#Radiation Green w/ Yellow Splatter

[mistymark]

the one with the paint prank // w.y.k

wong yukhei x reader // idol!reader au // 2.6k words

Wong Yukhei. The giant flirt who thought he could get anyone he wanted. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t get you. Was he not as good as he thought he was? Why weren’t you falling for him? You were good friends; surely you should’ve fallen for him by now?

The answer was simple: you wouldn’t let yourself fall for his apparent charms, let yourself fall for the notorious flirt. You wouldn’t let him get to you, even though you did have a tiny, barely-there crush on him. And it didn’t exactly help that he would flirt with you constantly, ask you out on dates just to make you flustered and angry, always turning him down.

Today, you sat in your dorm with the rest of your group, relaxing during one of your short breaks whilst Jihyo kept singing, practicing her part. “Can you shut up?” Jisoo moaned, covering her face with her arm as she lay down on the ground, tired from practicing.

The singing from the other side of the room ceased, but the silence was broken as Yuri flung the door open, a cardboard box in hand as she leant against the door to keep it open as she entered. When she noticed everyone’s curious glances, she sighed, “I don’t know what it is, Jaehyun just said it was for you, Y/N.”

“Did he mention who it was from?” You stood up, pushing your phone into your back pocket as you moved into the small kitchen to get a drink.

“No, he just handed it over and walked away,” Yuri stated, eyeing the package with curiosity.

Noticing her excitement, you nodded to her, raising a glass to your mouth as you gestured to the rather large brown box, “You can open it, if you w-“

She was already ripping the tape off, nails digging into the creases to pry the package open. Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound as tins and cans of paint exploded inside, causing paint to splatter all over the dorm living room; the couches and carpet painted in colours of red, yellow and green.

“What the fuck, Jung Jaehyun!” Yuri was already standing, marching out the door in a fit of rage. The other girls, covered in paint, followed, their faces red.

A few moments later, they returned with one of the managers, showing the damage. “We can get a service in tomorrow afternoon, but I suggest you find somewhere else to sleep for the night,” the manager said, making a face at the mess and blocking her nose from the scent of paint.

“Since the NCT boys did this, shouldn’t we get their dorm until ours is fixed?” Jisoo asked, her hands on her hips.

You walked with your fellow members to the NCT practice room, and as soon as you entered, you heard Boss playing from the speakers as the U subunit practiced. You liked to think your groups were fairly friendly, and you always found yourselves talking to them at awards shows and at the SM Showcase. Your groups were known around the company for pranks, but never resulted to property damage… until now. However, as soon as they made eye contact with you through the mirror, they immediately fell over, laughing. Yukhei stopped the music, practically falling over his own two feet as he tried to walk over to the music dock. You rolled your eyes as you looked at the other guys.

Taeyong’s hand came up to his mouth as he tried to hide his grin, and Jungwoo was gasping for breath, lying on the ground. “Eventful practice session, girls?” Doyoung questioned, once he had finally caught his breath.

You crossed your arms over your chest in defiance, “It would have been, if we were practicing. Now, our dorm looks like Jackson Pollock decided to redecorate.”

Immediately, all the boys stopped smiling. Winwin turned to Jaehyun, “We said to give it to them during practice!”

“I thought they were in practice! Yuri was walking towards their practice room!” Jaehyun defended, suddenly feeling very guilty.

“I was getting snacks!” Yuri shouted, anger radiating from her.

Mark piped up, “Oh, shit. We’re really sorry, we thought it was a harmless prank.”

You quirked an eyebrow at him, briefly making eye contact with Yukhei before focussing on Taeyong, “Don’t be sorry, you’re already repaying us by letting us borrow your dorm until ours gets cleaned. So, thank you.”

Your group began to leave, and Jisoo called over shoulder, “Enjoy sleeping in the practice rooms, boys!” They all stared at you, mouths agape as the door clicked shut softly.

“I still can’t believe you,” Yuri watched as Jaehyun loaded his pyjamas, spare clothes and his toiletries into a small backpack. He looked up briefly to glare at her as he walked to the other side of the room, no doubt collecting more items. When he returned, she was already sitting on his bed, smiling at him spitefully. You had been given the room that Taeyong, Jaehyun, Doyoung and Yukhei shared. Luckily, it was able to provide a home for you and your group members until your own dorm was clean. Although it wasn’t a whole dorm, it was better than sleeping in your practice room.

“So who’s taking my bed?” Yukhei grinned at you, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly at the rest of the group.

“I have dibs on Taeyong’s,” Jihyo walked to the bed which looked the cleanest, and you berated yourself for not thinking of that beforehand.

“I’m taking Doyoung’s,” Jisoo placed her things on his bedside table.

You looked from Yukhei’s empty bed to Yukhei, “I’m sleeping on the floor.” The rest of the girls laughed and he threw a pillow at you, which you caught with ease as you placed it back on Jisoo’s bed.

The rest of the boys grabbed their belongings and walked out as Taeyong looked for his toothbrush. “Are they at least giving you mattresses for the practice room floor?” Jihyo asked him as he searched.

“Yeah, but we’re just going to the other rooms with the other NCT brothers,” he stated, searching his drawers for a spare toothbrush, giving up on the one he used daily.

