#alliance of Figurative Artists

[geigergearz]

actually. i was gonna wait till id done more of them to post them but

ive been working on a mgs wc au. if anyone cares .

[littleevothings]

Spy catcher

what do u call this? bonus page? tangent? whatever it is, it's based on the first spy my cult got ingame.

probably the best feature in the new update beside the bishop quests ngl

[eon-break]

LABIRHIN — THE STARS ARE FALLING

[zhoudadudugongjin]

I see we're messing with timelines again, since Dong Cheng died in 200AD, at which point Sima Yi's wife was *checks notes* 11 years old lmao. Yet in this show they're already married with multiple kids.

[artist-ellen]

Alicent's wedding dress

In the tv show we don't get to see Alicent's wedding. But at one point it was supposed to feature in an episode so we have behind the scenes content for it all the same. And I hate to say it, but it's not my cup of tea. The crown is interesting, but matches nothing any other major character wears. Where did it come from? Why? There are no answers. Why don't we see other Targaryen's have little shoulder wings? Because it looks silly? Yeah. So how could I resist trying my hand at designing her wedding dress? And I'll say it again, these are not easy costumes to design, I went back and forth over my options for a whole bunch of these over and over again. Maybe I'll figure out how to share the rejected designs I labored over at some point.

One of the things I am trying to emphasize is the sleeve differences. Alicent moves between the tear-drop shaped sleeves (like the ones here and in her first childhood friend dress, for her Targaryen-alliance outfits to match Rhaenyra) and what I'm going to call 'mushroom shaped' sleeves where the puff is at the shoulder and is tight from the elbow to wrist (anti/opposite Targaryen style). We should also see that in her necklaces. A lot of the Targaryen ladies wear thick gold choker-adjacent necklaces for the Byzantine collar effect. Alicent doesn't wear that kind of jewelry very often and this is one of the most Targaryen style-aligned necklaces that she wears. Also while her headdress is based on Byzantine fashion the crown is much more Northern-Europe Medieval than Byzantine. A little melding of fashion, hints at the opposing sides again.

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram, tiktok or check out my coloring book available now \ („• ֊ •„) /

https://linktr.ee/ellen.artistic

[nu1lst4rs]

doodled human designs for a few neutral aus! (pt.1)

(click for better quality)

can you tell i lost motivation... thank you to chandr for doing the last 3's lineart for me. legit couldn't get freshs colours to fit with the rest. eugh. its the best you're going to get out of us for these guys.

Nightmares gang, star sanses, neu au pt.2, extras

COLOUR, CLASSIC, PAPYRUS, EPIC and ANY REQUESTS will be in the next neu au post 3_^ so please please request me to draw neutral peoples... gonna open general requests in a separate post.

some hcs under the cut!

warning for alot... i mean.. alot of text..

> Ccino (he/they)

indian... ccino... mbghbgb. MAINLY BECAUSE I WAS EATING GULAB JAMUNS AND I WAS LIKE "huh this reminds me of ccino."

trans masc! you should be more surprised if someone wasn't trans at this point

just for individuality, i feel like he'd have cat features. toe beans, tail, but no ears. personal preference.

hopeless romantic. wants to fall in love so bad, like so bad. but doesn't have anyone to fall in love with.

his AU is a neutral where the player killed all bosses. because of this, ink had offered them a pocket AU with just their cafè. ccino still visits their old au from time to time, but otherwise lives in the cafè.

one of the youngest AU's/sanses, only a few hundred years old

> error (he/they/xe)

spanish + colombian

as a divergence from classic, he maintains a similar body shape. also the fact he eats nothing but chocolate.

^ similarly, his eye is covered by a star glitch. xe never equates this to the fact they were geno, and just see it as some weird cool glitch.

rocks an alliance with both NM and dream, so wears both the stars pin and gangs patch. he always choses the side of who benefits him the most in that moment. neither of the groups are happy about it, but see error as too valuable to deny.

has arthritis and bad joints. his strings usually dig into his fingers, causing scaring and pain. (bsp related: he gets taught how to relieve these pains by nms gang because they all have chronic pains of some kind)

taking strings from his eyes is PAINFUL. its basically his unraveled code and magic combined, glitching and stuttering.

illiterate. he cannot read anything but code.

brother of ink. annoying brothers that HATE eachother. but love eachother at the same time.

> cross (they/he)

spanish. it fits him. and its relatively canon.

cross is indecisive. they've jumped between nightmares gang and the stars several times, easily being swayed. as of my AU right now, they're with the stars.

they're colourblind! their AU was monochrome, and thats how they see everything. everything is just a shade of purple. he's never told people about it, but most people catch onto ir.

autism. cross has horrible sensory issues, and gets overwhelmed easily. also bad at social queues.

THIS MAN IS THE DEFINITION OF DOG POETRY. they would go on pinterest daily and cry about it.

is a great artist. ink taught him the basics when they were stuck in the void, so they built on it. they're really self conscious about it, and keep their sketchbook locked away tightly. (in their bedside drawer)

> reaper (he/him)

egytpian. i feel like he'd embody their idea of dying.

bird claws. bird wings. everything bird.

seen as a parental figure to dream and nightmare because of his extensive knowledge of the universe and balance n all that.

(THE GAY FLAG WAS A MISTAKE) he's bi. and loves his wife. (life)

aroace spec! completely ace, and demiromantic.

sorry guys i dont have the best hcs for him 💔

> geno (he/they)

spanish + colombian

needs a portable oxygen tube to breath. he can live without it, but its really painful to not have it.

some parts of his body are decomposed, while others are held together through determination. practically constant agony.

same reasoning as error for body shape.

> fresh (they/it)

parasite. its ass doesn't have a race nor nationality.

not the hotest with a few sanses. dream and nightmare don't like someone demeanour not being affected in the slightest by the amount of pain and agony they're in. error hates how the code overlaps and glitches. and overall they're just a bit crazy.

wears either heelies or rollerskates. refuses to EVER walk anywhere, and always rolls.

i don't got much for him.

eugh. i am so sorry if the hcs are lazy, i am not good hcing with aus im not familiar with. if anyone wants to input please do! i'd love to learn about them. <3 anyways i am sleeping because i need to stop staying up till 4am..

[pmamtraveller]

THE KISS /1859/ by FRANCESCO HAYEZ

The painting is a depiction of a couple embracing one another whilesurrounded by a classical architectural setting. It was meant to epitomize the ideals of love, passion, and intensity of emotions for that era.

Hayez created this painting during a period of political turmoil in Italy, where Romantic artists sought to emphasize emotional and nationalistic themes in their works. The painting was commissioned by Alfonso Maria Visconti di Saliceto, a known Italian patriot, and was intended to symbolize the alliance between Italy and France during the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.

The painting is rich in symbolism. The central figures symbolize unity and harmony, whereas the turbulent background can be interpreted as the hard times of Italian unification efforts. Hayez was influenced by Renaissance art, particularly in the composition and chiaroscuro. This influence can be seen in the careful attention to detail and the soft, almost ethereal lighting of the figures.

Despite the political undertones, the focus of the painting is on the intimate, romantic embrace between the two figures, which has made it one of the most famous and iconic Romantic paintings in Italian art.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Villain: The Hollow Lords

Though their reign was long thought ended, this circle of skeletal tyrants have returned from the dark depths of history to conquer the ream once again. Their awakening heralded by a tide of destruction and plague meant to destabilize the land and seed it with corpses to make up their army of undead.

