#also the like. general face structure. proportions

[mazken]

[ID: A digital painting of a Redguard woman, from The Elder Scrolls; she is short haired and in Dawnguard armor. The colors are blue-gray, except for a bright moon behind her head, which casts gold light on her from behind, and Auriel's Bow, which she has drawn. End ID]

all my nightmares escaped my head

bar the door, please don't let them in

you were never supposed to leave

now my head's splitting at the seams

first post here i'll see how this goes. i generally just wished to have an account where i could shamelessly post my art in without clogging my feed and worrying over the quality <3 all my oc stuff will remain on my main acc though, i don't plan to change that.

[aphrodeiities]

ᴠᴇɴᴜꜱ ꜱɪɢɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ

i have one last spot for a chart reading you could [venus persona chart and feminine archetype reading is also available]

follow for more content!

ARIES VENUS

MADISON BEER, RIHANNA AND EVA LONGORIA

♇ literally diamond heads, arched eyebrows and full lips. aries venus women are likely to have cupid bows and very pink lips with amazing smiles. i noted many of them have almond eye shapes , square/sharp jaws and a long face that is finely proportioned with amazing cheek bones.

♇ they are also known for their sense of style, specifically rihanna and eva, eva when it comes to her outfits as gabi from desperate housewives is always talked about. they usually have a slim build that is toned as well.

♇ they usually have nice noses, buttoned noses and most of them have a nice nose bridged, ones that are usually sought out for in the cosmetic industry. they wear clothes, clothes dont wear them! aim for bold colours like red and black, but dont be afraid to be more colourful.

♇ they remind me of the animal lynx, because their facial features are very lifted. they usually are the beauty standard and are likely to start fashion/make-up trends. very sexually appealing and have a flirtatious but fierce look to them, its like they're challenging people to come forward to them.

extra - marilyn monroe

TAURUS VENUS

ARIANA GRANDE, SUNDAY KALOGERAS AND JESSICA ALBA

♱ very doe eyes beauty, square jaws like the sign before them, but they're likely women who have a shorter face compared to aries venuses. they have a more rounder face and they're likely to have straighter eyebrows and an upper lip which is bigger than the lower lip.

♱ look excellent in light clothing and brown. do well with curly hair, and have an innocent/adolescent look to them. they normally look frail and have slender necks that sometimes make them look tall when they're taking up close pictures.

♱ they're the epitome of having a deer face, they also have features that are upturned, but i've noted a lot of taurus venuses usually do get cosmetic surgery. they're considered as adorable to many people, so sometimes they have a hard time feeling sexy because other people see otherwise.

♱ they also tend to have high/cute voices. another indicator to why people might not take them seriously when they try to come off as sexually appealing or annoyed in general.

extra - princess diana

GEMINI VENUS

GISELE BUNDCHEN, STUNNA GIRL AND MARGOT ROBBIE

♇ have a very high face, wide smiles, and long face structure, very sharp and darty eyes and always looks like they're up to something or are about to say a joke. they look like foxes [not in a bad way].

♇ they look good in clothing styles that are considered "corporate", like school clothing, "office" siren clothing. either way, as gemini is a mutable sign and the most adaptable. they can dress themselves in a very versatile way and still look good. but most of the time clothing that are too tight for them can be unflattering.

♇ they usually have a square face, high cheek bones and a long nose. if they do too much cosmetic surgery they look very unflattering. [specifically for them], they look nice with very contrasting hair colours, like they can look good in very dark hair or look good in very light hair.

♇ gemini venus women usually have nice shoulders and nice hands, and look good in outfits that is considered "opposite" to them, as gemini represents the twins in astrology. and when it comes to hairstyles, middle partings look nice on them.

extra - megan fox

CANCER VENUS

ZENDAYA, ANGELINA JOLIE AND HALLE BERRY

♱ very pretty women, amazing side profiles, look good in both straight and arched eyebrows. they tend to have medium length faces but the width of their faces tend to be wide. sparkling eyes, especially due to their venus being moon ruled, sometimes it always looks like they're about to cry.

♱ soft smiles and pearly teeth. look excellent when paired with jewellery, and have pretty necks. usually they give the vibe of being average height. usually do have thick eyelashes, even if its not long, they're usually thick or you can say full. their noses usually point down or have a flick to them.

♱ they tend to look really nice with their hair down, especially because they look like mermaids. they have that "i just got out of the water" look to them. and they usually have a lot of baby hairs.

♱ cancer venus women can easily rock the messy hair look, as cancer is one of the signs that rules the bed, sleep and night. they look really nice with pixie cuts or side-parts. they can stare really hard though.

extra - adriana lima

LEO VENUS

PAMELA ANDERSON, ARIANA GREENBLATT AND MONICA BELLUCCI

♇ like those with cancer venuses, leo venus women have amazing side profiles, and can can look good with both thin and thick eyebrows. their eyebrows are normally arched, but they can also be lowly arched which gives them a more feline look, a lioness appereance.

♇ they usually have medium sized heads, with square jaws and pointy chins, and they are women who look good in messy hair, or hair that is curly. straight hair can look good on them but it can sometimes make them look flat, so big or curled hair [along with hair that is tied up that shows their facial structure more] goes well for them.

♇ puffy lips, and when it comes to make-up, they look really good with ombre colours. strong necks and defined collar bones, and they usually have a distinct point on their noise, like the lion nose.

♇ though besides from lions, leo venuses look like kittens in general, even though its the same family, i feel like the venus in specifically in leo women have a more baby faced feline look to them, one that makes them look youthful, they could also have a round head shape, given them a heart-shape as the jaw is sharper than the rest.

extra - lindsay lohan

VIRGO VENUS

KYLIE JENNER, MEGHAN MARKLE AND BELLA HADID

♱ they usually have a long mid face and structure noses, most of them tend to get procedures done to fit into the market/stereotype of what beauty is supposed to be. their jaw usually tends to be soft and then chin sharp, aside from meghan markle.

♱ their eyebrows tend to be pointed and their lower lip tends to be heavier than their upper lip. broad forehead and wide lips, defined cheek bones or they usually define their cheek bones with their make up, specifically blush.

♱ virgo venus women usually look like elves, and their ears are usually defined as well. slender necks and earthy look [specifically due to virgo being an earth sign], are usually women who look very sophisticated. sometimes have the appearance that they just ran through the woods, [can connect to demeter searching for persephone].

♱ women with virgo venuses normally do have pointed eyes, or eyes that are upturned, and the lower whites of their eyes have spaces to them which sometimes make them look like they have sanpaku eyes. they also look amazing with darker hair and with their locks being down.

extra - sophia loren

LIBRA VENUS

JADA PINKETT SMITH, HILLARY DUFF AND CIARA

♇ normally have long faces, or a long nose bridge that makes them look like they have a long face. nice smiles and apple cheeks, a sharp face structure which is a contrast to how libra placements usually look, as they tend to appear more circular, but the libra being in venus gives them a more structured look.

♇ pearly teeth, and sometimes they could even have small teeth. soft eyebrows but full ones. and sometimes they have a surprised look on their faces. defined adams apple and collar bone. sqaure chins and most of them have brownish/hazel eyes.

♇ dewy/glowy skin, the juno/hera impact gives them that, and sometimes they have a lighter under tone. they have sharp eyes that sometimes make them come across as if they're squinting all the time

♇ have hard stares, sometimes they look like they're piercing through your soul, it gives them that cheetah look. like judgement, [the hera impact again]. libra venus women usually have smaller lips, even thought it could still be full, they can still be smaller.

extra - beyonce

SCORPIO VENUS

CARDI B, ANNE HATHEWAY AND DOJA CAT

♱ surprisingly, most of the ones i've seen and researched upon have circular faces, but their faces are long and their cheekbones are strong and defined, and it comes out a lot when they smile.

♱ like the sign they share mars with in traditional astrology, aries venus, a lot of scorpio venuses have strong cupid bows. look really nice when they outline their lips with a brown lip liner, brown and pink combo goes really well with them.

♱ stunning with dark hair, blonde her brightens them a lot, and looks fine on them, but they can also experiment with many hair colours. dark and darty eyes, long nose bridge and most of them usually get cosmetic surgery, as both their modern and traditional ruler indicates cosmetic surgery, there's a stronger indicator when there's much libra energy, as libra is the main sign that governs over cosmetic beauty.

♱ they have a long facial structure, and look really nice with their hair down or up. particularly in a messy updo. they have this dove look, it is normally because of their distinctive or thin nose bridge and their lips being in a lower power of their face. but i think their features are well proportioned.

extra - dakota johnson

SAGITTARIUS VENUS

CHRISTINA AUGELIRA, ALEXA DEMIE AND BILLIE EILISH

♇ have a bigger than life energy, thick/full eyebrows and a long nose bridge. these women usually had a defined nose bridge with a buttoned nose and a very straight hairline that gives them a square head shape. apple cheeks that are prominent and brilliant smiles.

♇ very sultry and inviting eyes, and sometimes it could be piercing. they normally have big foreheads and square jaws and pointy chins. their face features are well spread, and they regularly have straight eyebrows and its low and close to their eyes that sometimes gives them a rough look.

♇ they go well with clothings that are big for them, a big example being billie, but sometimes they might be considered as cultural appropriators, specifically christina and billie.

♇ sagittarius venuses usually have that bohemian look, they look good in both white and black clothing, but also very colourful clothing. like their sister sign, gemini venus. sagittarius venus women are very versatile with their clothing and tend to look like fallen angels.

extra - kendall jenner.

CAPRICORN VENUS

MEGAN THEE STALLION, CINDY CRAWFORD AND TYRA BANKS

♱ evidently, have the model look to them, have a lean or good body figure, and are usually tall. have nice legs and look really good with messy hair, hair that is also layered.

♱ they have boxy jaws and look good in many hair colours, but the hair colours i think suit them the most is black, brown and blonde, as you can see with the women i've put above. they tend to have a shorter faces, or a forehead that could be considered small.

♱ high cheek bones and arched eyebrows. make-up that makes them look like they're glowing pairs well for them. and a classy femme fatale look is an essence they usually display and embody.

♱ capricorn venus women are prone to have very warm eyes, and the tip of their noses are usually distinct, like having a bulbous nose or an upturned one. brown lipped make-up is aesthetically pleasing for them. even though they could be considered as femme fatales, there's still a teddy bear appearance these women have to themselves.

extra - olivia rodrigo

AQUARIUS VENUS

PARIS HILTON, SHARON TATE AND SADE

♇ they look like fairies to me, they have a bigger lower lip compared to their upper lip, and normally the tip of their nose is down turned. and have the type of eyes where it looks like you're looking into their souls.

♇ slender necks and glossy hair and the size of their forehead is regularly large, it gets them more of that other-worldly look. big eyes that usually makes them look sad or makes them look like they can tell a thousand stories.

♇ aquarius venus women [if they dont have strong moon or saturn in their chart], they have very soft cheek bones that gives them a youthful image and a youthful glow. they give more of a cute or refined appearance, and are the type to look nice with shorter hair.

♇ because of their fairy like features, they look very frail and delicate, as if they're brittle glass. aquarius venus women age very well too, particularly with the saturnian influence in their chart.

extra - elizabeth olsen

PISCES VENUS

LILY COLLINS, ELLE FANNING AND ROSE HUNTINGON WHITLEY

♱ i dont mean this in a mean way, but pisces venus women look like adorable cows, i've said this before in the ascendant and their beauty post about pisces ascendant women, but it is likely because their eyebrows are very low down their foreheads and they normally tend to have full, thin and straight eyebrows that gives them that cow look.

♱ but they dont only look like cute baby cows, they also have this baby doll, particularly because their features a prone to be in the middle, [or you can say having a heavy mid face].

♱ they also look good in hair styles that cover their face, [chiefly the side of their faces]. middle parts suit them really well, [and side parts, chiefly if they're going for a classy look, for example, lily collins when she did the audrey hepburn photoshoot].

♱ like aquarius venuses, pisces venus women usually look very slender and delicate. and layered hair compliments them, it captures their face frame well, gives their faces a more lean look as most of their face shapes are square and they have very strong jaws. most hairstyles with their hair down look good on them.

extra - quenlin blackwell

masterlist

[thecoiledserpent]

↻ ROMANTIC PARTNERS' APPEARANCE FROM YOUR CHART

basics of vedic astrology. ask box. masterlist.

while there exist many peculiarities and details that may be considered for analysing one's partner, i will be sticking to a certain method here to avoid overcomplicating things. note that i consider more factors when we talk about spouse explicitly, but consider this to be representative of both spouse and other partners.

for those seeking a female partner- check your venus

for those seeking a male partner- check your mars

i use this as a general rule but i haven't had the chance to check this for lesbians / gay / trans people etc so i would recommend following the same rule, unless you have a solid reason not to.

note that for skin colours, undertones and shades, general heights etc, always consider what is considered the norm in your family or bloodline. like for most english people, white skin tone is the norm so when we say 'light skinned', we mean a milky, snow like complexion. when we say 'dark skinned', we mean a tanned complexion. don't go by country, go by what is the norm in your own family or a certain race / nationality that your partner could be most likely from.