You weren’t really listening, too busy searching through your sports bag to overhear anything. Giving up on looking for your shirt, you sighed, “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Yuri asked, coming over to stand beside you and peering into your bag cautiously.

“I forgot my sleep shirt in our dorm,” you stated, sitting down on Yukhei’s bed, pouting.

“Well, you can’t go back. It’s closed for cleaning,” she put her hand on your shoulder comfortingly.

“And it stinks,” Jihyo stated, pinching her nose.

“You didn’t happen to pack an extra did you?” You asked the girls, as they shook their heads sadly.

Taeyong looked up from the chest of drawers, stuffing a plastic toothbrush into his pocket and heading for the door, “You can borrow one of mine if you like.” He laughed at your hesitant expression, “It’s okay. If you can’t find one, just borrow one from these drawers. These are mine. God knows what Yukhei and Jaehyun have in theirs.” He said goodbye to each of the girls and exited the room.

You groaned as each of the girls got ready for bed, pulling a black sleeveless shirt from one of Taeyong’s drawers.

“Woah, who knew Taeyong was a sleeveless guy,” Yuri joked, pulling the covers on Jaehyun’s bed back and slipping in.

“I know right,” you laughed, slipping the shirt on over your head.

The next morning, you woke up early, ready for practice in the morning and a radio show in the afternoon, and made your way down the stairs into the NCT kitchen for breakfast, unable to use your own. The other girls came down minutes later, and you prepared a small breakfast for each of them. You were still in the shirt you had borrowed, forgetting it didn’t belong to you and not being bothered enough to change it (a bad habit).

Some of the boys were filing into the kitchen one by one, dreary eyed and hair messy, bidding you good morning as they prepared for their own busy schedules. The dreamies joined your group for a moment as they waited for their transport, promising that their hyungs were still getting ready and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. You waved them goodbye and pulled your phone out.

There were loud footsteps and you looked up to see the NCT U members coming downstairs, before grabbing their breakfasts and joining you and your other members at the table.

“Good sleep?” You asked Doyoung, who was pressing his palms into his face, a pained expression on his face.

“He slept in the Dream dorm,” Taeyong explained, cringing as he slapped the tired boy on the back. “As did Yukhei.”

You noticed Yukhei, who looked equally exhausted, “You look terrible, Wong.”

He sighed, barely sparing you a glance before dropping into the seat opposite you, “Flattering, Y/L/N.”

From the corner of your eye, you saw Jaehyun staring confusedly at you, before whispering something to Taeyong, who nodded, a small smile on his face.

Yukhei suddenly did a double take, “Is that my shirt?”

Your eyes suddenly widened as you looked down at the black shirt you’d slept in the night before, “No! Taeyong leant it to me. It’s Taeyong’s!” You quickly shot a glance to Taeyong for confirmation, and his lips were thin as he shook his head slightly, the tiniest grin on his face at your shocked expression.

Yukhei grinned, “No, I’m pretty sure that’s mine. I mean, when does Taeyong wear sleeveless shirts? Guy has no arms.” His eyes widened at his own comment and he quickly made a face at Taeyong as the rest of the members laughed.

“Hey, I could pull off a sleeveless shirt!” Taeyong shouted, and Jisoo leant over the table to pat his arm comfortingly, letting him know that no, he could not.

You glanced down at the comfortable shirt again, before sighing in defeat, “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was Taeyong’s. Do you want it back now? I can go change?”

He only laughed, brushing aside our comments with a wave of his hand, “Nah, you can keep it. Looks better on you, anyway.” You flushed and looked down at your breakfast to hide it.

“Thanks,” you mumbled. “It really was an ac-“

“On one condition,” he continued, a sly smirk making its way onto his face.

Your head snapped up instantly, the smile wiping itself off your face as you scrutinized him.

“Don’t look like that, it’s nothing bad,” he rolled his eyes. You nodded for him to finish, “You have to go on a date with me.”

You rolled your eyes at him, groaning, “I thought you said it was nothing bad! Can’t I just give you the shirt back?” You heard Mark begin to laugh at the other end of the table as he listened to the exchange.

When you met Yukhei’s eyes again, you realised he was being serious. He fiddled with the rings on his fingers as he waited for your response, his normally mischievous expression was replaced with one of sincerity and… fear?

You put your spoon down, “Fine. One date. That’s it.”

“Why are you so worried?” Jisoo asked you, handing you your keys as you stepped into your dorm’s kitchen, the new, clean carpet smelling more like soap than paint. “It’s Yukhei; you see him every day. And it’s one date, after this you don’t have to have him bother you about it again.”

You nodded, not willing to admit your feelings for him as you grabbed your phone from its charger, “You’re right, this is nothing to worry about.” Checking your purse for all your essentials, you repeated the phrase under your breath like a prayer, “Nothing to worry about.”

When you arrived at the small café that Yukhei had texted you the address of, you found a smile forming on your lips as you made your way inside and saw him sitting in a booth, nervously wringing his hands as he stared out the window. He hadn’t seen you yet.

You slowly approached, grabbing his shoulders causing him to jump at your unexpected touch. He grinned at you – an easy grin, a grin you were so used to seeing – and gestured for you to sit down. A waiter walked over with two cups of coffee and a cake, and Yukhei looked at you sheepishly, “I hope you don’t mind that I already ordered.”