Something is wrong with this story though, details that don't match up, an unknown will at work behind the actions of the lifeless villains. Whatever threat they may pose, an even greater danger pulls the strings of the hollow lords, a danger the party will confront all too soon.

Adventure Hooks:

Before they awaken, the hollow lords should be woven into the campaign as an innocuous background detail, a threat from a previous millennium which defined the heroes of that era. Forgotten today outside of festival traditions, old monuments, and the standing alliances between kingdoms, This sets a standard against which the party can measure themselves.

Scenario A sees the Hollow Lords emerging in the party's own realm, a wave of inexplicable disasters paving the way for the rise of an emerging threat just in time for our heroes to enter a new adventuring tier. In this instance it's about preventing the disasters from spreading/ the undead from establishing their foothold across a land the party has just finished journeying across. Our heroes will be stretched thin, People they know are going to suffer, and deliberate choices will need to be made about what they can save. Looking into the history of the lords only raises more questions, namely that many of them emerged from graves belonging to people who were born and died centuries after the original Hollow Lords were vanquished.

Scenario B has the Hollow Lords as an established threat, ruling over a Mordor like kingdom of darkness either bordering the party's own homeland, or being the party's own homeland if you want to get bleak about it. After our heroes defeat their first of the villains they receive a strange invitation, another of the Hollow Lords has broken partially free of whatever enchantment binds them and is pleading for help. If the party are willing to take a gamble, this rogue undead is willing to use all its dread power to aid them if they can figure out a way to put it to rest for good.

Though each was mighty or powerful in their own right, there was no unholy conspiracy that connected the Hollow Lords during their living years, at-least not on their part. Instead they were all called back to the mortal plane by a veiled necromancer who had some invisible claim on their soul. Stripped of their will, they were forced to act on behalf of this faceless puppeteer, allowing whoever it was beneath the skullmask and robe to carve out a kingdom while remaining in the shadows. Most troubling of all, those one or two Hollow Lords that were around for their first attempt at world domination also remember the veiled necromancer, speaking of a conspiracy centuries in the making.

Artist

[hoodreader]

Mars asks:

“Why do you struggle?”

read for mars within a persona chart to learn how u may be challenged in that persona chart. mars is the planet representative of struggles and hardship, things not being achieved without a little strife or resistance. within persona charts, mars thus can represent how we may struggle to the core of the planet. remedy the planet to offset the malefic influences of mars. enjoy.

✶ ASC PERSONA CHART ✶

this shows challenges with the native's health, sense of direction, self embodiment/sense of self, spirit, and overall life, as the ascendant represents the moment the native came into existence. as the ascendant also tells us how we enter new environments; how we are "born," it can show those metaphorical ‘labor pains’ associated with that.

✶ MOON PERSONA CHART ✶

how u struggle to find security. it also tells u of what things may cause u to revert back to survival mode: like u have to protect or guard urself. things that challenge ur sense of comfort. it can cause a struggle in emotional relation, regulation, and belonging in community. it can show u ways u may struggle with ur mother, women around u, older sibling(s) if the native has one, or family/home environments as well. things that challenge ur ability to emotionally regulate. with fertility or hormonal balances.

✶ ☿ MERCURY PERSONA CHART ✶

how u struggle to communicate, think, write, process information, or relate to community as well. it can also show struggles with ur siblings. challenges ur ability to adapt to environment. and it causes struggle within the mind. struggles relating to focus, can show distractions.

✶ ♀ VENUS PERSONA CHART ✶

mars and venus are each others' detriment. in the venus PC, mars shows what challenges ur sense of peace. it also represents challenges/tension in romantic/sexual relationships (this could range anywhere from lowered libido to hypersexuality to abuse, sadly) venus is also the planet of our aesthetic and artistic expression, so mars in the venus PC can show how our creativity is challenged or how we struggle with it. how our pleasure, companionship, is challenged. it also tells us our struggles with femininity and/or women around u. challenges relating to forgiveness or reconciliation.

✶ ♂ MARS PERSONA CHART ✶

mars within the mars PC is the deeper expression of the natal mars. but since mars is a malefic, my theory is that this doesn't necessarily cancel out the malefic influence as much as it exposes the weakness of it. this can show a challenge with how u advocate (for urself & others), ur drive, ur libido. as mars is the warrior, it can also show generally how u struggle to triumph. struggles relating to health issues, with being subdued or authority figures; what "tortues" u. struggles to masculinity and/or men.

✶ ♃ JUPITER PERSONA CHART ✶

struggles of fertility/the womb/the semen/the liver, marriage (chiefly, fidelity), of attaining freedom and liberation. struggles with accepting blessings, gifts, fortune. hardships and challenges relating to trusting. to generosity. to alliances.

✶ ♄ SATURN PERSONA CHART ✶

the development of ur struggles and challenges as u age, karmic struggles, struggles with authoritative figures. challenges with shame and humility. how u are challenged by authority. ways u are troubled by reputation. challenges of the spiritual entities u possess. infertility. discipline.

[lucy-water]

Preußen's journal, September 1792:

L'Autrichienne, that was how they called her in Paris.

If I had arrived at La Force Prison a few minutes late, she would have shared the same fate with The Angel of Penthièvre, or maybe worse.

As I expected, the Archduchess was stubborn and initially insisted on staying, did not want to abandon The Royal family behind. She even begged me to help them.

I refused to do so. My hands were tied with the tumultuous situation in France. Saving her alone was already dangerous, I could not afford to play the role of a gallant Knight while risking my men's life.

The Archduchess tried to resist and thus, left me no other choice. I had to use force upon her in order to bring her outside. Thanks to the uniform I had stolen, the frantic mobs thought I were a guard carrying a prisoner's body to dump, my disguise allowed us to pass to safety.

The military physician had examined the Archduchess's health. Overall, except for being a bit underweight and having a bruise on her forehead caused by me, she was in good condition to carry on with the travel.

We will reach to Vienna soon. I have decided to be the Archduchess's companion during these time. Physically, she might appear normal but I cannot say the same to her mind. It's the best for all of us if I keep an eye on her.

-------------------------------------------------

Historical background and explaination:

L'Autrichienne: This was the nickname the French gave to Marie Antoinette during her downfall. Roughly translation means "the Austrian bit.."

At the end of August 1792, the news of the Prussian Army would be advancing to Paris after their victory in Verdun, had caused disaster chaos in the city. Fearing the prisoners of the newly established Republic would join with the enemy, there were people decided the prisoners should be got rid of. On 2 September, more than 1,000 prisoners in Paris (and later outside the city) were k*ll and the numbers would only increase including normal citizens until stopped on 6 September. Princess de Lamballe, a favorite of Marie Antoinette, also known as The Angel of Penthièvre for her kindness toward the poor was among the victims of this horrendous incident. She was still remembered as one of the tragic figures in the French Revolution.

A year before, on 27 August 1791 Prussia and the Holly Roman Empire signed Declaration of Pillnitz, to intervene if the King of France and his family's safety was in threat.