MARS / VENUS THROUGH THE SIGNS

MARS / VENUS IN ARIES — the partner's skin is light, and sensitive to strong sunlight. their skin would easily develop a reddish tint in sunlight, and they would have a strong skull with scars present on their upper body. they would be average in height, and walk in long strides. they could have small ears, or small hands. they would be sensitive to the partner's emotional needs and try to cater to it, but are naturally inclined to stubbornness and anger.

MARS / VENUS IN TAURUS — the partner's skin is an earthly, warm shade of brown. it seems to resemble earthly tones and has a fresh touch to it. their face is square in shape, and symmetric; their face is aesthetically pleasing in terms of symmetry and overall body composition. everything appears to be in proportion, and their height may be from short to medium. they could have a love for food and be attracted to luxurious resting places. they would be stubborn, and it would be difficult to convince them. they don't change themselves for others.

MARS / VENUS IN GEMINI — the partner's skin appears to be sun-kissed, as though they are standing in the sun at all times. due to this they may appear to 'wilt' in extremely modernised or rigid surroundings; it doesn't sit with their composition. tanned, naturally warm skin with a tendency towards walking or talking quick. they would be medium to averagely tall in height. they could have a protruding face. they would be extremely unstable in terms of decision making and go from being the wisest saint to the most stubborn person you have ever seen. they are also professional yappers.

MARS / VENUS IN CANCER — the partner's skin would be fair, and their face structure would resemble the moon. either in shape or in marks; beautifully marked. they could have acne, or freckles. they would be short in height and have a disposition towards shyness. they could either be mentally weak or extremely strong, no middle point. they could even be manipulative at times. they would dislike rigidity is structure and would be adjusting in nature themselves to ensure others feel at home. marital bliss can be restricted for female partner seeking natives.

MARS / VENUS IN LEO — their skin could have a glowing look. note the minor difference between gemini and leo, gemini appears to be shining under the sun so artificial environments filled with white lights takes away their shine. leo, on the other hand, is the shine itself so it shines even under scrutiny and artificiality. nothing stops them, and nothing tops them. stubborn people and unwilling to change their ways, even at others' expense. they are medium in height and enjoy bed pleasures. they adore being adored, and are in love with loving.

MARS / VENUS IN VIRGO —— they have warm and naturally soft skin, slightly tanned and on the brownish side. they are usually on the taller side and the female partner is usually rather finicky. they could be extremely detail oriented and unwilling to change their decisions. however they are emotionally perceptive, so if you give them enough reasons, they might adjust with you. they are rather complex with emotions too, and can have a tendency to unintentionally hurt others with their critical nature which stems from their self hurt and extends outwardly.

MARS / VENUS IN LIBRA — the partner's skin tone is dark, but it has a burnt shade to it. like imagine those warm brown shades that make you feel all fuzzy inside. they are quite tall in height and have a certain striking beauty mark or distinct feature about them. perhaps a beauty mark placed perfectly, or symmetric lips, a well tipped and high rise nose, beautiful hands etc. it usually does not influence the hair, eyes, ears and bust. most men having this placement have wives with an hourglass proportion or wider hips. they would have an agreeable personality and be of sacrificing nature for the general good.

MARS / VENUS IN SCORPIO — the partner's skin tone is light, but with a muddy undertone to it. they have an average height and strong shoulders. some sort of scar or mark on the body is present, which may include stretch marks or growth marks as well. they could be unwilling to give up and be extremely stubborn. but don't push them too much, or else they might end up emotionally isolating themselves. they would be lean, and problematic around elders at times.

MARS / VENUS IN SAGITTARIUS — the partner's skin tone is light too, but with deep brown undertones. they could have oily skin, and facial hair in case of a male partner. they are tall in height, and are of dual nature. they keep diverting their opinion about whether or not they wish to change; switching as they will between liberal in the relationship and bring preachy about how the partner should be. they would, regardless, have a certain glow that self assurance and knowledge brings in a person. this is a good placement to have.

MARS / VENUS IN CAPRICORN— the partner's skin tone is muddy brown, and may appear to be blemished in a quiet way. like er, think about skin that has those small dot things which aren't really acne, but not really negligible either. they are on the taller side, and may have hooded eyes with bags under them, the skin there might be bluish or veins might show, but they are quite good looking regardless. seriously overworked, or may have sleeping issues. they are adjusting and caring by nature, but they could be lazy and sullen.

MARS / VENUS IN AQUARIUS — the partner has muddy brownish red skin which accumulates dust quickly. they are quite tall, and of an eccentric style. this is not limited to funky colours; anything that goes against norm and gives them the excitement to be rebellious. like kawaii, punk or goth styles, glitter makeups, or just anything that isn't common in their culture. like in conserved societies like india, even wearing revealing dresses is rebellious. but in more open societies, well it takes more than a revealing dress for a scandal. so apply that as you will. again, the partner will be rigid in their ways and may not see the problem with their approach to life.

MARS / VENUS IN PISCES — the partner's skin tone is fair in the upper portion of the body and grows darker as you move downwards. they have well formed feet, and with strong legs. they appear short when they put on weight and tall when they lose it. their face is narrow at the start and beautifully formed. they are of dual nature and indecisive, often not able to decide how they are supposed to approach matters that inconvenience them but are uncomfortable to speak of.

MARS / VENUS RECEIVING ASPECTS FROM PLANETS

SUN— they could have gallbladder disease. the influence of sun makes them such that they draw others' attention, but it is dependent on their own nature whether or not they are able to retain it. they could have beautiful round eyes that easily entrance others.

MOON— they would be fond of travelling. they could be night owls, due to which they may have eyebags. they could have clear skin, or a pleasant face.

MARS (for venus only) — they could have strong, well built arms and shoulders. they could be built like a bull, or be physically active. this aspect can also lead to fights.

MERCURY— they could have foxy features like a tipped nose, small ears, quickly moving eyes etc.

VENUS— they could have symmetric facial features and have a conventionally attractive physique. people would be easily attracted to them.

JUPITER— they could have a fleshy waist or even a potbelly, not that it's a bad thing. they could have thin hair, or poor hair quality. they could neglect their physical appearance at times.

SATURN— they could have a bluish tinge under the eyes and appear exhausted most of the times. they could be extremely beautiful too, or just be sullen and lazy. that is, if saturn lets you marry at all.

KETU— they could have some sort of beauty cut. like around the eyebrows, or lips etc. it could be natural, or even done by themselves for aesthetic value.

RAHU— they could have moles or beauty marks. they could have seductive or sultry eyes and be of calm disposition, which is mostly a façade.

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय नमः

[alphynix]

Crystal Palace Field Trip Part 2: Walking With Victorian Dinosaurs

[Previously: the Permian and the Triassic]

The next part of the Crystal Palace Dinosaur trail depicts the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Most of the featured animals here are actually marine reptiles, but a few dinosaur species do make an appearance towards the end of this section.

Although there are supposed to be three Jurassic ichthyosaur statues here, only the big Temnodontosaurus platyodon could really be seen at the time of my visit. The two smaller Ichthyosaurus communis and Leptonectes tenuirostris were almost entirely hidden by the dense plant growth on the island.

Ichthyosaurs when fully visible vs currently obscured Left side image by Nick Richards (CC BY SA 2.0)

Head, flipper, and tail details of the Temnodontosaurus. A second ichthyosaur is just barely visible in the background.

Ichthyosaurs were already known from some very complete and well-preserved fossils in the 1850s, so a lot of the anatomy here still holds up fairly well even 170 years later. They even have an attempt at a tail fin despite no impressions of such a structure having been discovered yet! Some details are still noticeably wrong compared to modern knowledge, though, such as the unusual amount of shrinkwrapping on the sclerotic rings of the eyes and the bones of the flippers.

———

Arranged around the ichthyosaur, three different Jurassic plesiosaurs are also represented – “Plesiosaurus” macrocephalus with the especially sinuous neck on the left, Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus in the middle, and Thalassiodracon hawkinsi on the right.

They're all depicted here as amphibious and rather seal-like, hauling out onto the shore in the same manner as the ichthyosaurs. While good efforts for the time, we now know these animals were actually fully aquatic, that they had a lot more soft tissue bulking out their bodies, and that their necks were much less flexible.

———

The recently-installed new pivot bridge is also visible here behind some of the marine reptiles.

———

Positioned to the left of the other marine reptiles, this partly-obscured pair of croc-like animals are teleosaurs (Teleosaurus cadomensis), a group of Jurassic semi-aquatic marine crocodylomorphs.

A better view of the two teleosaurs by MrsEllacott (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Crystal Palace statues have the general proportions right, with long thin gharial-like snouts and fairly small limbs. But some things like the shape of the back of the head and the pattern of armored scutes are wrong, which is odd considering that those details were already well-known in the 1850s.

———

Finally we reach the first actual dinosaur, and one of the most iconic statues in the park: the Jurassic Megalosaurus!

Megalosaurus bucklandi was the very first non-avian dinosaur known to science, discovered in the 1820s almost twenty years before the term "dinosaur" was even coined.

At a time when only fragments of the full skeleton were known, and before any evidence of bipedalism had been found, the Crystal Palace rendition of Megalosaurus is a bulky quadrupedal reptile with a humped back and upright bear-like limbs. It's a surprisingly progressive interpretation for the period, giving the impression of an active mammal-like predator.

This statue suffered extensive damage to its snout in 2020, which was repaired a year later with a fiberglass "prosthesis".

———

Reaching the Cretaceous period now, we find Hylaeosaurus (and one of the upcoming Iguanodon peeking in from the side).

Hylaeosaurus armatus was the first known ankylosaur, although much like the other dinosaurs here its life appearance was very poorly understood in the early days of paleontology. Considering how weird ankylosaurs would later turn out to be, the Crystal Palace depiction is a pretty good guess, showing a large heavy iguana-like quadruped with hoof-like claws and armored spiky scaly skin.

It's positioned facing away from viewers, so its face isn't very visible – but due to the head needing to be replaced with a fiberglass replica some years ago, the original can now be seen (and touched!) up close near the start of the trail.

———

Two pterosaurs (or "pterodactyles" according to the park signs) were also supposed to be just beyond the Hylaeosaurus, but plant growth had completely blocked any view of them.

Although these two statues are supposed to represent a Cretaceous species now known as Cimoliopterus cuvieri, they were probably actually modeled based on the much better known Jurassic-aged Pterodactylus antiquus.

A second set of pterosaur sculptures once stood near the teleosaurs, also based on Pterodactylus but supposed to represent a Jurassic species now known as Dolicorhamphus bucklandii. These statues went missing in the 1930s, and were eventually replaced with new fiberglass replicas in the early 2000s… only to be destroyed by vandalism just a few years later.

(The surviving pair near the Hylaeosaurus are apparently in a bit of disrepair these days, too, with the right one currently missing most of its jaws.)

Image by Ben Sutherland (CC BY 2.0)

The Crystal Palace pterosaurs weren't especially accurate even for the time, with heads much too small, swan-like necks, and bird-like wings that don't attach the membranes to the hindlimbs. Hair-like fuzz had been observed in pterosaur fossils in the 1830s, but these depictions are covered in large overlapping diamond-shaped scales due to Richard Owen's opinion that they should be scaly because they were reptiles.

But some details still hold up – the individual with folded wings is in a quadrupedal pose quite similar to modern interpretations, and the bird-like features give an overall impression of something more active and alert than the later barely-able-to-fly sluggish reptilian pterosaur depictions that would become common by the mid-20th century.

(Much like the statues themselves, the "modern" reconstruction above is based on Pterodactylus rather than Cimoliopterus)

———

The last actual dinosaurs on this dinosaur trail are the two Cretaceous Iguanodon sculptures. At the time of my visit they weren't easy to make out behind the overgrown trees, and only the back end of the standing individual was clearly visible.

Named only a year after Megalosaurus, Iguanodon was the second dinosaur ever discovered, and early reconstructions depicted it as a giant iguana-like lizard.

The Crystal Palace statues depict large bulky animals, one in an upright mammal-like stance and another reclining with one hand raised up. (This hand is usually resting on a cycad trunk, but that element appeared to be either missing or fallen over when I was there.)

Famously a New Year's dinner party was held in the body of the standing Iguanodon during its construction, although the accounts of how many people could actually fit inside it at once are probably slightly exaggerated.

A clearer view by Jim Linwood (CC BY 2.0)

Considering that the skull of Iguanodon wasn't actually known at the time of these sculpture's creation, the head shape with a beak at the front of the jaws is actually an excellent guess. The only major issue was the nose horn, which was an understandable mistake when something as strange as a giant thumb spike had never been seen in any known animal before.

(The fossils the Crystal Palace statues are based on are actually now classified as Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis, but the "modern" reconstruction above depicts the chunkier Iguanodon bernissartensis.)

———

Image by Doyle of London (CC BY-SA 4.0)

I also wasn't able to spot the Cretaceous mosasaur on the other side of the island due to heavy foliage obscuring the view.

Depicting Mosasaurus hoffmannii, this model consists of only the front half of the animal lurking at the water's edge. It's unclear whether this partial reconstruction is due to uncertainty about the full appearance, or just a result of money and time running out during its creation.