Glancing down at the cup and recognising your signature coffee, you felt a small smile creep onto your face, “No, of course not. This is perfect.” You met his eyes as you sipped from your coffee, and there was a moment of peace before he asked you about your day, and the conversation refused to become silent once more.

You were surprised when you noticed that almost two hours had passed in the small coffee shop; surprised that you had enjoyed yourself so much on your ‘date’ with Yukhei; surprised that you wished you could do it again sometime.

He took notice when you glanced at your watch, and immediately stood up, grabbing his coat from beside him and reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

“I can pay you back for the coffee,” you said, more of a statement than an offering, but he refused it either way.

“I said I’d show you a good time on our first date, and that includes paying for your $3 coffee,” he raised his eyebrow at you as he faced the counter, stepping up once the previous customer had left.

You supposed that $3 wasn’t a lot of money, and you could always return the favour later on, but you were more concerned about the other thing he had said. The tiny bell on the door jingled as he opened it for you. “First date?”

Pushing his hair back into a cap, he cast you an odd glance, “Well, yeah, I mean, I don’t recall us ever going on a date before this… This would be our first.”

“Of many?” you questioned in a small voice, looking straight ahead as you walked together towards the dorms.

He stopped walking, staring at you as you realised he was no longer walking and turning around to face him. People mumbled in annoyance at the sudden obstacle on the footpath, yet he paid them no attention, instead choosing to focus on only you, “Would you be interested in ‘many’?”

You smiled, your hands finding his, “Very.” Stretching up onto your toes, you leant forward and kissed his cheek, a flush covering your face as you stepped back.

The surprise on his face was evident, his eyes wide with shock and mouth slightly agape. He recovered quickly, and a smirk replaced his shock, as he tugged your hands forward and bent down to kiss you back, this time, on the lips.

You smiled into the kiss, ignoring the crowds of people walking around you, and pulled back only when you required oxygen. He pushed his forehead against yours, his hands still grasping yours, holding tightly, as he mumbled, “I forgot to ask; did you like the present I sent you?”

You pulled back quickly, tugging your hands from his grasp to lightly hit his chest, before rolling your eyes and pushing his cap down low over his eyes, “If you ever do that again, I’m suing you.”

He laughed, his hand quickly finding yours as he started back towards home, “Well, damn, there goes my idea for your birthday.”

this was supposed to only be a drabble but I guess I got carried away, whoops... I hope you liked this and if u didnt, well lol sorry

[geminiamethyst]

Reunion. Chapter 2

Okay, I know this took a long time but I have been extremely busy. I know that is no excuse but it’s the only one I’ve got. If you have not read chapter one, do it now otherwise the story will NOT make sense. The link is HERE.

Anyway, enjoy.

Everyone was relaxing in a glade not long after their walk had started. They had found a comfortable spot where they could stop and admire the beauty in the area. The trees made something like a large ring, almost like one you see in a circus. The ring was decorated by flowers that were dotted randomly all over the place. Their petals were outstretched, bathing in the warm light of the sun. The morning jew had dried up many hours ago, evaporated by the sun. Beams of sunlight were no more than thin strips through the trees, the leafs and wide branches blocking a lot of the light. Birds were singing throughout the area. Different small creatures scurried around. Rabbits darted about, either chasing each other or going to go feast on some of the vegetation. Squirrels scrambled up the many different trees.

The afternoon sun beamed right down on them. Not a cloud was in the sky, making it crystal clear. Moomin and Snufkin were sitting in the shade, while Snorkmaiden was picking flowers and Little My was sitting up in a tree. Snufkin was playing his harmonica, its sound echoing everywhere. Little My was laying on her chosen branch. She was flat out on her back, with her hands behind her head. She was quietly humming along to the song that Snufkin played, making her very relaxed. Snorkmaiden picked so many flowers that were bright and colourful. She thought of making two small bouquets, one for Moominmamma and one for her own home to brighten it up a little. Moomin sat silently against a tree, the same one that Snufkin was sitting under. He almost fell asleep listening to the soothing tune. He was happy that Snufkin took him and his friends here. Now he knows why the traveller wanted to share this beautiful place with them. There was peace here. And Moomin will always remember this place, so he can come back whenever he liked.

Snufkin froze suddenly. The sound out of the harmonica stopped too abruptly. Moomin looked at him in surprise. Normally Snufkin slowly comes to a stop when he wanted to stop playing his harmonica. This time he stopped rather suddenly and it made him worried. Snufkin suddenly stood up and looked around. He had this look on his face that made Moomin even more worried. It was a mixture of seriousness and nerves. He was looking around sharply in all directions. He had never showed this kind of behaviour in front of Moomin or anyone else, and Moomin wasn’t getting a good feeling from it.

“Snufkin? What’s wrong?” Moomin asked cautiously. Snufkin didn’t answer him. That was when Moomin noticed that something was wrong. The birds, they weren’t singing anymore. And all the forest creatures were gone as well. The forest was deathly silent. Little My stood up on her branch, looking around for the reason why the forest had changed its behaviour so drastically. Moomin watched as Snufkin raised his nose and sniffed the air. The sunlight suddenly dimmed. Moomin looked up, along with Snorkmaiden and Little My.