To honor the Declaration and strength the new alliance, Prussia decided to save Lady Austria during the time of the French Revolution and this was also the point they officially fell for each other. For him, she was his damsel in distress, the Martyr who would sacrifice for the people that she loved and cared for no matter the situation. For her, he was the hero of her life, the Knight in shining armor came to life, that she had long forgotten.

However, a love that bloomed in the midst of tears and wars would hardly have any happy ending.

---------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer

Please note that, this is my commission and not my art. Credit to the artist: ann_duong (twister: @ann_akii) for creating this for me.

[lwiann]

May I ask for angsty Gortash headcanons now too *does grabby hands*

1. He never mourned Durge properly. Rather, he did not have the time to. Dire times.

2. He looked for Durge in Tav when he offered that alliance but never really filled that void.

3. He's insecure with his upbringing. He's not a real noble. So he turns those insecurities into his masterpieces, in a fucked up sense. His atrocities. He genuinely believes hes doing the right thing.

4. Durge is the only one in his mind when he dies. If Durge is the one who kills him, he's a little more at peace.

5. He truly did love and care for Durge the only way he knew how. The feeling is genuine and mutual.

6. He can never let his parents go. He can't ever have them killed. They still haunt him. That's also why he dislikes the idea of Durge being so obedient to his own father, but he understands the fear. The devotion. He is a bit jealous of the love, even though it's not really a good kind of love.

7. I dont like the idea that Gortash learned to fuck in the house of hope through haarlep because he would have been ten years old and uh,,, you know... But I do like the idea that he observed, and haarlep knew young Gortash was watching, and it gave him a sort of indifferent view of sex. He sleeps around for benefits and kept an open mind regarding sex, that it can be a weapon. A tool. And he got so much of what he wanted from that. It didnt make him feel dirty or bad, but just indifferent. Like it's something he'll do not for pleasure but for duty. Nothing too intense like with Astarion. Just indifference. It wasnt until Durge that he felt an actual desire. Intense, obsessive desire. And hes figured out so many kinks with Durge lol.

I just really like the hc that he's not as sexually rabid and is actually tame about it but has the most insane unwell sex with Durge.

8. Burn scars. I recently discovered this hc from my favourite artist and i think it's so good. Some people also talk about a disability with his walking cane and I think of it a lot.

9. He's a schedule freak. He is strict with his sleep. With his meetings. With his meals. Just an obsessive guy who focuses on the littlest of details. He cant go too much because it genuinely makes him want to throw up. He has an image to maintain and hes thorough with it. He doesnt like noises during meetings. Very meticulous. Durge is freedom to him. Or just a different kind of obsession honestly.

10. There was a point in time where he planned to overthrow Bane and Bhaal to free him and durge. So they can be together. It all fell apart when durge died. It wasnt just orin's fault. It was partly his. He lost focus and vision when he lost durge, hence why it became such a mess.

[acotarxreader]

The Art of You

Cassian x Reader

Synopsis: Cassian found recovery in the art that he created while preparing to apply to art school in New York, his greatest muse being his high-flying down-to-earth socialite girlfriend, you.

Warning; Fluff and modern

A/N: A little Cass fic dedicated to absolutely wonderfully kind and ever-lovely Cassian Queen @sarawritestories on her birthday. Happy (early) Birthday Friend Xx

----------------------------------------------------------

“YNN, can you just please stop fidgeting” 

“I’m so boreeeeeeeed Cass” You whined out, your voice echoing around Azriel and Rhysand’s apartment before you fixed your posture to sit straight once again on the stool. 

“Well, blame Az, it's not my fault someone ate my bowl of fruit” Azriel rolled his eyes from the dining room chair he rocked back and forth, chucking the core of an apple into a cerulean bowl. Cassian fired a piece of charcoal directly into his best friend's eye as he winked at him A howl left Azriel, immediately gaining a laugh from the both of you. Cassian quickly took a picture of his two best friends and their merriment.

“It'll be easier to draw from a reference who doesn't have the bladder of a Chihuahua” You glared playfully at his words and he took another picture.

“Well, I gotta go anyway Cass, my lovely Aunt will be wondering where I am” You slipped from the chair and into your jacket, Cassian's face sinking. 

“How will she react when she hears you’re in love with a starving artist and his soul-searching friends, ruining the image of a socialite” Azriel spoke playfully, trying to lighten the tension from you with having to return to your hectic household. 

“I didn’t know you had a soul Az” you teased, buttoning up your coat, ready to face the bone-chilling gales of New York in the Winter.

“Rhy’s dad bought him one” 

“Don’t be jealous Cass, you could have moved in with us but no, you chose the damp and rot of that hole you call home” Azriel laughed out to Cassian's toying, Cassian promptly firing more charcoal his way. 

“I’m sure she’d love if I social climbed my way to someone like Rhysand”

“Ouch” Rhysand emerged from the bathroom, waist swaddled in a thick fluffy towel, still damp from his shower. You had met Rhysand many years ago through various social functions your Aunt and Uncle dragged you to. The both of you quickly form an alliance of mischief at the events to keep yourselves from boredom. Cassian and Azriel came into your life once Rhysand had finally moved home to New York bringing them along for the fun. Their friendship spanning countless years of Summer camps together from which you had heard such grand stories, you all quickly became fast friends shortly after their arrival. 

“Yeah tell her it's the heir to a fortune you’re in love with and not the unemployed artist, what both of your families have groomed you for for years” 

“Gross” both you and Rhysand replied in unison

“Az, I’m not unemployed, I’m retired from active military duty. I’m just on leave while I recover and they figure out what to do with me” Cassian rolled his eyes for the millionth time, gathering the creative supplies that had helped him through his toughest months since returning from his time in service. 

“Retired like an old man” He nudged you gently while you smirked at him. 

“If it’s just leave then why are you applying for art school here?” Rhysand shot from his bedroom door, a raised eyebrow.

“Because-because-”

“-Because he’s great at it, Feyre is gonna try to get his art into the gallery she’s managing”

“Ah nepotism”

“Rhys, y’know what they say about those in glass houses” The group laughed towards the former military man as he reached your side smiling, forever happy you always knew what to say to defend him and his decisions. 

“Right kids, I gotta go” You pecked Cassian's cheek, your two other best friends groaning at the sight.

—---------------------------------------

The following night you found yourself waiting outside the rusting entrance to Cassian's apartment, many many many subway stops from where you, Rhysand and Azriel’s playground was. You wrapped your thick designer coat tighter around you fighting off the cold while waiting for Cassian to buzz you into his humble home. You subconsciously placed your car key between your fingers, ready to use it at any moment to defend yourself in the dilapidating area. The sound of the cage humming to release from its locks in front of you filled you instantly with relief, you pulled it to access the entrance to the block of apartments stairway. 

Cassian stole the cold away from you in his usual all-encompassing hug. He promptly took your coat for you as you sat down on the tattered couch. The apartment in its completeness was probably the size of Rhysand and Azriel’s sitting room alone. The oven could practically be reached from the couch but there was still room for Cassian's extensive video collection and a small table for two. Adjacent to the kitchen was the tiny bathroom and the entrance to his bedroom, the double bed nearly touching all four walls, a nest of cushioning you frequented. 

“Why don’t you ever use that closest?” You quizzed as Cassian draped your coat along the back of the dining room chair. Cassian stiffened for a moment before turning back to you with a shrug. 