The head is boxier than modern depictions, and the scales are too large, but the monitor-lizard like features and paddle-shaped flippers are still pretty close to our current understanding of these marine reptiles. It even apparently has the correct palatal teeth!

Next time: the final Cenozoic section!

[pantheonofcoffee]

Don't You Just LOVE art.

Art through the passage of time, that passes hands over the decades from one generation to the next!

I couldn't help but expand more on something I mentioned in the Captain Marvel Community.

Look at meh boi Tawky Tawny. You can tell what artists are influenced by today's furry art, specifically XD. Like, it's really good art!

This is amazing design. But comparing the cartoony style that is reminiscent of children's books/cartoons versus this iteration you can see the influences.

Let the Tawny Demonstration Begin!

Above is tawky from Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil. He is... A talking tiger and drawn as such. His body and proportions are rounded, with no real anthropomorphic qualities (visually) and extra details really only drawn when he is being a "threatening" tiger. Even taking into account the artstyle, he is almost always slightly simpler and more rounded than his surroundings which actually makes him stand out MORE in a subconscious way as something *fantastical*

Above is Tawky in Power of Shazam! Again, he is given soft rounded proportions, very enlarged and rounded hands, and though it might not seem like it immediately since he does feel rooted in the scene, he has LESS details than Mary. So in this instance, we are given an anthropomorphic animal, much like some cartoon depictions of animals especially popular at this time. The lack of specific details and, though anthropomorphic, still heavily animilastic but friendly proportions (rounded out to hide even more ambiguous details about the unknown anatomy of this tiger, rounded features also give a friendlier feeling, like the squished round face of a teddy bear 🧸 instead of accurate tiger facial structures).

All of this compared with the modern 2023-present version of Tawky Tawny, who is HIGHLY anthropomorphic, detailed in his clothes, texture, shading, and anatomy (which veers strongly towards the side of the spectrum of human-like exaggerated musculatory system) with a Tiger head on top (again, detailed and far more accurate depiction of a tiger head than his earlier iterations) the man now has opposable thumbs!!

Power of Shazam and the current run of Shazam!, they are BOTH anthro tigers wearing a green suit and standing around on two feet, but have vastly different vibes.

It's about ✨️ presentation ✨️ and influence. What influenced the Power of Shazam design? Most likely cartoons and plushies.

Now... what could have possibly influenced the 2023 Shazam! depiction 👀

Tawny art and depiction through the ages, everybody!

[glitterpensupremacy]

(NOT MTS CONTENT) Alright, as a Miraculous fan (with a particularly vested interest in Chat Noir) I’m making my thoughts on the new Chat Noir look clear.

I’m not super upset that he doesn’t have a new outfit, since, let’s be honest, Ladybug and Carapace needed it WAY more than he did.

I’m also not that concerned about his new proportions. Yeah, they’re a little funny looking, it that might just be the camera angle. Either way, he’s getting older so it makes sense that his facial structure is changing (plus I give my own CN a slightly more angular face to indicate that he’s a sweet kid, sure, but there’s a lot more to him than just “good perfect bean”.

So then, what’s got me emotionally invested enough to make a Tumblr post? (By now it’s probably pretty obvious…)

The hair.

HERE’S THE THING THOUGH- it’s not that I think the hairstyle is bad or ugly. It’s very stylish, and the smooth swishy look would be more than welcomed on a different character. But that’s the problem, this is the wild and chaotic Chat Noir, the catboy of destruction who tells terrible puns. His hair should not be that neat, and it should not be that perfect (yeah it’s a little messy, but only enough to have that “effortless, natural look” you’d see in a shampoo ad)

Maybe I’m overreacting; after all, it’s just a hairstyle, and I’m treating it like it’s the end all be all for his character in Season Six. However… it’s not just the hair. While watching Season Five, I noticed that Chat Noir doesn’t really joke around as much as he did in previous seasons (especially in the second half of S5), and isn’t really allowed to get mad or be rebellious outside of when his role as the love interest needs him to (trying to cataclysm Dark Owl because of the Married LadyNoir vision, trying to cataclysm Dark Cupid because he’s being a protective boyfriend to Marinette, telling off Nighttormentor because Gabriel forced him to go to London, sure, but the show makes it clear that the REAL problem is him trying to keep Adrien and Marinette apart). Other than that, he’s the perfect well-behaved supportive partner.

In general, it feels like Chat Noir and Adrien are becoming more similar personalities, which is good: I think a lot of us have anticipated this happening for his character arc… but the problem is, Chat Noir is becoming more like Adrien rather than Adrien becoming Chat Noir, because isn’t his arc supposed to be breaking free of the perfect controlled persona his father has forced him into, learning to express himself and become his own person? (There’s also the fact that I think he’s a little more interesting to watch as Chat Noir or the more expressive early seasons Adrien, but his development is the more important issue here.)

This kinda thing has me worried that everyone who believes that the finale was bad on purpose (the secret dystopia route) and that the writer’s genuinely do want us to believe that Gabriel’s actions have been valid and ethical (THEY ARE NOT: BRO IS A TERRORIST 💀.) Either that, or they just want us to watch the cute shipping scenes and not really care about Adrien’s character outside of that. Kinda a bleak view, I know, but that’s how things have been looking lately. (Maybe they’re making him look neater as a part of the dystopia route though? I guess we’ll see but it seems unlikely…)

(I probably should reemphasize that I’m not actually getting this “doom and gloom conspiracy board” over JUST a haircut. It’s more like I saw a bunch of other (personal) warning signs over the last two seasons, and this is just one other thing making me more worried.)

I know this isn’t my usual stuff but I felt like I needed to air my grievances (especially since while I have seen other people not like the new hair, it doesn’t seem to be for the same reasons as me, seeing as I don’t even dislike the hairstyle itself; just the fact that Chat Noir’s the one who has it). Hopefully this was at least interesting or even validating, but if not… Well, I’ll get back to my normal content after this anyway.

[ssalballoon]

Wait but how do you draw faces???? ): Do you have more suggestions for that sort of thing?

oh faces! i'm going to assume you're drawing in a semi(?) realistic/ anime-ish style? that's kinda the style i'm familiar with, if you're going for a super 2D graphical style then a lot of my advice won't really apply! i'll put it under the cut

1) I think the most important thing for faces is to always keep in mind the 3D form and planes of the face. Looking at a lot of simplified art (like anime) is a little detrimental for this because it's easy to think the features of the face are just kinda pasted on

Here's a tool from William Nguyen that lets you play around with any angle and light source you desire for heads! It really emphasizes the 3D form and especially the planes of the face. It's helped me out a ton!

Sinix has a video on drawing faces from any angle from imagination (no reference), again focusing on the 3D nature of faces. For individual features of the face (eyes, nose, mouth, etc) he has a playlist of anatomy tutorials!

- I advise against turning to memory and iconography for features of the face (like 👁️ and 👄) Icons like these are useful when the 2D shape is more important for communicating information quickly like in standardized hazard signs. But for more realistic drawing, you want to rely on the 3D form so these simplistic drawings can be jarring in certain styles when in the context of a full human face. This Proko video mentions that you should treat the features of the face like the eye as just another abstract form and not think of it specifically as an "eye" (Proko's channel is also a good general art resource)

2) basic proportions

This is about where specific features of the face are located. I never really studied this on its own, but I think drawing a lot just got me familiar with it. I'm hesitant to link a specific resource here because I didn't really use any myself;; while this isn't as exhaustive as I'd like, I like how Marc Brunet explains it! (Although I'm not a big fan of how he delineates male/female faces and facial features so black and white...? like don't feel obligated to stick to that specific face shape for female characters TTOTT i think it can get pretty redundant compared to the diversity of the male faces he draws)

- Facial proportions change with age! So you should be mindful of it depending on how old the character that you're drawing is

3) expressions

Drawing faces means you're gonna have to draw expressions, even if that expression is a neutral face. I'm admittedly not the best at this, but try pushing the expressions to their extremes to make them more interesting (of course depends on context). 2D disney expressions/concept art accomplish this perfectly and are a good reference to study from (I personally enjoy Shiyoon Kim's concept art!)

- Note how when you cry, the entire face (+body) moves to create that expression. It's not just a tear falling down the cheek, it's the eyebrows furrowing, the muscles around the eyes scrunching in(?), mucus running down the nose, mouth and lips tightening, eyes and nose becoming red, shoulders hunching up, etc.

- as a small aside I want to emphasize the importance of eyebrows because I avoided drawing them/ moving them around more when I started learning to draw, don't do that!! they're crucial for drawing expressions!

4) diversity

Try depicting facial diversity to make a character unique and more interesting!

- semirealism helped me turn away from the hyperstylization of certain anime styles where a lot of these unique features are smoothed away. Things like wrinkles around the brows/eyes/mouth, eye/nose/mouth shape and size, facial bone structure, facial hair, etc really help to individualize a character/ capture their likeness

- also people of different races have different facial features that you should be mindful of. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to give specific advice on this, but if you're unfamiliar with something please use references!!

This can be challenging especially in stylized drawing, since you tend to have to pick and choose what you choose to depict. For example, I find that trying to draw out all the wrinkles of a character, while it may be accurate, it just doesn't fit my style. I therefore have to balance the amount of details to include to achieve a character's likeness. However, stylization also allows you to emphasize those unique features which makes a character more memorable to me!

as another example this is a personal trick i use but i've found drawing the bottom lip helps make a more masculine face, and drawing the top lip as well for a more feminine face...??? idk why this works for me (and it may not work for you!) but yeah try playing around with what details you include/exclude and see what you end up liking!

okie I think that's all I have for faces..? hopefully i'm not missing anything... again I prefer to let actual teachers give specific advice on how to draw, I feel more comfortable talking about general ideas and referring you to better sources that you can learn from first-hand!

also I think in my efforts to explain the key aspects of drawing faces I've kind of made it seem like I follow strict delineated steps... no I truly just wing it every time I draw TTOTT I just think these points are important to keep in mind so that when you amass more knowledge about them you can internalize it to become a habit!

enough yapping from me thank you for your ask! i hope this can be of help to you 🫡💞

[xenocorner]

Art Resources 01 [Facial anatomy]

Hi! First post of the Art Resources thing I mentioned a while back :) Figured I'd start with something people generally want to know more about- or something people think they already know about but could still used some lesser known tips!

Resources, break downs and tips under the Keep Reading thing :]

1. The Basics

There are thousands of methods to constructing the face. The most popular one is the little circle with the cross in the middle, and sometimes a few more lines for the jaw. While that can be a useful guideline, if you're just starting to learn the ropes it might be better to use a method that has more structure decomposition and land marks to help guide you. Here I'll leave two methods of deconstructing the face that I believe are the most useful to draw faces in different angles and perspectives as well as identify where exactly should each element be placed.

REMEMBER: All of these methods are just guidelines. In order to get different facial features, you can adjust proportions for each of these and play around with sizes.

1.1 The Loomis Method

A structural approach to drawing the head, based on first: simplifying general forms and second: identifying landmarks for the face elements. Pretty good for beginners, helps you understand the head from a more tridimensional stand point to be able to draw it from different angles.

1.2 The Reilly Method

Also a structural approach, but this one is based on understanding the rhythms of the face (proportions, harmonies, and even some general muscular anatomy). It can be a bit harder to understand and use as a building block for beginner artists, but it can serve as a way to check your proportions after an initial sketch.

Here are other two methods, a bit less known, but that go a bit more in depth about the head. If you're a beginner, I'd recommend watching the Loomis method first before diving into these other two methods. Note: these are playlists covering each method, and the videos are longer, but worthwhile.

1.3 The Michael Hampton Method

1.4 The Steve Huston Method

And here's a hybrid of a visual and structural approach too if you're interested! (Again, this one is recommended mostly if you already have a good grasp of the general structure)

Having trouble finding that reference of the head from that specific angle? Here's a 3D model that can be used as reference from any angle. Bonus: It has a built in light feature that allows you to understand which planes of the face the light would hit!

There's also a version with more feminine features.

Here's a website that lets you pick a head angle and then searches for reference images with that angle too. Allows you to pick age, gender, and other features like glasses, facial hair, etc.

2. Understanding What's Below

When drawing the head and face, what most people think of is what we see everyday: the skin. However, there's more to the head and face than just that: there's a whole structure laying underneath that builds up everything on top. Understanding that structure can lead to better execution of skin level facial anatomy.

And what's that structure? Well, bones of course. And muscles. Even if (most of the time) we don't draw them, knowing they exist and how they are placed on top of each other can help with building what we do draw. Understanding the building blocks of the face will make it easier to avoid, say, making one eye bigger than the other. Or a forehead that's too small. Or ears that are too high. Or side profiles that cut off the brain.

Something I recommend for this is making study sheets of the bone structure, muscular structure, and skin structure. For this it's important to name the main bones and muscle groups. Not because you need to commit them to memory, but because if you name them on your practice sheet, it's easier to remember later on that they EXIST (even if you don't remember the name).