“What ugly clouds.” Snorkmaiden exclaimed.

“Those aren’t clouds!” Snufkin suddenly gasped his eyes widening in horror as he sniffed the air once again.

“FIRE!” Little My suddenly screamed, pointing into the distance. The group looked at where she pointed. In the far distance they saw it. Something large and bright. Something bright with various shades of red, orange and yellow. Something that made the thick black “clouds”. Something that radiated unbearable heat. Something that was rushing too quickly towards the group. Something that was consuming the forest faster than they can blink.

“Run! RUN!” Snufkin yelled, yanking Moomin to his feet. He grabbed Snorkmaiden as well, pushing her towards the opposite direction of the flames. He looked up at Little My. “Little My! Jump! Come on! Hurry!” He raised his arms. Seeing the invitation, Little My took a leap of faith. She was in luck as Snufkin caught her as she fell towards him. He held her securely before setting her down. He looked to see Moomin and Snorkmaiden, standing a few feet away waiting for them. Both were stock still. Frozen in fear.

“Go! Don’t wait for anything! Run!” Snufkin shouted as he and Little My started running. Both young trolls ran too. The fire was steadily speeding towards them.

Moominpappa was out on the veranda. He was sitting at the table, an empty china cup sitting lonely on the table. He had finished it not long after Moomin an his friends left to hang out with Snufkin. The china wear was stone cold, the absence of the hot liquid making it cool to the touch. It gleamed a little in the sunlight. The tiny droplets of coffee that was left in it dried up, leaving temporary dark brown stains. The newspaper in Moominpappa’s hands rustled quietly as he turned a page. The roof of the veranda sheltered him from the afternoon sun, making it cool enough for him to be outside. Moominmamma opened the door out onto the veranda, carrying a pot of coffee in her hands.

“More coffee dear?” She offered, as if she knew that his cup was empty. Moominpappa only responded with a small nod from his head. His mind was only focused on the story that he was reading.

SMASH!

Moominpappa snapped his head right up. He looked right at Moominmamma. She was looking right off into the distance. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. Her paws were shaking terribly. The broken coffee pot lay in numerous tiny pieces at her feet, its contents spilt into one puddle and a few droplets onto her feet. She didn’t seem to notice the hot contains as her eyes only focused on what she saw.

“Moominmamma? What’s wrong?!” Moominpappa exclaimed as he abandoned his newspaper on the floor and carefully approached her, minding where he stepped. “Moominmamma-“

“Look...” Moominmamma breathlessly whispered, rising a shaking paw to where she was looking. Moominpappa looked out into the direction she was pointing. He immediately felt the colour drained from his face. Thick, black, deadly smoke rose up slowly, menacingly from the green forest up to the sky. A sea of yellow, red and orange decorated the far back, and was rushing forward without mercy.

“A wildfire.” He gasped, not able to keep the fear out of his voice.

“The children…”

“What?” Moominpappa exclaimed, hearing the mother’s haunting, terrified whisper.

“The children, they went exploring with Snufkin. They said they might be in the forest. Moominpappa what I’d they’re stuck in the fire?!” Moominmamma hysterically said, panicking about the safety of her son and his friends.

“Alright, calm down.” Moominpappa said, holding her trembling paws. He tried to steady her nerves along with his own. “I’m sure they are just fine. Snufkin is with them, I’m sure he’s getting them out of there safely.” Moominmamma stiffly nodded, trying to take deep breathes but they came in and out so shakily that she thought she was going to pass out. “Now, I’m going to go and help keep those flames back. Goodness know how much of the forest is burnt, but we can’t let them reach the rest of the valley.”

“Yes. Of course. Just bring the children home and safe.” Moominmamma gasped, her eyes wide with fight, tears starting to form in the corner of them. Moominpappa dashed away as if someone had set his tail on fire. He was certain that Snufkin was doing his best to get the children out of there safe. However there were some doubts in his mind, thoughts that he dare not say. ‘Please, Moomin, children, please be alright. Don’t make me a liar.’ He prayed as he approached the area under the blackening sky.

“Keep going! Don’t stop!” Snufkin yelled as he looked back at his friends. The fire had spread much quicker than the friends would’ve liked. Every plant and tree became trapped as the embers danced their way onto them. They exploded in the fire, with no one hearing their screams. What was once green son became a mixture of yellow, red and orange. The heat was almost becoming hotter than the sun. Everyone could feel the sweat that they produced drip off of them. The drops splattered onto the ground and evaporated from the heat. Their lungs felt tight from the long time they had been running for. It became incredibly hard for them to catch a single breath without needing to stop. They didn’t see any animals in front of them, indicating that the forest creatures fled the second they sensed the danger. The What was once quiet crackling soon erupted into roaring from the flames. It was almost too loud for anyone to hear anything else, even their own thoughts.

Snufkin suddenly felt his foot catch something. He lost his footing and fell forwards. He grunted as he landed onto the hard ground. He felt his hands and knees graze a little. Moomin looked back and saw Snufkin on the ground. He stopped suddenly in his tacks.

“Snufkin!” He shouted above the approaching sound of the roaring flames.