“Emm that’s where I keep the dead bodies” you chuckled at him, he returned the smile. He dragged the second chair to land across from you where he sat and began to sketch, another one of your evenings to be spent with Cassian practising his portrait work. 

“Are you going to allow me to see this one?”

“My love, you know that’s not how this operation works” You sighed, knowing you should have anticipated his reply, he never let you see any of the works where you were the subject. 

“How come I’ve never seen the inside of that closet?” you gestured with your chin to the door behind him. 

“How come I’ve never met your aunt and uncle? Hm? We’ve been together almost a year”

“Touche-” You laughed “-they’re terrible people, Cass, they don’t deserve to meet you”

“Even still, maybe Az is right and you should tell them it's Rhysand that keeps you away from them so much”

“I’d rather swim up the Hudson in January” You smiled away at the growing sad tone in his voice, his smile growing across his face as he lowered his gaze back to the pad of paper, exhaling loudly in frustration. By 11 pm Cassian had gone through countless sheets of thick paper and abandoned all of the versions of you without allowing you so much as a glance. 

“Right, I need coffee” he stood, tossing the closed pad to the floor. 

“I’m gonna grab one of your sweatshirts, it's so cold in here” You could almost see Cassian's breath as he laughed at you. He made his way into the bathroom as you returned to the couch, wrapping the long sleeves in balls in your hand, attempting to trap what heat you could. 

“My love, can you throw me in a hand towel please” 

“Yeah where are they?” you called back to him through the closed door.

“In the closest by the- WAIT ACTUALLY I’LL GET IT MYSELF” His shouts came too slowly for you, the ounce of permission you had waited for for so long allowed you to finally pull the door of the hall closet open. Cassian dashed from the bathroom, his wet hand reaching for the door as you opened it but not quickly enough, a loud whoosh filled the apartment with sheets and sheets of paper, it tumbling out like a tsunami. Reams and reams of endless amounts of art washed over the two of you flooding the ground of the apartment. 

“Gods! You’re a hoarder! My boyfriend is a hoarder! I’m going to end up on the news after they dig us out of this!” You laughed lightly, Cassian stepping out of the almost ankle-high amount of his secret to stand between you and the door, your chests almost touching. 

“You don't need to see in there, it's all rough drafts of sketches that never came to be...it's all waste paper….” You raised an eyebrow before stepping back from him, looking down at the vast amount of sketches at your feet. Cassian dipped down quickly, attempting to pull back the drawings before you could properly examine them. It was too late, you had seen the vast amount of countless drawings, sketches, etches of you and your friends. Paint, chalk, pastels, pencil, watercolour, you name it and there were half finished creations everywhere.

“Are thes- are these me?” You just collected a random sample from your feet, Cassian seeming immediately ashamed taking them from you only to have you quickly replace them with others.

“They're not done...none of them are, I can't quite get you no matter what I do...you must think I'm crazy” You were almost too busy looking at the intricate details to hear him. You separated your eyes from the pages to focus on the walls of the closet. They too were covered with pages but also pictures. Pictures of you and your friends, you on your own, you and him. You traced your fingers across a few of them with Cassian’s eyes fixed on your every movement for any sign of negative expression. Instead you just seemed amazed at the sheer quantity and quality. You stepped around him to reach for a photo of the two of you, you both making goofy faces at the camera, a memory from your attempt to ride a tandem bike through Central Park. You laughed lightly at the photo, your hand tracing over your elbow beneath the fabric where the scar from the stitches after the fall from said bike still remained. 

“My love, please say something, I might be sick if you don't"

“I love them Cass, I mean you might want to try to draw a few objects for the portfolio as well as portraits but still, wow” you laughed, pulling the photo down from the wall, the bluetac taking some paint with it.

“This was a great day, trip to the ED aside...you should draw this”

“I don't know YNN, I've never done a self portrait and-”

“-Then I'll draw you and you can draw me? Please?” He couldn't say no to you, rolling his eyes before searching for materials.

“Are you sure you have paper?” You teased as he pushed the hoards of drawings back into their cage. 

“Shut up” he laughed in reply, retrieving a large fresh drawing pad of paper and pencils.

-

The two of you hovered over the shared piece of A2 paper sprawled across the width of the dining table, both quickly learning to draw around one another with impressive fluidity. Cassian stood behind you, one arm to support himself on one side of you, the other sketching alongside your hand. By 2 am the joint eclectic masterpiece of mixed personal styles was coming to fruition, both of you happy to spend the time together in the comfortable homily silence neither of you could find with anyone else other than one another.  

“Why don’t you draw more, my love?” the first time either of you had spoken since starting, his warm words sending electric shivers down the back of your neck.

“I don't really know, I guess I stopped liking the solitary aspect of it...I much prefer this” he agreed and you both continued at the masterpiece until it finally felt as whole as you made one another feel. You both stood back to admire the medley of lines, the drawing was not as perfect or susynced as if one artist had done it but it was yours and that made up for any mismatches in theme. 

“It’s perfect”

“Just like one of the artists who made it” he beamed down to you as you folded yourself into his embrace, a tender kiss landing on the top of your head. 

“Art school isn’t ready for a talent like you” You reached to kiss him gently. 

“When I’m a famous artist, I’ll be worthy enough to meet your family” You groaned into his chest before pulling back again.

“Cass, you’re worthy of all of me now but they are not worthy of you. Once I’ve aged into the trust my parents left me they’re going to be so far gone from my world it won’t matter their opinion on anything in my life”

“So their opinion matters in your life now?” you groan again before laughing at his grinning face. 

“If I’m lucky once they find out you’re a hoarder that’ll kill them off” You smirked down to the remaining few paper stragglers on the floor. Your eyes landed back on the masterpiece you had both created together. 

“To spend a lifetime trying to be worthy of you my love would be a lifetime well spent” 

------------------------------------------------

Whatcha think?

[justwritedreams]

Welcome to the Kingdom | Jeno

Chapter Eleven: We’re not ordinary bride and groom

Prince Jeno x Princess Reader, enemies to lovers au!, royalty au!

Word count: 3073 Genre: slow burn, suggestive Author: maari Warnings: There's a VERY suggestive scene like, jeno gets hard but nothing really happens because you know how I like cliffhangers. Note: I really needed to post this chapter even though it was short! Please remind me if I forgot anyone on the taglist I'm doing this constantly, sorry! Summary: What not ordinary bride and groom do in the night before their wedding?

<<< Previous | Masterlist |

⪢ NCT Masterlist

Taglist: @floweronacloud, @cookydream, @travelleratheart101​, @ilvaussie​, @tyongf-sunflower99​, @mings-cafe,  @n0hyuck, @waltermitty97, @jihoonismydad, @madaboutjunmyeon, @actually-vl , @neomooniez, @pvppyhao, @ikayyyyyy (can’t tag you honey 😞), @everloving-avenue, @moonchele,

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror with a mix of emotions. The semi-angelic figure reflected in the mirror didn't even look like her and she wasn't even ready, but that didn't stop the mother from sniffling in the corner of the room.

"You’re so beautiful!" The princess smiled and turned to face her mother. “Zuhair did a great job.”

“You said the same about the reception dress.”