Here's a 3D model of the skull

Useful guide for the names of the bones of the skull

Here's a 3D model of the face muscles with names

3. Elements of a Whole

So we now understand the general structure of a face and some useful guidelines to build it. Good! But now, a face has a bunch of individual elements with their own individual structure and stuff to look out for. Those are, of course:

Eyes

Noses

Lips

Ears

3.1 Eyes

It's important to note that the eye has a volume of its own- it's not just a sticker laying on top of the face. It can be helpful to think of the eyeball inside the eye socket when drawing it (taking into account the bone structure we learned before). When understanding the eyeball as a sphere, it becomes easier to place the skin above: the eyelids. This can help with drawing the eye from any angle.

This can also help when drawing the dreaded Other EyeTM, specially if you are still a beginner artist. If you start by constructing the eyes with spheres and approach it from the perspective of "placing" the skin above that sphere, it's easier to get sizes and proportions right.

3.2 Noses

Again, spheres can be your friend.

3.3 Lips

Spheres part 3

A funny thing with lips that often gets over looked when one is just learning the ropes of anatomy is that it also wraps around the volume of the face. Just like the eyes aren't stickers laying on top, the lips aren't either. It's important to take the curvature of the face when placing the lips from different angles and expressions. For example, when we thing of a smile, its usually this idea that comes to mind:

Which yeah, that's fine! ...As long as your subject is facing straight to the camera.

But when we have even a bit of perspective, the way the mouth looks changes, and we often don't think of that and just draw what we think the mouth looks like... which can lead to odd looking mouths, like they're pasted on. So, it's important to keep in mind the volume of the face:

This is true for all features of the face: keeping in mind the volume. But, it can be more noticeable on the mouth.

3.4 Ears

Spheres part- no.

Even if the ear is one of the "flatter" parts of the head, it doesn't mean they don't have volume. Depending on the angle of the face, it'll change how much of the ear is shown- or which parts.

All ears are different and have their quirks, but they all can be divided in three major segments, colour coded in the image. If you deconstruct the ear in these three major parts, keeping in mind they have their own volume, it should be easier to figure out which of those parts will be seen depending on the angle of your face.

4. Expressions!

Now that we understand the elements and construction blocks of the face (bones and muscles), we can play around with them a bit more. So, time to make expressions!

When playing with how the skin moves, it's fundamental to understand the muscle groups of the face and how they move, relax and tense depending on the expression. Knowing that these muscles exist and how they interact with the skin above will help you know where the eyebrow should furrow, where wrinkles would form.

A BOOK I widely recommend is Anatomy of Facial Expression, which you can find here for purchase

Or here as a PDF

This book also covers skull anatomy, so it's a useful tool to study the structure talked about in 02.

There's also an ArtStation account that uploads a bunch of useful 3D model resources for anatomy (facial or otherwise).

Scott McCloud's book, Making Comics, has a section dedicated to facial expressions too (great book in general, not only if you're interested in comics!). You can find it in PAGE 80 (or 88 in the document).

Another thing that can be helpful is studying from life! You can do that by making different expressions in front of a mirror and pay close attention to which muscle groups tense and relax, where wrinkles appear, how your skin moves. Or, if you're like me and hate staring at your face, you can also study from video references.

Here's a link to a PLAYLIST containing various videos of people making different expressions.

The previous playlist contains real people, thus, REALISTIC ANATOMY. It's important to note that even if your drawing style is heavily stylised (like anime, cartoon, etc), it's still fundamental that you understand real world rules so you later know how to bend and break them properly to implement those to your own style.

However, that doesn't mean you can't study STYLISED EXPRESSIONS too! It's actually a great idea to see how other people exaggerate certain anatomical aspects to their own work so you can also understand how to do it in yours. Here's a list with various videos of EXPRESSIONS IN MOTION for animation tests. Study them the same as the previous ones: paying close attention to how the face and muscles MOVE.

Pause the videos you study as needed! While all of this might seem more useful for animation, it's also incredibly useful in illustration, and studying things in movement can help with understanding them better, thus putting them to paper (or tablet) becomes easier.

Finally, here's some videos in a sort of CLASS FORMAT that can help with walking you through drawing expressions more effectively than a text post could lol

[y-rhywbeth2]

Elven 'Physiology' and Quirks

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index[tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. There's a lot of lore; I don't know everything. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Physiology and quirks | Names & Clans and Houses || Pan-Cultural things: Social life | Time and Age Categories | Homes | Language | Art | Entertainment | Technology || Elven 'Subraces' still a wip || Philosophy and Religion & Pantheons || Half-elves | [WIP]

In my continued desire to procrastinate on reading two novels and cross-referencing about three sourcebooks for drow culture, I met myself in the middle and did this instead.

Also I really need to rehaul some of the lore compilations...

Unlike elves of other worlds, the Tel'Quessir – except drow – are as tall as humans, but finer boned and typically narrower in build – except for aquatic elves. An elf weighs less than a human of the same build and height, which appears to be something to do with their bone density, as elven bones (especially winged elves’) are light (though ‘surprisingly sturdy’). Their fingertips taper, and their hands and fingers are longer than a humans… although I still think saying they’re 50% longer (palm and fingers) is a bit much.

Elves are noted for their androgyny, which goes both ways; there's not much difference in the skeletal structure and elven women are noted by humans for their narrow hips, which led to a comment that it must make childbirth agonising in comparison.

Elves are also noted for their distinctive 'dance-like' motions while walking due to walking on their toes and the balls of their feet: 'Most seemed to have a lilt and swing, like dancers. Ah, that was it—none strode flat-footed; even the tallest and most hurried of the citizenry danced forward on their toes.' - Elminster in Myth Drannor

They don't grow much in the way of body hair - they appear hairless, with the only visible hair on their eyebrows and scalp. Elves unused to mixed company find non-elves disturbingly hirsute.

The shape of their facial features, regardless of ‘subrace,’ are as varied as humans. The only rules of thumb are about their eyes and ears:

Elven ears are always pointy – but can vary greatly in shape and length otherwise. They’re somewhat prehensile; elven children can move their ears, but generally this ability is lost with maturation. Maintaining it seems to be a genetic quirk. Whether the shape or whatever, elves have sharp hearing.

Elven eyes are larger in proportion to their face and spaced a little further apart than human eyes, slightly slanted in a manner that gives them a wider field of vision and more acute vision in general.

If you're using recent editions then elves can see in very low light conditions (able to see perfectly clearly by starlight alone). Drow can see in perfect darkness.

If you want to go by older editions you're looking at infravision: elves, like other beings that can 'see' in the darkness, were able to change their sight to the infrared spectrum, perceiving heat signatures. Drow vision was further ranged and more acute than surface elves'.

Elves aren't diurnal, and have no particular circadian rhythm, they just get four hours in whenever and communities are have a consistent level of full activity all day and night.

The elven olfactory senses are much sharper, as is their sense of taste. Drow raised in the Underdark have a sense of smell on par with humans, due to overexposure to incense and other strong fragrances used in ritual and covering up the fact that living crowded together in caves doesn't always spell great. Elves are picky eaters, both due to taste and texture, deriding non-elven cuisine as ‘over-spiced animal flesh and other abominable foods.’

Elves are biologically wired for music somehow, able to recall melodies flawlessly and engage in music theory , 'the elven faculty for music is uncanny in comparison to most other races,' which they credit to the divine influence of the Seldarine.

While this doesn't always come up in the rules, elves are immune to the paralytic effects of ghouls, due to an incident involving either Corellon Larethian or Lolth, and the ghoul deity Doresain, who in the version of his backstory given for the Realms was a green elf back in -11,200 DR whose recent ancestors were of the nation of Eiellûr and betrayed their people to the dark elven empire of Ilythiir. A rather brutal bastard and slaver who eventually killed and ate the raw flesh of the ruling family of the last surviving green elven nation of Southern Faerûn as part of a pact with the demon lord of the undead, Orcus for eternal life. When Doresain later fell in combat during one of the many skirmishes of the Crown Wars, Orcus brought him back as a unique undead horror and King of the Ghouls and Orcus’ proxy on Toril (so that Orcus could focus on important matters in the Abyss). Doresain eventually became trapped in the Abyss, trapped in service to Yeenoghu when Orcus ignored his pleas to save him (despite his ‘domain’ Orcus despises the undead). Most Torilian sages claim that Lolth intervened and freed him, bringing Doresain back to Toril in exchange for imbuing the drow with immunity to his children and swearing that ghouls would never attack them, which indirectly affected all elves (except for the ‘not attacking’). Others claim he prayed to the gods of his living years, the Seldarine, and they took pity on him in exchange for the same service.

The Seldarine are always depicted as genderfluid or agender – if depicted in art in humanoid form they are shown with two bodies as afab and amab, or possessing both characteristics in a single form. Occasionally a mortal elf is also born who takes after the gods; marked by their androgyny (by elven standards) and the ability to alter their sex characteristics at will, these elves are considered blessed by Corellon and closer to the gods by many elven cultures. They haven’t been given an official word, but the elven word for ‘Blessings of Corellon’ on Toril is ‘Cormiira.’ According to the most popular take on the elven creation myth, the People are born of Corellon’s blood (and possibly Sehanine’s tears as she wept at seeing him gravely wounded), which many elves attribute this as evidence for. The Tel’Quessir do have several other creation myths however.

Elves have an innate connection to the Weave, which is why they're 'the wizard race' and something to do with their connection to the world. Elves are more likely to have the innate ability required to become arcane spellcasters, and some say the Weave is what gives them their lifespans.

Going into purely non-published realmslore from word of god:

The elven gestation period takes two years (this I’m pretty sure is in published DnD somewhere?) Elves tend to avoid being pregnant unless they actively want to and have generally mastered the art of not being pregnant, the threat of being side-lined by shorter lived peoples who have more children and faster be buggered.

The elven diet primarily consists of raw plant matter and fish. The elven digestive system can handle vegetation that others’ cant. They can eat meat, and many do – especially those who grow up around humans, who have developed a tolerance that makes it easier for them to digest – but it’s not a ‘natural’ part of their diet nor does it play a large role. Apparently drinking small quantities animal blood is a reasonably common enough way to consume land animals (I’m not clear on whether this is in the form of soups or beverages).

Elves are severely allergic to cannabis and can't use it, though they have found unspecified alternatives.

While getting it is unpleasant, they are only inconvenienced by bubonic plague and its not considered a dangerous disease.

Elves also draw energy from the sunlight, which bolsters their metabolism, allowing them to eat less and possibly playing a part in their ability to digest previously mentioned plant matter. Access to fresh water (not just drinking it) also plays a part in their overall health. Somehow. Dark elves in the Underdark have adapted over the centuries (or maybe from the High Magic ritual that binds them to it) to draw from the faerzress radiation.

Elven vocal chords can reach pitches higher than humans can reach, and there's a gene that can allow the elf to produce two notes at the same time, which with training allows them to sort-of say two things at once (a 'ghost' vocalisation beneath the spoken words). This is described as 'genetic but not racial' so I assume it can pass to half-elves and any non-elven descendants through them.

---

Reverie/'Eedqa':

Elves do not sleep, unless something has gone wrong (injury, illness, exhaustion). They also can’t be forced to sleep, and are immune to magic that would do so (but not to being whacked over the back of the head and knocked out with something heavy).

- Elves enter a state called the Reverie (or just reverie) in Common, and ‘eedqa’ in Elven. The elf finds a quiet place to relax, gradually tuning out the world and slipping into a trance-like state where they re-experience their lived memories, occasionally interspersed with memories from past lives and visions from the gods – which will be vague and puzzling and probably require a priest to decode, the Lady of Mysteries did not earn that nickname for nothing. - They are somewhat aware of their surroundings in reverie, but pulling themselves back out of their mind is disorienting and waking early is extremely disorienting, much like waking any sleeping individual. Physically, they are immobile, not necessarily lying in a normal sleeping position (sitting or reclining is the norm), their breathing slows into a torpor and their eyes remain open and unfocused, which has occasionally caused panic in acquaintances who’ve never witnessed reverie before and think the elf has died (elves in turn are known to find the 'heaviness' of sleep disturbing to behold).

The only elves who deliberately sleep are priests of Sehanine Moonbow, who occasionally enter the deeper state of unconsciousness to communicate with their goddess, and the majority of drow (whose struggles to achieve reverie have been credited to the Underdark 'fragmenting' their natural instincts, and their inability to relax enough to enter the state).

Elves experience their first reverie in the womb, as pregnancy forges a temporary Rapport between parent and developing foetus where the offspring experiences the parent’s life and learns of their family and culture through them (how much the child can learn varies by parent; quality of education not guaranteed). Young children, lacking experiences of their own, are more likely to experience memories of previous lives unless they share in the reveries of other elves. The occurrence of the first ‘current life’ reverie is a life milestone and typically marks the end of childhood.

It’s very taboo amongst elves to interrupt another elf’s reverie.

-

Communion and Aleirin:

'Elves who lived even in reasonably close contact were so connected to each other through the Reverie and the Weave that they shared at least some shadow of each other’s emotional experiences.'

Elves have something of telepathic abilities, such as the ability to sense their own kind, a ‘sense of welcome,’ ‘warmth’ and ‘safety,’ although this can be obscured. This extends to the ability to enter each others minds and share thoughts, emotions and memory. Although that’s not to say that elves are living in each others heads, nor that they can (or are willing to) do it simply or constantly.

