppose one final tidbit is that even though she believes she’s too old to find love (...or find love again depending on if I add gramps to the mix) but either way- Vivi is Bisexual.