“Keep going! I’ll catch up to you!” Snufkin shouted looking up sharply at the group. Moomin hesitated, he didn’t want to leave Snufkin behind. “Moomin! Run!” Snorkmaiden grabbed Moomin’s paw and started to drag him away. All three ran, with Moomin taking very hesitant steps forward as he was dragged away. Snufkin slowly got up. He winced a little as his knees stung. He just got onto his feet when he heard something above. He looked up. A branch, weakened by the flames that had consumed it, snapped as easily as a twig of its tree. Gravity took over. It hurtled towards Snufkin. Letting out a small yelp, he leapt forwards. He landed on his front. The crash and the roar of the fire behind him were almost deafening. For a moment, Snufkin couldn’t do anything. He was shocked. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t hear. He wasn’t even sure if he was breathing. All he could do was lay there as the flames grew more intense.

“Come on! Get that water!” The Inspector yelled and blowed his whistle. Long lines were formed in front of him. Almost every resident in Moominvalley was in them. They hugged and heaved as they went to and fro, holding and passing on buckets of full water. The buckets were heavy with water from the river. Sweat dropped down their brows and down their backs from the intense heat. Moominpappa felt like he was in the fireplace when it was alight. The response to the fire was more rapid than he had ever hoped. And as he threw the water onto the raging flames, he felt more and more hopeful that the fire was being held back for a long time. Everyone had started at the edge of the fire to keep it from spreading. It may not be much to put the fire out, but it was a start and to keep it at bay until it died down. Moominpappa couldn’t understand how the fire started. He knows that it wasn’t by natural causes. So either some idiot started the fire without knowing what they were doing, or they let it go out of control by accident.

“MOOMINPAPPA!”

Moominpappa looked up at the Inspector. He pointed over to a spot on the far side, away from the fire. Moominpappa looked up. That’s when he saw them. Moomin, Little My and Snorkmaiden. All three of them, wobbly at the knees. They were covered head to toe in soot. Moomin and Snorkmaiden’s white fur was grey. Snorkmaiden’s golden fringe and anklet were almost black. Little My’s hair was almost all over the place with bits of ash stuck in it, almost taunting her normal ginger coloured hair to become grey itself. Her clothes were completely mixed between black and grey. There were only patches of everyone’s original colour, making it a horrible mix. They looked weary and dead on their feet. They coughed up a storm, trying to banish any smoke that was in their lungs.

“Moomin!” He yelled, dropping his empty bucket with a clatter. He raced right up to them. Moomin fell forwards a little, only for his father to catch him. “Oh thank goodness. We were so worried. Is everyone alright?!” Little My and Snorkmaiden wearily nodded, but Moomin was too horrified to say anything. He loooked back at the fire, hoping to see someone he knew behind him. But there was no one. His mind was racing.

“But Snufkin-he’s still in there!” Moomin choked as he looked up at his father. Moominpappa looked out at the fire. There was no sign of anyone bursting through the fire. He looked around to see if there was anything that showed the traveller coming out. “He said he’d catch up to us!” Moominpappa suddenly let go of Moomin. The traumatised boy was so shocked that he nearly fell forwards. The father started running towards the flames. He needed to at least try to get Snufkin out of there. He suddenly felt several pairs of hands clasp at him and held him back. He pulled struggled furiously.

“No! Someone is in there! Snufkin is in there! We can’t just leave him in there!” He yelled, trying to break free. The residents that held him back didn’t waver their hold on him. “Let go! SNUFKIN! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! SNUFKIN!” Moomin felt his eyes sting, watching the furious struggle. He barely felt Snorkmaiden grab his hand and muzzle him to offer comfort. Little My looked away, almost not bearing the thought of what was happening here and where Snufkin was. She suddenly caught sight of something. It looked like a shadow. She opened her mouth, ready to shout that it was Snufkin. She stopped suddenly. That shadow was not heading out of the fire, but right into it. She watched in awe and shock. Did someone just race into the wildfire? And if so, why?

Next: HERE

Previous: HERE

[writinggeisha]

Why is color in writing so important?

Pablo Picasso said that “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Picasso was an artist who evoked emotion with colorful pigments. As a writer, you can do the same with colorful words.

Note the different pictures painted by the following two paragraphs.

Ned gazed at the calypso-orange horizon. A lapis-blue speck sparkled above it in the deepening violet of a new night sky—Planet Vorton, home.

Ned gaped at the corpse-grey horizon. A mold-blue speck festered above it in the deepening black of a smoggy night sky—Planet Vorton, home.

Same number of words, different colors, with complementing adjectives and verbs. One paragraph emanates optimism, the other gloom.

Compound adjectives sometimes require hyphens.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, if a compound adjective appears before a noun, it should be hyphenated.

Compare the following examples:

Tristan wore an eye-catching purple tie. Tristan’s purple tie was eye catching.

Wendi modeled a melon-pink dress. Wendi’s dress was melon pink.

Accent colors with adjectives.

Here’s a list over one hundred adjectives from thousands you could choose to produce more vivid descriptions of the colors in your writing.