The state of ‘mind melding’ is communion, which is accomplished by sharing reverie while in physical contact (holding hands or pressing palms together, usually). The elven term for communion is apparently quor, however I can’t say for certain that applies to this mystical variety. Communing is credited with the sense of community elves experience, is an important part of elven religion, and they’re noted to anticipate sharing themselves with loved ones and struggle to understand non-elves due to their lack of ability to do so. However, it’s not a state entered into casually, as it requires deep trust and a willingness to be vulnerable with your entire being – you are exposing your every emotion and memory to another. Preparation may take weeks of mundane communication as the elves do away with any prejudices and air concerns to be resolved beforehand. It’s also physically and emotionally draining, and while in communal reverie the elves are entirely unaware of anything but each other and are vulnerable to surrounding hazards. Up to four elves may participate at once.

This awareness of each other lends elves an understanding that allows them to predict each others moods and actions acutely, and aids them to work in sync or borrow one anothers skills for a time (for example an elf who doesn’t know how to speak a certain language may temporarily ‘know’ after borrowing the knowledge from another elf.) Extended use of communion may cause loss of individuality however, as the elves begin to blend into each other.

Elves who isolate themselves from their people - whether this is by their own bitterness, malice, scheming, etc, or if the source is due to external magical affects like the Shadow Weave digging out these emotions (which; Shar, that’s what she does) - lose the ability to reverie and the ability to commune with it. Other elves cannot sense them, describing them as feeling ‘asleep.’

Drow may or may not be capable. They are capable of reverie, which would indicate that they can, they just don't know they can, or plain don't (Lolth would firmly discourage it with torture and death regardless).

Some elves, when they trust each other implicitly, may chose to make the link more permanent – a communion that never ends, in a form called Rapport or aleirin, or aleiryid if the nature of their relationship is romantic. The bonding is permanent, and can usually only be made a single time. Those born of multiple births like twins have rapport with their siblings, but outside of this it’s still uncommon for an elf to make this level of commitment and most are happier with normal, less co-dependent relationships (especially because, if you want to bring in the Complete Book of Elves, the shock of one partner dying can kill the other). A rapport can be made with non-elves, a ranger could even choose to establish one with their animal companion, but such bonds are so rare as to be practically unheard of.

The ability to commune has been attributed to a gland in the elven brain, which produces a magic that veils their minds. At rest it forms a shield that isolates them (and some scholars believe this is where the elven resistance to enchantment magic comes from), but they can lift it or expand it to bring other elven minds in.

The elven resistance to enchantment spells has also been credited to elven culture itself, since magic saturates their world so heavily elves grow up exposed to a constant background radiation of enchantment magic, for lack of a better word, and build up a tolerance. Others have said it’s the elves fey ancestry.

--

Souls/'Ues':

Like most sapient beings who are not humans – or mostly/half-human (excluding half-orcs) dwarves, gnomes or halflings – elven souls, ‘ues’ in elven, are somewhat different to the norm. sometimes differentiated in lore by calling them ‘spirits,’ and do not stay permanently in the afterlife, instead residing in the outer planes for a time (varying from days to millennia) before reincarnating back on the Prime Material Plane. While 5e claims drow are locked out of the cycle, the original lore included drow, and suggested that elves who decide to be evil little bastards in life and bar themselves from Arvandor will find themselves reincarnated as drow (vice versa: a drow who rejects Lolth is unlikely to find themselves reborn in her clutches).

(Elves do not have access to DnD sourcebooks and do not have any concrete idea of this kind of thing, so elven religion and philosophy varies heavily and may or may not reflect these things. Some elves don’t even believe in reincarnation.)

Another traditional side effect was that raise dead didn’t work on elves, only resurrection. Space was made for DMs to hand-waive this if it was getting in the way (because it makes elves expensive to have in the party), and the rule seems to have been officially side-lined for convenience by this point.

--

Ageing:

How elves age has varied by edition and writer. Sometimes they're human aging, sometimes a bit slower, sometimes much, much slower.

In most sources, including 5e core, an elf matures at the same rate, physically and psychologically, as a human, later developing into elven psychological stages as the centuries pass and they outlive the human experience.

It's also been said that Torilian elves are physically mature at 25.

In older editions, including realms sources, elves could age slower, taking between 30-60 years to hit puberty (which lasts another 50-85 years). Psychologically, non-elves are known to find elven youths to be rather mature for their age (due to longer lives and communing with the adults in their lives), though they’re still inexperienced by elven standards and hormonal. Elven children are left to pursue their ever shifting curiosity, instincts and impulses which means they generally don’t master any skills and end up about level with any other race by early adulthood. Drow have the fastest rates of maturation, Gold elves the slowest. Wheras in humans afab are known to hit puberty first on average, elves mature at the same average speed regardless.

Elves also have a mystical land-connection thing and are noted to be shaped by their environments, and it has been said of the latter version of ageing that elves may mature faster outside of the slow pace of elven cultures, particularly in dangerous and stressful situations where they need to grow fast.

Bizarrely, and I’m assuming this is a typo, it seems that the process of elven puberty is a bit like getting steroids because they get strength and dexterity bonuses. Or maybe elven teens are just stronger and more agile than their human counterparts, which is probably more likely if it isn't a typo.

[ocean-sunfish-hater]

what’s your fav fish?

Favourite fish? That's a really hard question that I actually don't have an answer to since there's literally thousands of species of fish. I could make a list of all the ones I like but I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about one in a bit more detail.

Image Description: a full body image of the Elephant Nose Fish, a brown fish with white stripes. It has a proboscis that looks like an elephant's trunk.

Allow me to introduce the Elephant Nose Fish, named after the trunk-like appendage on its face. Although it looks like it has a really long snout or even a nose, the protrusion actually comes from its chin. Let's take a closer look at that.

Image Description: A close up of the Elephant Nose Fish, where the protrusion is more visible as coming out of the chin of the animal.

Here you can see it a bit better. What's cool about the mega-chin is that the Elephant Nose Fish uses it for electroreception, amongst other things. It is able to actively generate its own weak electrical field using an organ in its tail, which it then detects disturbances in using electroreceptors all over its body, including its trunk!

Image description: A simple diagram of the electroreceptor structure found on the Elephant Nose Fish. There is a pore filled with a gel (represented in yellow) that connects to a bundle of sensory cells (represented in red)

Those electroreceptors are actually really cool in and of themselves: they're pores filled with a gel that has semiconductor properties (above is a diagram I drew in my notes in my first year of uni). The fish is able to detect differences in the predicted (i.e. a base assumption of no objects around) and detected fields. This system is sensitive enough that it can detect the size, distance and to an extent the material that an object is made out of. It can even detect prey under the riverbed!

I've also heard that their brains are pretty large to accomodate this and use a huge proportion of their oxygen intake, something like 60%, as opposed to the human 20%. Although, I've only really seen this in one paper of which I only read the abstract, so take that with a pinch of salt.

Sorry I couldn't really answer your question, but I hope this makes up for it! Thanks for asking :)

[blackblooms]

Irredeamable developpement retrospective Part 4: The city of dolls Well, took us some time, but we finally reached a project that actually got some gameplay. Not much mind you, didnt even finish the first area, but youll probably notice some stuff that did manage to make its way into irredeamable in some form. So this game was meant to be a simple, self-contained story to introduce the new setting of the fountain (aint that familiar) It was about this city whose entire economy and structure was built around hyper-inteligent android/animatronics called the dolls. Here is one with a human for comparison. Aint they cute? (the horns were meant to be some kind of stylised antennas)

Everything was going fine for the city, until one day where the dolls appeared to suddenly go mad. They became violent, unhinged, destructive, causing a terrible riot to wage through the city, forcing the local authorities to take action. (the object on the right is a doll recharge station, which would be used to save and heal)

That`s where the player character comes in. Cassy-A, a new military doll prototype is sent through the ravaged streets of the city to try and find the source of the madness that has taken over the dolls and stop the riots. Unlike most dolls, her humanoid proportions and appearance allow her to blend amongst humans and her intelligence and ability to adapt is far beyond the usual doll.

For the first few areas, Cassy fight against the maddened dolls and human rioters until she is met with a very unusual masked doll, Smile/Smiley.

Unlike the usual doll who are only capable of speaking in pre-recorded sentence, Smile can piece out speech from diverse recordings, delivering her intentions to free the dolls from their metal prison and offering for Cassy to join her. As expected, Cassy refuses and defeats Smile, only for a nuke to detonate and raze the city. Cassy consciousness is then rewinded and she is brought back to the moment she was activated. With her new understanding of what is to come, she now has to make different decisions if she wishes to stop Smile's plans and save the city from destruction.

And here come the struckture of the game, where the player must explore different paths, to gather information and find how to stop the nuke and any other threat the city might be facing. So now that we got the premises set up, here are some of the plans i had made for it.

This one shows a bunch of different dolls. They come in all kind of shapes and size but generally were tough, bulky ennemies with sur-human strength, abilities to control energy/electromagnetism and even some built-in weapons for military models like the seraph.

This one shows some notable characters, such as Reeve, the commander of the city of dolls military. Kay-C a Cassy model doll that had joined Smile. Cassy-B and Cassy-D, a second pair of dolls that serves the government and are sent to face against the player if they stray out of line and Aria Rottendale, the robotic CEO of dolls incorporated. There is also this one maid doll, which was intended to reveal the true nature of the madness where the dolls are sentient, but trapped inside a limited body and mind, unable to express their true feelings in any other way than violence. By this point the dolls are able to manufacture screams out of statics and compose cries for help out of disjointed syllables from their pre-made sentences.

These show some of the planned routes. Red being the initial riot, leading to the doomed fight with Smiley, blue being a route where Cassy turns against the government (leading to the Commander Reeve and Double Cassy fight). Purple has her hide in a shelter, allowing her to survive the nuke and investigate the aftermath. Orange has her investigate the doll mansion and discover the maddened maid doll and Yellow would be an infiltration of the Dolls Inc. building to find the origins of the dolls. Each dead end is some kind of ending where either Cassy is inevitably defeated and contained, or destroyed, forcing her to rewind to a previous point. Aniway, like usual, there are some plans that dont quite fit this story, such as those maps that included the lore of the fountain in some way.

Aniway, this is it for this part of the retrospective, but lets end on a positive note. Despite this game being abandoned pretty early, some parts of it still exist in irredeamable today. Most notably is Lady moveset which is nearly identical to how Cassy played and even the concept of a robotic superweapon being the playable character has stuck from this point.

The forced grins of the dolls was incorporated into the edenian aesthetic in the form of their metal masks. And i even added a doll enemy late in development, with a bit of an updated look and lore that reference the original game story.

Anyway, i hope you enjoyed this tour of the defunct city of dolls. We are almost at the end of this retrospective, for the next part is the project that preceded irredeamable and where i began working on the setting that would flourish into the one you get to experience. Tune in for part 5: Project Watchmakers

[iztea]

They still feel off specially the eyes i could feel them about to manifest their own life and run off

Even my linework is ... Idk what's wrong and it's the problem maybe I'm staring too much but I don't think so

Sorry for bothering alot but i loved your last advice ty

i think the main problem with the first picture has to do with the proportions and anatomy of the lower body area aka the neck and shoulders. i'd make the shoulders wider and add some sort of form to the neck so that it looks believable instead of a flat rectangle shape ( maybe make it slimmer a bit too? although that might be just a stylistic choice so you do you). That's the first thing i'd fix because otherwise the head looks too big in comparison to the rest of the body, and it can throw you off

I actually think you did a great job with the eyes, they have a lot of life and that comes from the fact that they are the most rendered part of your piece, which is not a bad thing. The thing is, while it is true that the eyes are the main focal point of a face and portrait in general, that doesn't mean you can neglect the other parts, so i think it is also a consistency issue or not figuring out exactly what sort of style or rendering you want to go with that holds you back (which is totally fine and normal ofc). So let's pick a semi-realistic stylized rendering style for this since this is the vibe i'm getting from this piece.

If that's the style we're going for, then the face should have a bit more form. You have to remember that our facial features ( eyes, nose, lips) are connected with each other via the planes of the face, right? So, for a semirealistic style, revisit your reference and try to idenitify what those planes are and how they connect to those features, and most importantly, where the shadows hit, and just accentuate them more, because at the moment they look like 3rd forms plastered over a 2d surface which is not right, our skin has form as well. Color-wise, don't be afraid to go darker with the shadows, they really make your drawings pop. Without looking at a reference, i'd def add some shadow under the lips, a bit where the lips connect to the nose, under the neck, and in the lower body area.