“But it’s the truth.” her mother approached her, placing a few strands of her daughter's hair tied behind her ear so she could admire the front of the dress. “Although I liked the ceremony dress a little more.”

Y/N smiled, sharing the same opinion.

If she wasn't forced to wear two dresses to the wedding, she would wear the same one from the ceremony to the wedding reception.

After long visits from Zuhair Murad and endless hours of conversation, finally the princess's wedding dresses were there with her with all the adjustments made and ready to be worn the next day. Exactly the way she wanted.

She couldn't contain the hint of anxiety that had been settling in her stomach since the beginning of the week, although she managed to hide her facial expression, she couldn't say the same about her sweaty hands.

She is getting married tomorrow.

That alone was reason to be nervous.

But the whole context of the wedding and what it meant for her future made her even more anxious. Marriage was the symbol of her coming of age, getting closer and closer to the crown destined for her.

And well, her alliance with Jeno made her a little nervous too. All other attempts to bring the two kingdoms closer together had already failed, she didn’t want the marriage to trigger any retaliation.

She wanted it to work, for everyone's good.

“Now, you're going to take off that dress and go to the jacuzzi on the terrace.” the mother said, turning her daughter around to undo the buttons on her dress. “While I’ll take your dresses to my closet.”

Y/N frowned.

“Why for yours and not mine?”

The queen undid the buttons and helped her daughter carefully take off her dress.

“And we run the risk of Jeno coming into your room and seeing the dresses?” the queen raised her eyebrow, taking the dress to the bed where the bag was to store it.

The princess laughed.

“You don’t need to insinuate anything, you know this marriage is just a political alliance.” she recalled, defensively.

“I didn’t insinuate anything.” the queen turned to face her daughter who felt her jaw give way. “I just wanted to say there are some traditions I want to keep.”

Y/N swallowed hard and scratched the back of her head, while trying to defend herself from something her mother hadn't even said, she gave more signs than she should have.

"Why?"

The queen smiled.

“You’ll know right away.” she assured and the princess agreed.

The mother went to the door, where she called the maids to take the two dresses that were lying on the princess's bed.

“Remember to sleep well, you need to be relaxed.”

Y/N nodded.

She had been hearing this for a long time as she was preparing for the wedding, from the makeup artist, to the hairdresser, even Nana.

It was one of the reasons she chose to stay at the castle the night before the wedding, firstly because she couldn't take the risk after all they had caught the henchmen from the last attack on the kingdom but still hadn't been able to find the mastermind, and secondly she needed a little of peace and quiet on the last single night of her life.

Jeno, incredible as it seemed, understood the situation and still decided to do the same, denying all bachelor party invitations from his brothers and friends in his kingdom.

The princess found it strange, she imagined he was going to do something with the new maids who had already been selected, but so far she hadn't seen or heard anything.

She didn't know if she really believed what he said that he would only kiss her and no one else.

That was also why the queen was there at that time in the princess's room, she was so busy with the selections and other royal matters, she was only in the first conversation with Zuhair, who barely had time to see her daughter in her wedding dresses.

Y/N took the opportunity, in addition to relieving the anxiety of putting on her dresses one last time before preparing for the wedding, to get her mother's opinion.

"Goodnight my love." the queen spoke right after the maids picked up the dresses and Y/N smiled.

"Good night, mom."

The princess saw her mother close the door with a soft noise and took a deep breath, feeling her heart accelerate and turned to face her image in the mirror once again.

She was wearing a transparent white nightgown, lace details on the short sleeve, the nightgown didn't even reach halfway up the princess's thighs but she liked the light fabric, it gave her an air of freedom that she was looking for that night. Her hair was tied up in a high, messy bun.

But what she saw went beyond her appearance, she saw more than pure anxiety for the next day, she also saw hope and determination. She was no longer that teenager obsessed with becoming the perfect princess, she was about to take another step that brought her closer and closer to becoming the queen, to being the ruler that was born to be.

It seemed that only now had she realized that she had become a real adult and would have to act like one.

She took a deep breath and took a step towards the closet, ready to change her clothes and go to the jacuzzi as her mother had suggested, when she heard a firm knock on the door and snorted, throwing her head back lazily.

Believing that it was just one of the maids, she didn't even bother wearing her robe, after all, all the maids had already seen her in those outfits due to the dress fittings. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

However, when she opened the door, in addition to feeling her entire face burn with embarrassment, her jaw also dropped.

Because it wasn't one of the maids, but Jeno.

Dressed in a black shirt and gray sweatpants, with his hand behind his neck, showing his biceps.

“Wow, if I had known I would get this reception, I would have come sooner.” he smiled mischievously, analyzing the princess from head to toe.

Y/N rolled her eyes and hid behind the door, covering her exposed cleavage with the arm that wasn't holding the door. She felt completely naked in front of Jeno, as his dark eyes analyzed her as if she were… an ice cream in the middle of the desert.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying hard to keep her voice from sounding so weak.

“I came to check on you.” He shrugged, putting his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt and the princess's eyes followed the movement, stopping at his hip, which seemed a little more... Wait a minute, Jeno wasn't wearing any underwear? “Y/N?”

"Huh?" She raised her eyes back to his face, which was smiling sideways. "What did you say?"

"Are you okay?" she raised her eyebrow at the question. “Last night as a single. Do you have plans?”

She laughed, half embarrassed and disbelieving at the same time for having seen what she shouldn't have.

“Actually, yes I do, and you’re slowing me down.” She made to close the door in his face but Jeno placed his hand on the wood before that happened.

“Are you going to get away, princess?” he teased.

She smiled evilly.

"And if I do?"

He acted disinterested.

“I could come along.”

She laughed quietly.

“Have you ever seen the bride and groom attend the same bachelor party?” she questioned and he shook his head.

“It’s just that we’re not ordinary bride and groom.” he remembered and she stared at Jeno to try to understand what he meant between the lines.

“Do you want me to invite you?” she asked, shocked. “Do you want to spend your last single night with me?”

Jeno took his hand off the door and leaned his shoulder in place, looking unassuming.

“Would it be that bad?”

Y/N crossed her arms, her figure still behind the door and she considered the request.

Bad? No. She just didn't know what to expect from Jeno.

But a part of her even liked the idea, Jeno hadn't thought of that for free, he was up to something.

And she was starting to do the same thing.

“Okay, Jeno.” She smiled slightly, to hide the naughty idea that crossed her mind. “Do you know how to get to the castle terrace?”

He shook his head.

“Your castle is a little bigger than mine, I haven’t memorized the map yet.”

God, she didn't believe she would do that.

“Okay, then follow me.” she said, feeling her heart speed up the moment she came out from behind the door to get her robe next to the bed because Jeno's eyes observed her in a far from discreet way.

She felt his gaze burn on her bare thighs and especially on her ass covered in fabric so transparent that it was obvious he would look, and that was exactly what she wanted.

Y/N put on the robe but didn't tie it and turned around, seeing Jeno's lips pressed together as he stared at her intensely. The princess didn't say anything and left the room, closing the door behind her, with Jeno beside her.

They walked to the terrace in silence, Jeno seemed tense and Y/N glanced at his face from time to time, she led him to the furthest part of the terrace, entering an area completely different from the rest of the castle.