A Accented, achromatic, ashen, ashy, atomic

B Blazing, bleached, bleak, blinding, blotchy, bold, brash, bright, brilliant, burnt

C Chromatic, classic, clean, cold, complementing, contrasting, cool, coordinating, creamy, crisp

D Dark, dayglow, dazzling, deep, delicate, digital, dim, dirty, drab, dreary, dull, dusty

E Earthy, electric, energetic, eye-catching

F Faded, faint, festive, fiery, flashy, flattering, fluorescent, frosty, full-toned

G Gaudy, glistening, glittering, glossy, glowing

H Harsh, hazy, hot

I Icy, illuminated, incandescent, intense, iridescent

K Knockout

L Lambent, light, loud, luminous, lusterless, lustrous

M Majestic, matte, medium, mellow, milky, monochromatic, muddy, murky, muted

N Natural, neon, neutral

O Opalescent, opaque

P Pale, pastel, patchy, pearly, perfect, picturesque, plain, primary, pure

R Radiant, reflective, rich, royal, ruddy, rustic

S Satiny, saturated, shaded, sheer, shining, shiny, shocking, showy, smoky, soft, solid, somber, soothing, sooty, sparkling, stained, streaked, streaky, striking, strong, subdued, subtle, sunny, swirling

T Tacky, tinged, tinted, tonal, toned, traditional, translucent, transparent

U Undiluted, uneven, uniform

V Vibrant, vivid

W Wan, warm, washed-out, waxen, wild

Enhance multicolored objects with adjectives such as these.

B Bicolor, blended, braided

C Cataclysmic-colored, checkered, compound, contrasting, crisscrossed

D Dappled, disparate, dotted, dusted

F Flecked, freckled, fused

I Intermixed, interwoven

J Jumbled

L Lined

K Kaleidoscopic

M Many-hued, marbled, mingled, mixed, motley, mottled, multicolored, multihued

P Particolored, patterned, peppered, piebald, pied, polychromatic, prismatic, psychedelic

S Salted, speckled, splotched, stippled

T Two-tone, tricolor

V Varied, variegated, veined

Nouns provide more opportunities to add color and detail.

A Accent

B Bleach, brightness, brilliance

C Chroma, clarity, CMYK, coating, color wheel, colorant, coloration, cover

D Deposit, depth, diffusion, dimension, dispersion, dye

F Film, finish, flicker, fluorescence

G Glare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, gradation

H Henna, highlight, hint, hue

I Incandescence, intensity, iridescence

L Lacquer, layer, lightness, lowlight, luminosity, luster

M Monotone

N Nuance

O Opacity, opalescence

P Paint, Pantone, patina, peroxide, pigment, pigmentation, polish, prism, purity

R Radiance, rainbow, RGB, residue, rinse

S Sample, saturation, seam, shade, sheen, shimmer, shine, smidgeon, sparkle, spectrum, stain, stratum, streak, stripe, suggestion, surface, swatch

T Tattoo, tester, tier, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, touch, trace, twinkle

U Undertone

V Varnish, vein, veneer

Find more writing tips in

The Writer’s Lexicon and The Writer’s Lexicon Volume II

.

Available in both digital and print editions. –

Perhaps these verbs will provide inspiration.

Colors can blend, clash, or enhance. They might revitalize, fade, or overlap. Choose carefully to provide the nuance you need in your writing.

A Accent, accentuate, appear, attract

B Balance, bathe, bespatter, blanch, blare, blaze, blench, bleach, blend, blotch, brighten, brush, burn

C Captivate, clash, color, combine, complement, conflict, contrast, coordinate, crayon

D Darken, daub, draw, decolorize, decorate, deepen, dot, draw, dye

E Embellish, emit, enhance, enliven

F Fade, flare, flash, flatter, fleck

G Glare, glaze, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow

H Harmonize, heighten, highlight

I Illuminate, infuse, intensify

J Jar

L Light, lighten

M Match, meld, merge, mingle, mix

O Outline, overlap

P Paint, permeate, pervade, plaster

R Radiate, revitalize

S Saturate, seal, shade, shine, sketch, smear, sparkle, splash, splatter, spray, spread, stain, suffuse

T Tinge, tint

V Varnish

W Wash

Invent colors.

Your ingenuity is the only limit with invented colors. Consider a few examples.

Yolanda sashayed toward me, hips swiveling in a seduction-red skirt that complemented her bad-baby-black lipstick.

Either Yolanda intends to ravish our narrator, or he hopes she’s a bad girl with seduction on her mind.

Bruise-blue eyes stared out through glasses crisscrossed with cracks. Matching lumps burgeoned from Marco’s chin and cheeks.

Readers will make the connection between bruise-blue and the lumps, imagining someone who has been beaten or injured.

Find color ideas by googling phrases such as “things that are green” or “things that look blue.”

And now, a kaleidoscope of colors.

Some of the following lists contain invented colors. Many are based on objects we encounter in our environment. You can use almost any noun to create an adjective that will resonate with readers.

For the next several years, Trump blond or Hillary blonde will produce instant mental images.

Science fiction might use deep-space black, quasar blue, or starburst yellow.

An environmentalist could choose colors such as oil-slick black, smog grey, or acid-rain yellow.

Choose or invent colors that intensify your writing.

You can use many of these words as is, or precede the color they represent to produce a compound adjective. Rather than anthracite, for example, you might prefer anthracite black.