I'm really trying to avoid the most basic answer which is " practice anatomy !!1! " because everyone can say that however, at the end of the day, this is the main thing the face lacks. And tbvh you don't have to actually know anatomy, you just gotta know some proportions things that make the face look believable enough. I feel like the features are mostly just drawn from the reference without an understanding of the structure behind it. Something tells me that in the reference picture, the person had their head tilted a bit upwards, but here it's kinda flat and the features are just painted without following the motion. Try to draw over your reference picture the vertical and horizontal lines and make up the head shape behind it to figure out the way it is tilting and facing, because the lips, eyes nose, etc will follow that same sort of flow, they're not stationary. I'd also make the eyes a bit smaller, or maybe make the skull bigger bc i think they are touching the outer edge too much now, and also narrow the distance between the nose and lips just a bit. Kinda hard to explain without actually doing it myself. But really, try to play with that, and try getting comfy with drawing 3d forms i know it's easier said than done but..... there really isn't any shortcut unfortunately As for the lineart drawing, yes it's actually pretty solid, i like that duplicate blur thing you did, i'm familiar with that technique and it def has its perks so that's great. Im not an expert on lineart, however here i think there are too many " unnecessary" lines that could easily be omitted (purple). Less is more and all that~ The hair strands at the end feel too stiff and identical (green). If you notice, they all just end in this " V" shape and they rarely overlap thus making the image look flat. Try to break this pattern by introducing more spontaneity aka random hairflies, making the strands overlap, adding more shape variety etc

Make sure that the lines connect properly whenever they meet, and also although you already did it and i think that's great, you can make some lines even thicker, go even further and add even more lineweight. As a general thing, usually, the exterior or contour lines are thicker and whatever it is inside is thinner so experiment with that, you can start from the nose- thicker lines for the nostrils thinner for that nose tip i forgot what it's called and also add thin lines that just hint at the form. Lineart is hardd so i don't blame you, but if you're gonna keep the lineart in, try "shading" with black blocks so to speak, make sure the lineart layer can stand on its own, and pay more attention to the lower part area (neck and shoulders) even if it is less exciting to ink

[rainy-astrology]

Rising signs

Just a post about rising signs - the details I notice about each physically and personality wise. I may change/add to this later

**Aspects to ascendant, venus, stelliums, degrees, and anything in 1st house can affect your rising sign**

___

Aries

Strong/thick eyebrows

Strong features...sharp jaws and cheekbones

Can have markings on their face

May have big foreheads

Naturally blunt and straightforward, sassy

___

Taurus

Broad shoulders (esp if person has strong venus + Taurus influence). Taurus does rule the neck and shoulder areas

Pointed chin and cheekbones, angular jaw

Long fingers

Tend to be more slender compared to Taurus suns

Simple and clean fashion usually, may wear accessories. I know a lot of Tauruses/Taurus placements and they all rly seem to love accessories, especially on their wrists or necks

Calm demeanour, may even seem slow

Can look tired/sleepy

___

Gemini

May have long limbs

Small faces and features

May wear glasses

Talkative

Usually straightforward in communication, may not even have a filter

___

Cancer

Seem to be small ppl - height, weight, presence...most are often very quiet and even a little shy. Often soft spoken

Cancer rising women may have bigger chests and/or thighs

Round faces, cheekbones

Watery and soft eyes. Idk how to explain it, they just look watery, like they're gonna cry. May look sad naturally (although I've observed this in all 3 water risings...)

They just look soft and gentle overall

Can have a caring, motherly/parental energy to them

___

Leo

Always noticeable tbh even if they're not stylish. E.g I had a Leo rising classmate in high school who was not fashionable in any way, but he was also the only student in our class who wore leather gloves everyday. He also always styled his hair. I have a female leo rising acquaintance who always dressed up every day to class. She never looked plain. Her hair was always styled and to this day it is still fluffy and curly

But a lot of them do like fashion tho and take pride in their style

Usually have fluffy/styled hair

Broad back and shoulders, always stand tall and upright

Can look like cats sometimes

Cheekbones

Tbh surprisingly quiet ppl, only their presence is loud. But can be social if you approach them

___

Virgo

Virgo rising men tend to be really tall, while Virgo rising women are often shorter

Wider faces and forehead

Square shaped jaw; often have nice strong jawlines in general

I've also seen so many wear glasses. I'm starting to wonder if it's a Mercury thing...

Can be talkative

Have a very down to earth energy

___

Libra

Most are conventionally attractive physically, seem nice and likeable at 1st glance. Even if they're not, they know how to talk and act to make ppl like them either way. Libra placements want to be liked and so always try to make a good 1st impression. So yes they're careful about their image

Balanced proportions. Long legs especially, no matter their height

Dimples

A lot tend to wear neutral colors; often know how to dress and appear neat

___

Scorpio

Long faces, big noses

Often have a sharp, intense gaze

May have hooded eyes, arched brows

A lot love to wear black

May have an intense, intimidating energy

Are pretty quiet ppl

___

Sagittarius

Often big in some way - height, weight, presence...you can definitely hear their laugh from a mile away

Thick thighs and/or butts. Sag rising women especially may have curves

Not that stylish I've noticed...they just wear whatever is comfortable

Very friendly and approachable. They can talk to anyone and befriend them. People may always want to talk to them too

Very energetic and expressive

___

Capricorn

Often smaller ppl. Body build leans more onto the stocky, thick side and most are short

Noticeable teeth; prominent bone structure in general

Care about the way they dress; always want to look presentable

May seem serious at first glance. Tbh I think they are a bit more intimidating to me compared to a Scorpio rising

Hardworking ppl, always busy with something

___

Aquarius

Round eyes, always seem to have a spark in them

Can dress in experimental fashion. Like their sister sign Leo, they want to stand out too. Although Leos may appear more cool and trendy, while Aquarius dress a bit quirky

May be thick in certain body parts

Very straightforward ppl; they don't seem scared to speak their mind...although Aquarius placements in general just tend to be blunt

___

Pisces

So many look lost tbh often have the "deer in headlights" expression naturally

Pretty in a whimisical kind of way...Although just may be a Pisces thing in general

Have the watery eyes look as well; round and big eyes

The Pisces rising I've come across often have small waists

___

Masterlist

___

Other blogs:

Main: Kpop typology (MBTI + Enneagram) @rainymbti

Side: Kpop fanarts @rainy-artworks

[enigmaticexplorer]

I Yearn, and so I Fear - Chapter XIII

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

General Summary. Nearly a year since the Galactic Empire’s rise to power, Kazi Ennari is trying to survive. But her routine is interrupted—and life upended—when she’s forced to cohabitate with former Imperial soldiers. Clone soldiers. 

Pairing. Commander Wolffe x female!OC

General Warnings. Canon-typical violence and assault, familial struggles, terminal disease, bigotry, explicit sexual content, death. This story deals with heavy content. If you’re easily triggered, please do not read. For a more comprehensive list of tags, click here.

Fic Rating. E (explicit)/18+/Minors DNI.

Chapter Word Count. 6.2K

6 Yelona

Attraction wasn’t something Kazi experienced from physical appearance. 

Obviously, she appreciated the physicality of certain men—the proportions of their body, certain features, healthy fat distribution. She knew physically attractive men existed. 

However, true attraction, for her, followed a set of steps. 

The first step: respect. Even the most physically attractive man lost all appeal if he was neither respectful nor respectable. A man who proved himself worthy of her respect—who demonstrated integrity, honesty, reliability—was a man she could then trust.

Thus, the second step.

It was trust that quieted the logical part of her brain and allowed her to access the emotional side. Only then could she determine a man’s attractiveness.

As was her current dilemma. 

Frozen between the partition of the living area and the sunroom, Kazi blinked at the sight before her. Specifically the half-naked man in her kitchen.

Damp from her shortened swim—menstrual cramps forced her to quit the lake early—she didn’t know what to do.

In the kitchen, Wolffe was preparing the lumina berries. The same berries she had prepared for months before he decided to intercede. They hadn’t discussed it. Each morning, when she retrieved the individual bowls of sliced and chunked berries, she didn’t question their prepared state and Wolffe pretended nothing was amiss. 

Something about the situation felt significant. So Kazi ignored it. 

Except she couldn’t ignore it in this moment. Because her damn cramps had deviated her from her meticulously-structured routine.  

Now she not only had confirmation Wolffe was the perpetrator of the prepared berries, but she also learned something new: He worked in the kitchen shirtless. 

His physical state was hardly a problem. The main level was a shared space, and he clearly had his own morning routine separate from their brief overlap. He was allowed to exist in the kitchen in whatever physical capacity he felt comfortable.  

But she hadn’t expected him to be shirtless. 

Consternation twisted alongside her worsening cramps. 

Maybe she should wait on the back porch for twenty minutes and then return when she was expected. They could continue to pretend that he didn’t prepare the berries— 

“Ennari?”

Fuck.

Pretending she hadn’t stood beneath the partition for minutes debating whether or not she should hide outside, Kazi approached the kitchen. Wolffe observed her through narrowed eyes, arms folded across his chest. The moment she reached the bar—their positions switched from their usual routine—he glanced at the chrono on the wall. His shoulders stiffened slightly. 

“I couldn’t swim any longer,” Kazi said. Her tone carried an apologetic note and she nearly rolled her eyes. They were adults; they could discuss the berry situation maturely.

Beneath the intensity of his gaze, her face felt warm. Too warm. 

She decided she didn’t want to discuss the berry situation.

“I think I’m going to go into work earlier.” She played with the tucked flap of her towel. “I’ll take off early so Neyti can see the beginning of the Festival. Fehr said it’s something kids like.”

Wolffe leaned against the counter, the move unhurried and just as effortless as his appearance. Her eyes flitted down his body in a quick assessment.

“Do you want me to take Neyti to school?”

Healthy fat padded his stomach muscles. Dark hair trailed from his lower stomach to his gray sweats. Lines cut into his hips.

“Ennari.”

“You want to take Neyti to school?” she said slowly.

The corner of his lip twitched. “That’s what I said.”

She frowned. “Why would you do that?”

“You said you’re going into work early.” An arrogant smirk curved his mouth. Amusement lit his features. “Are you feeling alright? Temperature too warm?”

Throwing him a bland look, she nodded at the berries. “Why do you prepare those every morning?”

Former amusement darkened into discomfort. A muscle flexed in his jaw and Wolffe stilled, a subtle warning in his face.

“I’m more than capable of preparing breakfast for Neyti and myself,” she added. 

A taunt underscored her blasé tone, and Wolffe breathed a low chuckle. He ran his tongue along his teeth, regarding her with a calculated look that made her blood heat.

“Answer my question,” he finally said. “Do you want me to take Neyti to school?”

She rubbed her arm. “If you don’t mind—”

“I don’t.” 

“Thank you.” She tilted her head to the side, quirking an eyebrow. “Now answer my question.”

“No.” Wolffe turned away, retrieving the knife he had set aside, and concentrated on the lumina berries. 

Kazi glowered at the sculpted planes of his back. 

Muscles lined his shoulders and arms. Muscles that spoke to years of arduous training. His back was a map of physical adeptness sketched with an array of white and faded scars. Black ink encircled his left arm from wrist to shoulder, its design purposeful.

“Why not?” she demanded. “Maybe I should make your caf and see how you like my interference—”

“Drop it.” 

Wolffe scowled at her over his shoulder. The muscles along his body were tensed, and he exhaled a harsh breath, setting aside the knife and closing the space between them. He stopped before her. 

Her heart stuttered in her chest. Droplets of water fell from her hair and shivered down her overheated skin.

Lowering his face to hers, Wolffe calmly, quietly said, “You’re not ready for that conversation.”

With that, he sidestepped her and approached the bookcase. 

Bewildered, she stared at his retreating body. “What does that even mean?” He ignored her and she scoffed. “You can’t just leave in the middle of a conversation—”

The white, peeling bookcase snapped back in place. Her dragon figurine, its scales blacker than a stormy night, regarded her, its maw parted in a teasing grin, like it shared in a secret she didn’t yet know.

Early evening sunlight emphasized the charcoal lines of Neyti’s sketch. 

The scratching noise of the little girl’s stylus filled the silence of the main level. Wiping down the kitchen’s counters—a last-minute decision to try and calm her nerves concerning the upcoming Festival—Kazi washed her hands and then leaned against the counter. 

From her vantage point, she watched Neyti sketch. Her tongue poked out the side of her mouth as she corrected the finer details of a young boy’s face. 

Who the boy was, Kazi didn’t know. Though she had a sneaking suspicion based on the scar on his chin. 

Her gaze slid to the kitchen windows. Outside, a downed tree rested along the jungle’s border. Fox had spent the entire afternoon felling the tree and then lugging it back to the house. Its purpose eluded Kazi, and he refused to answer her questions, but he seemed to have found a new project outside of his usual carvings. 

A glance at the chrono confirmed it was still too early to leave for the Festival. Half an hour remained. 

Originally, Kazi wanted to avoid the Festival’s festivities and locals. Years had passed since she last attended a holiday celebration and she wasn’t keen to begin anew. Large crowds, drunk people, tight spaces. It lacked appeal. 

But a majority of the locals would attend, including Neyti’s classmates, and Kazi wanted Neyti to experience something outside the mundane of everyday life. Even if these festivities differed from Ceaian tradition. 

Still, she found herself rubbing her clammy palms together to stifle her apprehension. This was an opportunity to socialize. To interact with Neyti’s classmates’ parents and make a good impression, an impression that would reflect positively on Neyti. 

The simple dress she wore—cream colored and decorated with abstract floral designs—was light and airy, its style recommended by Fehr to “blend in” with the locals. The thin material hugged her waist, falling to her upper thigh. She hadn’t worn a dress in a long time, and she had forgotten how much she liked them.