Y/N walked to the jacuzzi and tested the water temperature with the palm of her hand while Jeno stood a little further back observing the room. It was more rustic, divided by windows that were covered by medium trees and wood, further to the side it was possible to see a corner sofa very close to the large smooth window with a space for a fire pit right in the center, also full of green, with flowers and a tree that passed the ceiling. The yellow lighting made the room much more cozy.

"Wow!" was all he said. “I didn’t know you had this here.”

“It was my idea but it was my mother who carried it out. It reminds me a lot of a chalet we have in the north of the kingdom.”

Jeno looked surprised and the princess laughed softly.

“I didn’t know you had a way with these things.”

She shrugged.

“I like rustic things.” she admitted and saw Jeno looking at her curiously.

"Oh, really?" he seemed very interested. "What kind?"

She smiled and took her hands to slowly take off her robe, making Jeno pay attention to her.

“You’ll have plenty of time to find out.” she replied, letting the robe fall to the floor and she shivered as Jeno's eyes looked her up and down again.

Only this time she let him admire her for a long time. Jeno became serious, his eyes clearly screamed desire and the princess couldn't deny that she liked that, the way he looked at her made her feel powerful and confident, enough to enter the jacuzzi the way she was, fully aware that the transparent nightgown would be even more transparent, because that's actually what she wanted.

When she sat down, she let out a low moan and looked at Jeno with an expression of false innocence.

“Aren’t you going in?” she asked quietly and Jeno laughed, unbeliever.

That would be a night of surprises then.

He just nodded and in one quick movement pulled off the black shirt he was wearing, Y/N's little smile quickly faded and she swallowed hard as she stared at his bare torso.

The other opportunities she had, Jeno was dressed, there was always something that prevented her from fully seeing his torso, but not this time. She could see every bit of exposed skin and it looked like Jeno had really been working out a lot because he looked so much stronger.

And she even tried to look away when Jeno grabbed the hem of the sweatpants he was wearing, but her curiosity got the better of her and she just watched him, exactly as he had done to her. He was wearing black underwear, different from what she had imagined, so she noticed that the bulge on his hip was slightly awake.

Oh God…

She felt the danger in the air but also the excitement and it wasn't something she wanted to stop, because that little game of seduction was too good for both sides.

Jeno entered the jacuzzi, facing the princess, and sat down as he murmured softly when the hot water came into contact with his skin. He stretched his arms to rest on the edge and smiled mischievously at her who blinked a few times before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

She was wet. And it wasn't even because of the jacuzzi.

What had she done?

In fact, she didn't even know why she had done it. She just followed her instincts, but she was waking up a monster that she didn't even know if she could handle.

The image of Jeno dressed only in his underwear would hardly leave her mind.

Y/N couldn't even stay lost in her own paranoia for long and felt the water in the jacuzzi moving beyond what it should have, when she opened her eyes she saw that Jeno was moving to stand in front of her with his arms on either side of her.

She lost her voice and just stared into his dark eyes closely.

“I know what you're doing.” he whispered and brought his face closer until he was millimeters away from touching her. “It was creative, I confess.” the princess's eyes fell when she felt his breathing so close to hers. “But I won’t kiss you.”

Y/N opened her eyes in shock.

"What?" the voice sounded slightly disappointed and Jeno smirked.

“Am I going to have to remind you of what I told you a while ago?” he asked and she opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out as Jeno moved his face to put his lips on her neck, Y/N tried to grab anything inside the jacuzzi that would make her legs regain strength.

Okay, she wasn't expecting that.

Much less that his lips were so warm against her skin. Her heart was beating so fast she didn't know if he could hear it.

“Jeno…” her voice was so weak that she didn’t even blame Jeno for laughing.

"Do you remember?" Jeno's voice vibrated against Y/N's skin and she rolled her eyes before closing them completely. “When you kissed my brother, what did I tell you?”

He didn't make Y/N's life easier and leaned his body as close as he could while he remained kneeling in front of her, involuntarily Y/N opened her legs so that he was between them. “I haven’t even touched you yet and you’re already giving in.” He gave Y/N a light bite on the neck that she couldn't control and brought her hands to his back. “Y/N, answer me!”

"What?" she tried to bring back the strength in her voice but it was impossible, not when Jeno started to bring his hips closer to hers.

“Do you remember, yes or no?” he moved his mouth to her ear, where he blew softly, sending goosebumps through her body.

Remembering? Yes she remembered, the problem was that she couldn't speak because of the heat she was feeling rising more and more and stopping in her belly.

"Yes." she swallowed the urge to moan when she felt him next to her body.

God, Jeno was torturing her and he was just leaning against her, he wasn't even rubbing his body against hers but he was standing exactly where she wanted him.

“Then speak.” he ordered and she dug her nails into his back.

“I’m going to have to beg.” she replied, quietly.

Jeno turned his face away, a sideways smile on his face as he watched the princess's desperate expression up close.

“See, you just need a stimulus to remember.” he teased.

“If you think I’m going to-” Jeno moved his hips against hers and the moan came out a little choked.

The temperature of the water felt much warmer and Y/N felt how hard he was, she had to close her eyes tightly to keep from giving in any more than she already had. She was losing her mind!

“You will, not today, but you will.” he promised and she opened her eyes, raising her eyebrow.

“What makes you so sure?”

Jeno took a hand to the princess's face and lifted it, making her look into his eyes.

She saw nothing but desire, pure and carnal.

“The fact that you tried to seduce me.” he caress her cheek gently. “Trust me, it worked, you look really hot and you don’t know how difficult it is for me to control myself now seeing your body like that.” she had an idea thanks to his hips pressed against hers. “But I won’t kiss you until you give in completely.”

Y/N swallowed hard. She wanted to but something stopped her, maybe her pride.

And then, all that heat and fire that surrounded the two quickly ended when Jeno stood up. Y/N bit her lip at the image of him standing in front of her, wet and hard. She knew he noticed the way she looked at him but he simply walked away, leaving the jacuzzi.

Y/N's uneven breathing seemed more evident now that she had her personal space back, but her eyes searched for Jeno.

And he was there, waiting for her with a confident smile.

“Don’t worry, this time it wasn’t a dream.”

[nebbyy]

Luke Castellan x Child of Apollo!reader - Last date

A/N: guys I’ve still got a few pics that are coming out in this weekend, after those are out I’ll probably create a first masterlist!! Also, there are two series that are going to start in the near future, one for king Baldwin and another one for Countess Nadia so if you’re interested stay tuned!