Black Anger black, anthracite, bat black, boot black, cat black, cave black, cavity black, charcoal, coal black, crow black, deep-space black, ebony, evil black, funeral black, grease black, ink, jade black, jet, leather black, licorice, metal black, midnight, mildew black, mold black, night black, obsidian, oil-slick black, onyx, pitch black, raven, sable, shadow black, shoe-polish black, silhouette black, smoky, sooty, spider black, tar black, tire black, tuxedo black, uber black, velvet black

Blond/Blonde Although blond can be used for either males or females, I and many writers prefer blond to describe males and blonde to describe females. Likewise with gender-identified pets and animals.

Why?

Blond was adopted into English from French, and the French language uses gender-specific descriptors.

Compound adjectives in the following list are spelled with the feminine form.

Almond-crème blonde, amber, apple-cider blonde, apricot, ash blonde, banana-bread blonde, blanched, bleached, bombshell, bottle blonde, brassy, bronze, brown-sugar blonde, butter blonde, butternut, butterscotch, caramel, chamomile blonde, champagne, chardonnay blonde, corn blonde, diamond blonde, dirty blonde, dishwater blonde, electric blonde, flaxen, French-fry blonde, frosted blonde, gilded blonde, ginger, ginger-ale blonde, ginger spice, golden, goldenrod, Hillary blonde, honey blonde, honey-butter blonde, honeysuckle blonde, hot-toffee blonde, macadamia blonde, mushroom blonde, neon blonde, peroxide blonde, platinum, sand blonde, straw blonde, strawberry blonde, sunflower blonde, sun-kissed blonde, sunset blonde, tarnished-gold blonde, Trump blond/e, trumpet blonde, vanilla-malt blonde, vintage gold, wheat blonde

Blue Admiral blue, Aegean blue, agate blue, arctic blue, azure, baby blue, berry blue, blue-jay blue, blue-jeans blue, bluebell blue, blueberry blue, blueberry-juice blue, bluebird blue, blue-jay blue, brook blue, bruise blue, cadet blue, cerulean, china-blue, cobalt, cornflower blue, crystal blue, denim blue, electric blue, forget-me-not blue, galaxy glue, gunmetal blue, ice blue, indigo, ink blue, jellyfish blue, lagoon blue, lake blue, lapis blue, laser blue, lilac blue, lobelia blue, mold blue, moon blue, navy, ocean blue, quasar blue, river blue, robin-egg blue, sapphire blue, sky blue, star blue, steel-blue, swimming-pool blue, teal, toilet-water blue, toothpaste blue, ultramarine

Brown Acorn brown, almond brown, amber, auburn, autumn brown, Bambi brown, beige, brandy brown, brick brown, bronze, brunet, buckeye brown, camel brown, caramel, carob brown, cedar brown, champagne brown, chestnut, chipmunk brown, chocolate brown, cinnamon, cider brown, clay brown, coffee brown, cognac brown, cookie brown, copper, cork brown, desert sand, drab brown, dun brown, ecru, espresso brown, fawn brown, football brown, freckle brown, ginger, gingerbread brown, golden brown, hazel, hickory brown, honey brown, infrabeige, kiwi brown, lion brown, loam brown, mahogany, maroon, merlot brown, mocha, mouse brown, mud brown, muddy brown, nut brown, oak brown, orange brown, peanut brown, pecan brown, pekoe brown, penny brown, pigskin brown, pretzel brown, rosewood, russet, rust, sandstone brown, seal brown, sepia, sienna, spice brown, syrup brown, taffy, tan, taupe, tawny brown, teddy-bear brown, topaz brown, tortilla brown, tourmaline brown, umber, walnut, wheat brown, whiskey brown, wood brown

Green Apple green, army green, artichoke green, asparagus green, avocado green, barf green, basil green, blue green, bottle green, bright green, cabbage green, camouflage green, cat’s-eye green, celery green, chartreuse, clover green, crocodile green, crystal-marble green, cyan, electric green, elf green, emerald, fern green, frog green, grape green, grass green, hypergreen, jade, jasper green, jelly green, juniper, kale green, khaki green, kiwi green, leaf green, LED green, olive, leprechaun green, lettuce green, lime, lizard green, loden, mildew green, mint, moss green, neon green, ocean green, parsley green, pea green, pea-soup green, peacock green, pear green, Perrier-bottle green, pickle green, pine green, puke green, sage, sea green, seafoam green, seasick green, seaweed green, seedling green, shamrock green, snot green, spinach green, spring green, sprout green, spruce green, tea green, teal, toad green, velvet green, viridian, watermelon green, yellow green

Grey/Gray Alien grey, aluminum grey, anchor grey, ash grey, battleship grey, bottle grey, boulder grey, carbon grey, cement grey, charcoal grey, cloud grey, coin grey, corpse grey, crater grey, death grey, dove grey, elephant grey, exhaust grey, fling grey, flint grey, fog grey, fossil grey, fungus grey, ginger grey, granite grey, graphite, gravel grey, gruel grey, gum grey, gunmetal grey, hippo grey, hoary grey, ice grey, iron grey, knife grey, lead grey, mercury grey, meteor grey, mummy grey, nail grey, nickel, otter grey, pebble grey, pepper grey, pewter, pigeon grey, porpoise grey, porridge grey, rat grey, salt-and-pepper, seal grey, shadow grey, shark grey, shovel grey, silver, slate, sleet grey, slug grey, slush grey, smog grey, smoke, steel grey, stone grey, storm grey, stormy grey, stormy-sea grey, sword grey, tabby grey, tank grey, tweed grey, wax grey, wolf grey