Then again, her first partner loved when she wore dresses. She was a body to be perceived. A younger body. A younger body for the male nearly two decades her senior to look at and touch and fuck—

Stiffening, Kazi glanced at the chrono again. They still had twenty-seven minutes until they needed to leave. 

Running her hands down her dress, she decided its straps were too uneven. The left side was too tight. She untied the thin strings of her strap and readjusted. 

The positioning was awkward, the readjustment difficult, and sweat started to slick her spine. Frustration clenched her jaw. She blew a loose strand of hair from her face. A finishing bow completed the knot.

The damned strings remained uneven. She tried again. 

Her appearance tonight mattered—professional yet friendly, more easy-going than aloof. She needed to be composed, a good listener with witty remarks. She needed to be warm and approachable. She needed to be perfect. And she should eat before so no one saw her—

The bookcase swung open. 

Tensed and flustered, Kazi regarded Wolffe as he emerged from the steep stairs. Water shimmered in his dark curls and his face looked dewy, freshly moisturized from a shower. He wore his usual attire, and a dark gray poncho rested in the crook of his elbow. 

Pausing her failed attempts, she glanced at his poncho. “Are you joining us?” 

“Fox is paranoid with safety concerns.” Wolffe rolled his eyes. Kazi pursed her lips to smother her amusement, deciding against mentioning his blatant hypocrisy. “Cody and I agree he’s being unreasonable. We’re all going.”

“Oh.” A hint of relief quieted her former nerves. She looked him over. “Have you ever been to a Harvest Festival? Or any holiday celebration, for that matter?”

The corner of his lip quirked. “Never.”

Trying to casually correct her dress’ strings, she asked, “What holidays do you celebrate?”

“Dunno. It’s never crossed my mind before.” 

The barest perceptible amusement dried his words. He took a step closer. 

“By the way,” she said conversationally, hoping he didn’t notice her inability to fix her dress. “I stopped by the Marketplace and picked up a seedling fertilizer.”

Another step closer and Wolffe frowned. “Seedling fertilizer?”

“For your garden.” His confused silence demanded an answer and she shrugged. “I noticed some of your plants have dry patches so I asked one of the parents at Neyti’s school for advice. He’s a farmer, and he told me the problem most likely derives from the intensity of the sun’s rays. So he recommended this fertilizer. Like sunscreen, but for plants.”

Sometime from when she first started speaking to now, Wolffe had closed the distance between them. He stood as close as he had that morning. Close enough individual water droplets in his curls caught her attention. 

Bemusement scrunched his features. “You got fertilizer for my garden?”

It was her turn to frown. “Yes?”

“I’m surprised you thought of me.” The confession was quiet, carrying an undertone of surprise and something softer. Wolffe searched her face and then dipped his chin to her shoulder. “May I?”

The rasp in his voice slid down her spine like a rough caress. Her nod derived mostly from shock at his offer rather than actual acceptance, and though they already stood so close, Wolffe closed the little distance remaining. 

Warm knuckles grazed the top of her shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat and she bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to keep still.

Wolffe looped the strings of her dress in a methodical approach. His movements were unhurried, intentionally slow, as if he were uncomfortable tying the strings. But she had seen him work in his garden, seen him slice the lumina berries, seen him fix things that required a careful, practiced touch. His fingers were deft in their capabilities, and he was more than capable in tying her dress. 

Each skim of a knuckle to her bare shoulder heated her blood. She fought the urge to shiver. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never celebrated any holidays,” she murmured.

His fingers stilled for a moment and then resumed. “We didn’t have that sort of luxury.”

Tensing at the curtness in his tone, she flattened her palm to the counter, soaking in its coolness. Wolffe sighed, his exhale somewhat annoyed. A slow, controlled caress of his hand brushed along her shoulder and behind her neck, as if he were trying to smooth away her tension.

Her fingers curled into the chilled counter.

“Holidays were meaningful to my family and me,” she said, watching the evening sunlight flit across the walls. “They’re some of my best memories with my parents. I can’t imagine growing up without them.”

“I didn’t have much of a childhood.”

“No, I guess you didn’t.”

A gentle tug and the white strings were tied, completed in a tiny bow matching the other. Prepared to thank him, Kazi turned around but her words faltered.

Their chests were brushing. The heat of his body sunk into hers. She could see a faded scar indented into the dark skin above his lip. The top clasps of his button-down work shirt were unfastened, and she thought back to that morning. Thought about the muscles toning healthy fat and the trail of dark hair down his stomach. 

A fleeting desire encouraged her to press her hand to his chest. To feel the beat of his heart and the heat of his skin.

Ignoring the thought, she angled her head back to meet his gaze. 

Thick lashes framed his eyes and he blinked at her, unrushed yet assessing. His gaze dipped from hers to her shoulder, hesitation lined his features, and she understood why a second later when he tentatively flattened his hand to her shoulder, his thumb circling her skin in an agonizingly slow caress. He studied her in a private, intimate manner.

Disquiet ghosted down her spine and she swallowed.

A piece of her wanted him to touch her more. To slip her dress’s straps from her shoulders and touch the bare skin it revealed. 

A piece of her wanted him to lower his calloused hand to her breast and feel her. To slide his hands down her spine and hold her close, hold her tight enough she couldn’t run. 

But another piece of her feared those wants. 

Touching turned into nakedness, turned into sex, and sex hurt. 

And even though it had been five years, she remembered the pain. She remembered her stupid hope it would feel better the more she did it, and the resigned agony when it didn’t. 

She was scared to be intimate with another man, and she was even more scared of disappointing someone she wanted to be with. 

It was all so stupid to consider, anyway. 

There was nothing between her and Wolffe. She was overreacting. Creating a false narrative because she hadn’t felt a man’s touch like this before.  

Wolffe brushed his thumb along her shoulder to her collarbone. His eyes shifted from hers, to her lips, and back.

All she could remember was the pain. The way her body never adjusted and the shame she endured knowing something was wrong with her—

“Neyti!” 

Her exclamation earned a nonplussed jerk from Wolffe. Disregarding the confusion on his face and the silent question in the narrowing of his eyes, Kazi stepped away from his touch. From him. His fingers twitched once but he immediately released her. He backed away to the opposite counter, his expression guarded, and crossed his arms.

Kazi looked toward the table, to the little girl. To her salvation. Neyti stared curiously at her, and she mustered a tight smile.

“Do you want to get your gifts?” 

A toothless yet excited grin lit Neyti’s face and she closed her sketchbook, hurrying toward the garage. Reemerging with a meshed bag, she cautiously approached Wolffe. He cocked his head to the side. A tiny hand disappeared into the bag and returned with a pale orange, tear-drop shaped fruit. 

Wolffe considered the outstretched fruit. Hesitation lined his features but soon softened, and to Kazi’s surprise, he knelt before Neyti, the height difference between him and the little girl humorously noticeable. 

With a small smile, he accepted the fruit, murmuring a quiet “Thank you.”

Bashfully, Neyti hid her face in her shoulder and retreated to Kazi’s side. 

“It was Neyti’s idea,” Kazi said, running a hand through Neyti’s hair. Wolffe returned to his full height, peeling the fruit. He regarded her with a careful expression, and she tried not to blush. “It is tradition, after all.”

Either oblivious to the lie or uncaring of it, Neyti hefted the bag higher. Kazi released a mirthful chuckle and gestured for Neyti to lead the way outside. She pretended she didn’t see the knowing look Wolffe levelled on her—the look that clearly said It wasn’t the kid’s idea.

Outside, Kazi oversaw Neyti gift Fox, Cody, and Nova a citrus-star. Their confusion led to her retelling the tradition, and each of them shared a piece of their citrus-star with Neyti who dutifully ate her share.  

The sun continued its downward arc, settling behind the jungle’s rolling hills, the sky a burnished copper. 

Aware of the waning time, Kazi ushered everyone back inside. Neyti returned to her sketch while the men prepared for the Festival. 

The brief lull gave Kazi the opportunity to check on Daria, her sister suffering a migraine. A symptom Healer Natasha claimed was normal for this stage. Still, she worried Daria’s lack of proper medication the last few months had accelerated her disease past a point of medicinal control.

Closed shades darkened Daria’s room. A handful of seconds passed as Kazi grew accustomed to the darkness, discerning her sister from the lump of bed sheets and quilt. 

“Do you need any pain relief?” she asked softly, stepping next to the bed.

Lying on her side, staring vacantly at the opposite wall, Daria shook her head. 

Kazi scanned her sister’s room, noting the new succulent she had gifted Daria. The plant was a random purchase from the Marketplace last week when she bought the citrus-stars. 

A blue stem with a handful of dark purple blossoms, the tiny plant provided a splash of color among the dominantly green succulents. She was surprised her sister had grouped the new succulent with the others. Daria preferred aesthetic organization and the succulent’s random coloration disrupted the cohesiveness of the grouped plants.

Awkwardly fiddling with a braid, Kazi offered Daria the final citrus-star from the bunch. “I know it’s not Ceaia’s harvest time, but I thought we could celebrate.”

Silence succeeded her offer, fermenting like an unwanted stench. She searched her sister’s face—for a twinge of acknowledgement or kindness or ephemeral interest—but Daria remained unmoving, apathetically disinterested.

“I can peel it,” Kazi said, “and we could share it.”

Finally, Daria shifted her attention from the blank wall to the citrus-star. For a stilted moment, she observed the fruit. Her upper lip curled and she turned away, pulling the thick quilt around her shoulders. “I’m not interested in meaningless gifts.”

Dropping her hand to her side, Kazi accepted the dismissal with a resigned nod. 

It was a pathetic attempt on her part, anyway.

Eight bonfires blazed among the ferny clearing of Hollow’s Town’s park. The night sky was clear and stars shimmered their mirth alongside the floating lights strung along and between thick trees.  

People milled about, laughter a harmony to the twangy music of the band. 

A maypole adorned with bioluminescent silver flowers and strung with streamers of dark green and blue stood as a focal point. The sprouted flowers revealed a honeyed center. Their color and unique petals drew Neyti to them like a bee to pollen.

Glasses of ale—a staple from the local brewery—were passed among patrons. Tables boasted various competitions: the largest vegetable, the best-tasting fruit, the most unique crossbreed, the best presentation.  

Carnival games—droid darts, planetary ring toss, vibroblade throws—garnered the attention of younglings and competitive adults alike. 

Near an outer bonfire, Kazi smothered her amusement as she watched Cody and Fox compete at a vibroblade throw game. Nova watched from the side, waiting to play whoever won. According to Wolffe, he was the best at handling blades. 

Though Nova appeared at ease, his eyes darted across the park, a hand casually resting against the blaster strapped to his thigh and hidden beneath his poncho. The other men each carried as well. And while their moods were sportive, their vigilance was unwavering. 

Sipping from her glass of ale, Kazi wrinkled her nose. Wolffe snorted and she scowled at him. 

“I don’t understand why you bother with it if you don’t like it,” he said, drinking from his own glass. He seemed to like the ale, judging by the fact this was his fourth glass. 

“It’s not bad,” she said.

Wolffe’s unimpressed look called her bluff.

The truth: One of Neyti’s classmate’s mother offered her the glass. Wanting to appear friendly and personable, Kazi accepted the drink and then joined the woman, whose name evaded her, and a few others in conversation. 

The parents were either self-centered about their younglings, or disappointed, reverting to patronizing jokes to hide their own frustrations. Slow sips of her ale resulted in her downing half the glass by the time she caught sight of Wolffe and excused herself from the group. 

A quick scan of the field revealed Neyti playing a hopping game with one of her classmates. Based on her concentration, she had no plans to lose. 

“Cody mentioned you might not join the upcoming mission,” Kazi said, returning her attention to Wolffe.

He straightened, rolling his shoulders back. “I’m considering it.”

His guarded demeanor told her he wouldn’t answer more questions about it, so she switched topics.

“I have time off from work in three days.” Pretending to study the amber ale in her glass, she slid a sidelong glance in his direction. “I was planning on taking Neyti hiking. If you don’t go on the mission, you could join us.”

Originally, she wasn’t going to invite him. There was a line she didn’t want to cross, a professional boundary, and, if she were being honest with herself, she didn’t want to endure his possible rejection. But a part of her was hoping he wouldn’t mind spending time outside the house with her and Neyti. 

Wolffe blinked his surprise. Kazi steadied herself for the rejection—

“I’ll be there.”

Shock coursed through her veins, but she kept her features neutral, instead, smiling smally and nodding her acknowledgement. A service droid passed by and she set aside her half-finished drink, Wolffe doing the same. She glanced at Cody and Nova who were taking turns at the vibroblades.

“You didn’t want to compete against them?” she asked. “Too afraid you’d lose?”

A slow smirk spread across his face. “I know how to play to my strengths. And I don’t lose, Ennari.”

For some reason, his words sounded like a warning and she searched his face for the answer to a question she didn’t yet know. His gaze burned hot against hers. Hotter than the nearby bonfire; hotter than the ale she had managed to keep down. 

She wanted to look away; she wanted to step into him; she wanted to change the subject; she wanted to lift her hand to his face and trace his rounded jawline; she wanted to run.

Too many conflicting thoughts and emotions fought within her. She didn’t know which to heed. 