P.S.: this time I don't know where the paining is from, so if you know whose artist is this from please tell me, I'd really appreciate the help☺️

Warning: angst, mentions of betrayal, SPOILERS for the PJO story (whether it’s books, series or movies). Oh and reader is described as female

I think Luke would’ve been restless for weeks trying to figure out what to say to you when the time would’ve come for him to reveal his secret alliance with Kronos, what words would be best fit to make the idea sound more appealing, to increase the chances of you joining him against the Olympians

But as much as he pondered his words, as much as he tried to convince himself that in the end you’d choose him, there was this feeling he had that you wouldn’t follow him this time. And that made him spiral even further, made him try to push down the dooming feeling and focus instead on how to sound even more convincing, how to just get him to listen to him… or more precisely, listen to Kronos

But deep down, he knew that his choices were gonna make him lose you

Although at some point Luke finally seemed to realize that he got so lost in his own thoughts that he started neglecting you. Well, he didn’t really realize it on his own, it was Connor who made him snap back to reality with his dumb jokes

“Hey Luke you keep ignoring your girl and I’m just gonna steal her away. Bet you wouldn’t even notice huh.” Yeah he got a few slaps on the back of his neck for that

But Connor’s harmless words were not so wrong. He didn’t even realize how long it’s been since he even talked to you properly other than kissing you good morning and goodnight

He didn’t even realize how close the end of summer was getting, which, if he didn’t succeed, might’ve been the last months the two of you would spend together

After a little pause to just panic and frantically walk around the Hermes’ cabin trying to make out what to do, he got an idea

You’ve always love theaters, not only to watch the plays, but also to bask in the atmosphere of it all

And he remembered that when he stumbled upon an abandoned theater in a town not too far from Camp

He knew right then and there that he was gonna take you there that night, so that you could forgive him for his absence and he could forget about the rest on the world and focus on you. Nothing else but you

It didn’t take long for him to steal find a necklace that he knew you would’ve loved to wear, a little trinket that would make him be always near to your heart, even when he wouldn’t have been by your side anymore

He left it in a nice little box on your pillow, along with a little note…

I’m sorry I disappeared, I’ll make it up to you I swear. Meet me at the forest tonight I’m taking you to a place

Your mild disappointment in Luke’s absence quickly morphed into curiosity as you held the note in you hand, holding the necklace close to your heart as you tried to fight back the smile at the thought of his mysterious surprise 

Once you reached your rendezvous, he was already there, impatiently waiting for you, holding his hand out to you with an apologetic smile

The walk to the theater, which you still didn’t know was your last stop, was about two hours long, and you mostly spend that time walking silently hand in hand, exchanging very few words

Silence wasn’t anything new between you two, it was actually quite common for you to spend some silent, quality time in each other’s company, with no sound but the world around you

But this time felt different, you could feel that his silence had ulterior motives other than the comfort of quietness

You asked him about it, and he brushed it off saying that his counselor duties have worn him out lately. It was the biggest lie he could’ve told you, but you didn’t question the truth of his words

Because you’d trusted him completely since day one

It broke his heart even further to see how blindly you believed his excuses, so oblivious of the true reason behind his weird behavior. It made him wonder, how broken will you be when you’ll find out the truth

For a moment though, even if brief, all his sorrows disappeared when you finally reached the grandiose abandoned theater, whose splendor still made it stand out despite years of neglect, and your eyes lit up like two new stars to be added to the night sky

You basically rushed him in at that point, earning a laugh from him as he followed you inside

Once you were right before the stage, he swiftly got on top of it before turning around and charmingly offering you his hand to help you up as well

He looked at you for a second, almost entering in a trance as he got lost in the sight of you. But once you called him out, he sheepishly laughed before moving to grab his phone in his pocket, putting some music on before placing it on the ground and turning once again towards you

He knelt before you dramatically, speaking with a mockingly resounding tone, "My lady, would you do me the immense honor of granting me this dance?" You just laughed and nodded

You both danced together, slowly swaying around the stage while holding each other close

You noticed that, as he smiled fondly at you, his smile didn’t really reach his eyes

You wanted to believe what he’d told you, you really did. But there was this gut feeling in you that told you that there was something else going on

“You sure everything’s fine? You don’t look like you’re just tired babe..”, “No no I’m fine, I swear it! I just… I need to be with only you right now.”

You spent so much time there together, that in the end it would’ve been too tiring to go back to Camp straight away, so you opted to spend the rest of the night there

Well, more than opting to it was Luke who begged you to spend the night there with him, forget the rest, you’re both old enough to not have to respond to any of your godly parents

Thinking back to that day, you wonder if you should’ve gotten worried at his bitter words against the gods, instead of simply taking it as his natural aversion to the Olympians

You fell asleep first, lying on the dusty, hard pavement, while Luke stroked your cheek lovingly, staring at your body with a look that he’d spared you the sight of

His heart was about to shatter into a million pieces, all because he knew that this might’ve been his last time spending the night with you, being this close to you

In less than a week, Percy and Annabeth were coming back to Camp, and if they’d succeeded than it wouldn’t take much for them to find out the truth about the theft of Zeus’ lighting 

And as much as he wanted to believe his own delusions that you were going to stay by his side through the whole things, he knew that would never be

And he tried, he really tried so hard to keep in his true emotions for the whole evening, but he couldn’t take him anymore when he saw the necklace he’d gifted you just hours before around your neck

And the promise ring he’d given you on your first anniversary

And the little heart he drew on your arm the day before to annoy you

All little things that brought back the memories of almost four years he’d been with you. All memories of something that will soon end

It makes him wonder if you’ll keep all his little gifts, or if you’ll burn and rip and break everything that reminded you of him

He barely registered the tears that fell from his eyes as he held on to you for dear life as if you’d disappear if he didn’t hold you firmly enough

His cries became more intense as time passed, but he remained careful not to be loud enough to wake you up from your slumber. It was a mixture of unintelligible declarations of love and apologies, that he repeated like a prayer

Because in the end, he was indeed praying

Praying for you to see the reasoning behind his actions, for you to realize that he was in the right and that you had to follow him in this revolution 

And if you wouldn’t grant him this wish, then at least he prayed you’d still harbor the same love that you felt for him for all these years, that you will someday be able to forgive him, leave a place for him into your heart

[miffy-junot]

'The intimate yet posed nature of The Emperor Napoleon in his study at the Tuileries introduced an unusually modern dimension into the iconography of portraits of sovereigns. The painting probably represented the basis of portraits of French heads of state from the July Monarchy to the Fifth Republic. It was not commissioned by the Emperor, however, but by a powerful Scot, the Marquis of Douglas, the future 10th Duke of Hamilton 1767-183, who was infatuated by French art and was a fervent admirer of Napoleon. Douglas wanted a portrait of the Emperor, because he was fascinated by the Great Man and because he wanted to resuscitate the old alliance between France and Scotland. In fact, he commissioned other royal portraits' to adorn his castle and, in the British tradition, to symbolise his pretensions to the throne (Haskell 1975). His letter was sent to David via the painter and dealer Ferréol Bonnemaison in August 1811. The artist, who had never been happy with his official portraits of the Emperor, all rejected, accepted immediately; he must also have felt flattered that his reputation had gone beyond the boundaries of the Empire. He delivered the canvas the following year. The requirements of the Marquis were very precise. David should 'commit to the canvas the features of the Great Man and represent him during one of those events that have made his name immortal'.

[...]

In the painting delivered by David, the Emperor, wearing the blue uniform of a colonel in the Foot Grenadiers of the Imperial Guards, is standing in front of his desk, beside a ceremonial chair designed by David and located in the Grand Cabinet in the Tuileries, rather than in Napoleon's study. On the back wall, the hands of the clock stand at 4.13 am; the candles are almost burnt out, giving us to understand that the Emperor has been working all night. He is preparing to don the sword that is lying on the chair and to review his troops. It seems that David did not meet the expectations of the Marquis fully; Douglas was probably hoping for the depiction of an exceptional action, which would serve to identify the Great Man. In the painting, the artist discards the exceptional in favour of the habitual, the exterior in favour of a carefully staged intimacy: 'I have represented him pursuing the activity that is most habitual to him, work,' wrote David to the Scottish aristocrat on 8 May 1812. During the process in which the incarnation of the 'Great Man' takes over from his apotheosis, David emphasises (at first glance) the realism of the portrait. On the one hand, the accessories (desk, sword, uniform) are all painted from life, and, on the other, the artist has depicted Napoleon's features with painstaking accuracy, striving for a good likeness: the dishevelled hair, the rings under the eyes and the paunch, emphasised by the whiteness of the breeches. Alexandre Lenoir praised the portrait for being 'the best likeness that has ever been done of the Emperor'.