Orange Apricot orange, burnt orange, butternut orange, calypso orange, candlelight orange, cantaloupe orange, caramelized orange, carrot orange, cayenne orange, cheddar orange, cheese-cracker orange, Chinese-lantern orange, cider orange, citrus orange, clementine orange, coral orange, crayon orange, curry orange, fire orange, flame orange, goldfish orange, mac-and-cheese orange, mango-tango orange, mandarin orange, marigold orange, marmalade orange, monarch orange, nacho orange, nasturtium orange, naval orange, papaya orange, peach orange, peach-butter orange, peach-sorbet orange, popsicle orange, pumpkin orange, safety-vest orange, salamander orange, salmon orange, sherbet orange, shrimp orange, starfish orange, sunset orange, sweet-potato orange, tangelo orange, tangerine orange, terra cotta, tiger orange, traffic orange, yam orange

Pink Amaranth, azalea pink, baby pink, ballet-slipper pink, blush, bright pink, bubblegum pink, cantaloupe pink, carnation pink, cerise, champagne pink, cherry-rose pink, coral, cotton-candy pink, crepe pink, cupid pink, cyclamen pink, damask, flamingo pink, fuchsia, geranium pink, grapefruit pink, lemonade pink, magenta, mandarin pink, mango pink, melon pink, old-rose pink, oleander pink, parfait pink, pastel pink, peach, peach-blossom pink, peony pink, piggy pink, piglet pink, pomegranate pink, prom pink, punch pink, raspberry-smoothie pink, rose, rosewood pink, rouge pink, salmon pink, seashell pink, sherbet pink, shocking pink, strawberry pink, swine pink, taffy pink, watermelon pink, Zinfandel pink

Purple Amethyst purple, amparo purple, boysenberry purple, burgundy purple, Byzantium purple, clover purple, concord purple, coneflower purple, cyclamen purple, eggplant purple, fig purple, gentian purple, gooseberry purple, grape purple, heather, heliotrope, hyacinth purple, indigo, iris purple, jam purple, kazoo purple, lavender, lilac, lollipop purple, lotus purple, magenta, mauve, mulberry purple, onion purple, opal purple, orchid purple, periwinkle purple, petunia purple, pillow purple, plum, posy purple, primrose purple, raisin purple, regalia purple, rhubarb purple, royal purple, sage-flower purple, sangria purple, sugar-plum purple, tanzanite purple, Tyrian purple, violet, wild-berry purple, wine purple, wisteria purple

Red Apple red, auburn, beet red, berry red, blaze red, blood red, blush red, brick red, burgundy red, candy red, candy-apple red, candy-cane red, carrot red, cherry red, cherry-soda red, Christmas red, cinnamon-candy red, communist red, copper red, coral red, crab-apple red, cranberry red, crimson, currant red, fire red, fire-engine red, fire-hydrant red, flame red, flaming red, garnet red, ginger red, heart red, henna, holly-berry red, jam red, ketchup red, lady-bug red, LED red, licorice red, lipstick red, lobster red, maple-leaf red, merlot red, mulberry red, neon red, pepper red, pomegranate red, poppy red, radish red, raspberry red, roan, rose, rouge, ruby, Russian red, rust, rusty, Santa-suit red, scarlet, sorrel, stoplight red, strawberry red, sunburn red, titian, tomato red, tulip red, Valentine red, wanton red, watermelon red, wine red

White Alabaster, angel white, ash white, blizzard white, bone white, bread-dough white, cake white, cameo white, chalk, chaste white, chiffon white, china white, clamshell white, cloud white, coconut white, cornstarch white, cream, crème, dumpling white, eggshell white, fizz white, foam white, fog white, frost white, gardenia white, ghost white, goose-down white, heron white, hospital white, KKK white, ivory, lace white, lather white, lily white, linen white, lotus white, milk white, mist white, moonstone white, noodle white, paper white, parchment white, pearl white, phantom white, picket white, platinum white, polar white, porcelain white, powder white, rice white, salt white, Samoyed white, sheet white, skeleton white, snowflake white, specter white, starch white, sugar white, talc white, vellum white, virgin white, wedding-veil white, winter white, wonton white

Yellow Acid-rain yellow, autumn yellow, banana yellow, bourbon yellow, bumblebee yellow, butter yellow, buttercup yellow, butterscotch yellow, cadmium, canary yellow, chick yellow, corn yellow, custard yellow, daffodil yellow, daisy yellow, dandelion yellow, Dijon yellow, duckling yellow, egg-yolk yellow, flaxen, ginger yellow, gold, goldenrod, grapefruit yellow, hardhat yellow, honey yellow, jaundice yellow, lemon, macaroni yellow, maize, mustard, omelet yellow, pencil yellow, pineapple yellow, plantain yellow, poppy yellow, rubber-ducky yellow, saffron, sawdust yellow, school-bus yellow, scrambled-egg yellow, starburst yellow, sticky-note yellow, straw yellow, sulfur yellow, sun yellow, sunflower yellow, sweetcorn yellow, tallow yellow, taxi yellow, turmeric yellow, wasp yellow, whisky yellow, yield-sign yellow

[myvinyladdiction]