[...]

David, who used accessories sparingly in his portraits, introduces a lot of them here, painted with great accuracy, for example, the candlestick. They require close attention because, surrounding the figure as they do, they bear the weight of the symbolic narration requested by the Marquis; they would have been omitted from a run-of-the-mill portrait. The allusion to the great men of antiquity is not provided by busts, but by a book: Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans on the footing of the desk. The uniform, the sword placed on the chair, the map on which David has placed his signature all betray the man of action, the general-in-chief in the classical tradition, the hero in its revolutionary sense. The lion, which acts as the foot of the bureau, painted in a highly realistic way from the front, is like an echo of the figure. Should we interpret this as an allusion to the Emperor's sign of the zodiac (he was born on 15 August), or as a puzzle connected with Napoleon's own name?Whatever the intention behind the lion, it adds an element of determination to the figure of the 'Great Man'. On the desk, the pen and papers inform us that Napoleon has spent the night drafting legislation.

[...]

David started restoring the sovereign's image with this exceptional painting. Unencumbered by the traditional attributes of power or the ostentation connected with it, Napoleon is portrayed as a modern statesman; the sources of his greatness and the justification of his power are to be found within him. In some ways, David rejects transcendence in favour of immanence; the man is placed at the heart of the representation and the expressive value proper to a portrait is reaffirmed. David proves that the realism inherent in the genre can convey the idea it embodies, and that the tension between truth and decorum, between the myth and its incarnation, at work in the portrait of a ruler, can be resolved without forgoing appearances.'

source: Citizens and Kings - portraits in the age of revolution 1760-1830

[infamousbrad]

Alex Garland's Civil War is my perfect movie. I'm not sure who else's, though.

There's a thing I've said about lots of art: if you have to read the artist's statement to get the point, the artist's statement is the art. I read multiple interviews with Garland, went in prepared for the movie he was trying to make, and I loved it, a lot. I don't know if I can say that I enjoyed it, because it's super-emotional, especially super-tense. But I'm very very glad I saw it, and if somebody invited me to go with them, I'd probably watch it again, and I may well buy the blu-ray when it comes out. That being said? I'm not sure who else, other than a few weirdos like me and a few academic cinephiles this movie is for.

Remember the movie Pleasantville, if you even saw it? The trailer mislead a lot of people into expecting a jokey comedy about how dumb "Return to Normalcy" era sitcoms were, and nearly everybody who went in with those expectations hated Pleasantville, because what they got was a deep philosophical meditation on how you can't actually solve a social problem without losing your innocence, and loss of innocence, no matter how necessary, hurts. So almost nobody loved Pleasantville but a few people like me, who wanted it injected straight into our veins.

So let me lay this straight out before you buy your ticket to Civil War:

First of all, at no point in Garland's Civil War do they tell you the politics of any of the three sides in the near-future second American Civil War. Nor are you expected to figure them out. The war started four or five years before the first scene of the movie, and none of the people in this movie are still interested in debating why the war. There are three sides, and while there are people who say that the Western Forces are Democrats and the Florida Alliance are Republicans and the Federal Army are Trumpist, they are reading their own prejudices into way too few background clues and ignoring the other background clues that contradict that theory.

I know that every American who sees this movie is watching to find out which army is "on my side," which one they're supposed to be rooting for, and that is not a movie that Alex Garland wanted to make. You are supposed to be rooting for the war to just be over and elections to resume. Because that's what every civilian and every soldier wants, and nearly all the unlawful combatants. And also ...

This is not a war movie. If you want the (somehow, to you anyway) relaxing catharsis of cheering while lots of military hardware gets used? You are going to hate Civil War because this movie is, to borrow an older metaphor, Tomorrowland to your Mad Max: Glory Road. Garland made this movie to shame you particularly if you like war movies. The total amount of combat footage in this movie probably doesn't reach 20 minutes, and our main viewpoint character for the final battle sequence is a traumatized civilian.

One last thing I can say before diving behind a spoiler warning, though: it is an amazing technical movie, this thing should win all the technical Oscars next year. In particular, the principal photography is the best I've ever seen and the way it mixes (and sometimes un-mixes!) the separate audio tracks perfectly manipulates the tension level. And all four lead actors put their whole selves into these parts and held nothing back.

So what is this movie if it's not a political movie or a war movie? I can't tell you that without diving at least partway into spoiler territory, so ...

Alex Garland wants to prove two things in this movie:

Life in a failed state sucks ass. Yes, even if you're nowhere near the combat zone. And ...

War correspondents and combat photographers themselves wonder if what they're doing is making any difference, but they're heroes for trying.

The journalists themselves can't point to a single time what they do prevented or stopped a war, and they very much wonder if they're just adrenaline-addicted glory-hogs. But even not even knowing if what they're doing will ever save a single life, they are absolute fucking heroes. They put themselves at insane risk because this is the only thing that they know how to do and if it has any chance of saving lives, of preventing or stopping war, it has to be tried.

Our main cast are four journalists: an elderly war correspondent, a middle aged war correspondent, a middle aged combat photographer, and a (too) young combat photographer on a mission:

They start in Federally occupied NYC, reporting on anti-regime protests and terrorist attacks. They've heard rumors about the actual war. Right now the front line is a three-way battle for control of Charleston, South Carolina. They've heard that the Westerners and the Floridians are going to fight each other to the death as soon as they push the Federals out of the Carolinas, and then on July 4th, just a week away or so, the likely winners, the Westerners, are nearly certain to seize the capitol. They think the 5 year war is almost over, and are trying to figure out how to cover the end. This is, like, literally the whole of the first two scenes.

The old guy wants to cover the battle of Charleston "for whatever is left of the New York Times" and then retire. The three younger journalists have an even crazier idea: skip the battle of Charleston and use the last remaining highway into/out of DC to outrun the Western Forces and cover the fall of the White House.

So the overwhelming majority of the movie is a several day, many hundred mile road trip in an armored car marked PRESS. This involves driving west to Pittsburgh and then back east to Charleston, to get around the combat zone, which results in the real main part of the movie:

The road trip is intended to show you how much the combination of anarchy, localized paranoia, and fear of looters is driving various levels of savagery far from the war zone, which the reporters and photographers keep stopping to document.

It ends with the race to keep up with the Western forces so they can cover the fall of the White House, which is the only long combat scene in the movie, and it is incredibly intense, and very loud and scary, and nobody except maybe the kid photographer covers themselves in glory.

And every scene of it tells the same didactic message, told in about a dozen different ways: when the war is over, whether or not you were "on the right side" is going to matter a lot less than the horror you lived through, and wartime journalists put themselves through hell to try to prove that to you before it's too late.