To her relief and disappointment, Wolffe broke their stare, reaching into a pocket of his trousers. He retrieved a small, dark brown packet. Hesitation squared his shoulders and he cleared his throat, extending the packet to her.

“They’re seeds,” he said. 

“Seeds?” He nodded as she appraised the packet. “For what?”

“You said it’s tradition.” He looked mildly embarrassed, awkward. With another clearing of his throat, he reached for her hand. “They’re for you.”

She jerked her hand away, shaking her head. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

Wolffe frowned. “I don’t care—”

“I don’t want them.” Her words came out antagonistic and rude. She winced.

The packet of seeds breached the space between them. Wolffe narrowed his eyes and she looked away.

It was thoughtful. Too thoughtful. If she had known he was getting her something she would have prepared. She would have bought him something. 

“I didn’t get you anything,” she repeated, rubbing her chest to quiet her unease. “I’m sorry.”

“I have a hard time believing Neyti was that thoughtful with her gift.” Wolffe scoffed, a hard edge to his voice. 

Tension pinched her skin and Kazi shook her head, trying to think. Trying to rein her growing emotions.

The smoke from the bonfire was too suffocating. 

Harsh laughter and squeals of younglings pounded inside her head. 

She rubbed her hands together, hugging her arms to her stomach. 

She stared at the packet of seeds. Her muscles were too cramped. Too tight.

Huffing an unamused breath, Wolffe reached for her hand again, and when she tried to pull away, he gripped her tighter, placing the packet of seeds in her palm. 

“I got this without the intention of receiving a gift in return,” he said, curling her fingers around the packet. “They cost me nothing.”

“It’s the thought behind the gift,” she murmured. His thumb stroked the back of her hand, swift and light, before he released her. She swallowed. “Thank you.” 

He gave a short nod. 

She lifted the packet to the fire, trying to see inside. “Are they seeds for a vegetable or fruit?”

“Plant them and you’ll find out.” 

Pocketing the seeds, she tried to read his expression. His disgruntled scowl told her he hadn’t expected her reaction, and he was annoyed. Or disappointed. Probably both. 

Chagrined, she dropped her gaze to the crackling logs of the fire. The snaps of the burning logs sounded like chattering skeletons teasing her. They told her what she already knew: She had overreacted. 

It wasn’t a surprise. She tended to overreact when she believed she wasn’t doing enough—being enough. 

But gift-giving on Ceaia—between a non-related male and female—was considered a mark of courtship. Usually, the gift presented was a collection of three flowers, each representing a distinguishing personality trait. 

The custom was old but Kazi had found it somewhat endearing. One of the few customs she appreciated. 

“Thank you,” she repeated. Her eyes remained on his, and she hoped he could at least hear the sincerity in her voice—the vulnerability and gratitude. 

He stepped closer. “I have a packet—”

“Kazi?”

The male voice startled her enough she flinched, spinning around to face the person. An orange glow from the bonfire’s flames licked at the approaching male. A few confident strides closer and she made out light brown hair, darker skin, and an impeccably tailored suit. 

The name popped into her head. “Jason.”

Jason smiled. “You remembered.”

It wasn’t an impressive feat.  

From the networking events, balls, and cocktail parties her mother forced her and Daria to attend, Kazi was accustomed to memorizing names, businesses, and every bit of gossip she overheard. Her mind contained a bookshelf of categorized, useless facts concerning certain individuals. It didn’t matter how many years passed, she remembered the most minute details. 

And it was one of the reasons she excelled at analytics. 

“I’m surprised you remember me,” she said, considering Jason warily.

“It’s hard to forget someone like you.”

The muted scoff from behind reminded her of their audience and she forced a tight smile. Jason’s gaze remained on her face, not even bothering with Wolffe. 

“I’ve been wanting to speak with you. To apologize.” Jason took a step closer, a grimace on his face. “It was my understanding you had agreed to our dinner. It wasn’t my intention to blindside you.”

Wincing at the memory, Kazi clasped her hands behind her back. Her fingers brushed against a pair of trousers and her cheeks warmed. 

“I was caught off-guard,” she said. Keenly aware of the quiet man to her back and the one who stood a bit too close in front, she released an awkward laugh. “Well, it was nice to see you—” 

“I was wondering…” Jason tossed her a sheepish grin. “Would you be interested in stepping away and getting a drink?”

Either Jason lacked basic observational skills or he was self-assured enough he didn’t care about Wolffe’s presence. 

Softening her smile, she started to shake her head. “Thank you, but—”

“I don’t want to be too forward,” Jason interrupted, “but I was interested by you at dinner. I would like to start over.”

“Oh?” Kazi breathed a dismayed chuckle. “I thought I was antagonistic and rude.”

He laughed. “You were quiet, but I didn’t take it to be antagonistic.”

Polite earnestness crinkled his eyes and she internally grimaced. The need for distance encouraged her to step back, to allow some breathing room between her and Jason’s advances. She backed into something hard.  

Wolffe didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch at the connection between their bodies. 

To her utter perplexity, he pressed closer, the heat of his chest palpable through her loose sweater. A graze of his fingers on her elbow seemed his attempt to remind her he was there.  

Her movement finally drew Jason’s attention to Wolffe. Lacking suspicion or annoyance, Jason scanned Wolffe with an air of indifference. 

Kazi had seen those looks at the few marriage balls she attended. A perusal of one suitor to determine if another suitor was a threat or could be turned into an ally. A perusal to assess the situation and determine if a woman could be convinced away from the suitor currently courting her. 

Obviously, the comparison was an exaggeration since Wolffe wasn’t courting her. But Jason didn’t know that.  

Straightening, Kazi inclined her head to Jason. 

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in exploring anything at this time.” Her tone remained kind, practiced. “I have duties that require my attention and I don’t have the time or the capacity to pursue something.”

Though somewhat crestfallen, Jason accepted her rejection with an air of grace. His smile, while disappointed, was understanding. 

“Raising a youngling does require time and attention,” he said. His gaze shifted between her and Wolffe. “I wish you both the best of luck.”

“Oh—no.” Kazi moved away from Wolffe. Her laugh was strained as she looked between a wary Wolffe and a confused Jason. “We’re not—no. It’s just my sister, Neyti, and me.”

Jason blinked his surprise. “Apologies, I must have misunderstood.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “It was nice seeing you.” 

As soon as the night’s shadows engulfed Jason, Kazi released a shaky breath. 

The air between her and Wolffe thickened with an awkwardness heated by the nearest bonfire. A lick of sweat dribbled down her spine and she lifted her hair off her neck in an attempt to cool her body. 

Beneath the orange light of the bonfire, she regarded Wolffe. His brows were drawn together in calculation, and his mouth was downturned in disapproval. Or maybe it was doubt.

A pop from the bonfire jumped her heart and she released her hair, rubbing her hands together. An odd amount of tension was pulling taut in her shoulders, knotting in her stomach. She needed to move. To do something to escape the awkward development—

“Is that a common occurrence?”

The gruff question yanked her from her thoughts and she frowned. “What?”

“Arranged marriage dates.” Wolffe sounded offended by the words.

“No. Not for me, at least.” The hard look in his face demanded further explanation and she sighed. “It’s tradition on Ceaia and some other planets in the Outer Rim. It’s not as common out here as it is in the Inner Rim.”

At a table nearby, she caught sight of his brothers. Hoods covered their faces as they listened to a handful of drunks slurring stories of exaggerated adventures. A hasty survey of the clearing located Neyti. The little girl stood beside the maypole, playing a bag-toss game with a boy her age.  

“Some people don’t know any better,” she said, nudging a few pieces of ash that had landed at her feet. “When you’re raised that way from birth, it seems normal and acceptable. But I didn’t grow up that way. At least, not initially. When my father died, my mother forced Daria and me into that lifestyle, but I never liked it.”

“Your sister subscribes to it.”

Kazi scoffed. “My mother’s doing. Daria was so young when our father died and she was always closer to our mother. She didn’t know any better. But I struggled. The thought of an arranged marriage scared me. I wanted something—”

She cut off, biting the inside of her cheek. Her aspirations in a partner weren’t his business.

“You wanted something real,” Wolffe continued for her. And though he said it like a statement, it was underscored by a question. Curiosity. 

“Customary courtship determines if people are compatible for marriage,” she said. “And while I agree it’s necessary to determine if you and your partner are compatible in life, traditional compatibility is based on physical appeal and what a partner can offer, completely ignorant of one’s personal beliefs, morals, and ambitions. It emphasizes duty, and ignores emotional connection. It’s not what I want.”

They stood much closer, once more. She could see the reflection of the bonfire’s flames in his cybernetic. If she wanted, she could lean forward and rest her forehead against his chest. 

“And what do you want?”

“I…” The weight of his gaze bore into hers, like the endless crush of a hurricane’s waves, surrounding and drowning. She shook her head. “I need to concentrate on Neyti and Daria. I don’t have time for superficiality.” 

“Try again, Ennari.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Like I told Jason—”

“He’s a stranger.” Wolffe cocked his head to the side. “I’m not.”

“It doesn’t matter. My answer is the same. I don’t have time for superficiality—”

“And if it’s not superficial?”

Huffing her exasperation, she scanned the ferny clearing. “I haven’t met someone like that, so I don’t know.”

Wolffe was silent for a moment too long. “You haven’t met someone because you won’t allow yourself to get close to them.”

“Excuse me?”

“Tell me I’m wrong, Ennari.”

She clenched her fists. “You don’t know me.”

“I know you better than you think.”

“Then you should know I have more important things to do than waste my time on a male.”

“Waste your time?” Wolffe demanded.

“What decent males are there?” She threw her hands up. “They’re all a waste of my time.”

Scoffing, Wolffe looked away, toward the bonfire. Agitation flexed in the hand he dragged through his hair. Annoyance flared in his nostrils as he settled a hard, disbelieving scowl in her direction. 

“You are one of the most frustrating people I know.”

Offended, she glared at him. “What have I done to annoy you?”

“I would like to know what you want—”

BOOM.

A burst of color erupted in the sky. 

Kazi watched it for a millisecond before large arms grabbed her. 

A hand shoved her face into a chest. 

Another hand gripped the back of her neck. 

A second explosion shook the air.

The arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer. 

And then the clapping started. 

Awed whoops and shouts of ecstatic glee echoed across the clearing. Younglings squealed, and the sound of whistling rockets filled the air succeeded by a brilliant shattering of bronzed hues.

Understanding calmed the harsh beat of her heart and Kazi leaned away from Wolffe. His face was tilted toward the sky, jaw clenched tight and chest heaving. 

Gently, she attempted to maneuver herself away. Eyes still on the sky, Wolffe refused, his arms seemingly locked in place. Eventually his features shuttered and he released her, sliding a trembling hand through his hair.

“They’re fireworks,” she said. The blatant obviousness of her statement earned her a reproving glower, and she dropped her gaze, searching the field for Neyti. 

To her left, Fox was approaching, his expression neutral though she detected a hint of worry as he carefully assessed Wolffe. Behind him, still seated at the table, Cody was speaking into Nova’s ear, gripping the man’s shoulder. Nova nodded, rising to his feet, his lips flattened in a thin line. 

People gathered closer. Bodies jostled hers. 

Kazi clenched her fists at her sides and forced herself to breathe. To ignore the swarming crowd.

A tiny hand tugged on her arm. Kazi hid her relief behind a strangled smile, kneeling to the ground. Distraught had harshened Neyti’s features into tight lines. 

“They’re fireworks,” Kazi explained softly, resting a shaking hand on Neyti’s shoulder, squeezing her gently. “They’re used for celebrations, like tonight. They won’t hurt you. I promise.”

A particularly loud burst of snowy white made Neyti flinch. But the longer she watched the display, her distraught ebbed into curiosity which eased into fascination. 

A throat cleared and Kazi pushed herself to her feet, appraising Wolffe. His face was stony, like it had been in the initial months of his arrival on Eluca. 

The reversion unnerved her, and for some reason, she thought she might be to blame. Something had happened in their conversation that he didn’t appreciate.

“We’re leaving,” he informed her. His tone was clipped, hoarse. 

“Okay.” 

He turned on his heel, joining his brothers, not bothering to wait for her to say anything else. 

A burst of coiled purples and effervescent greens decorated the night sky. Kazi ignored the fireworks, her attention lingering on the rigid shoulders stalking through the crowd. 

Masterlist | Chapter 12 | Chapter 14

A/N: Poor Kazi overthinks her emotions and is quick to jump to conclusions. Poor Wolffe is second-guessing the things he thought he’d figured out.

Also, I know this is so basic of me, but here’s an image depicting the style of dress Kazi wore. Obviously, as described, the colors were more muted and the dress more cream colored. 

[caliburn-not-calculator]

Hey! Just wanted to say I think your art looks amazing and the way you write is really compelling, I love the fanfics!

And, if you don't mind, could you give a few tips on how you draw vr-la and the other mechanites? I was trying to draw them myself, but robots aren't my forte

!! Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy them :D

Hmm, as for advice… My first attempts at drawing VR-LA and other robots were… rough, but a lot of that also just came down to my skill level at the time. The biggest thing that helped me was just practicing, but beyond that, a good way to get a handle on drawing robots is use ball jointed dolls or other similarly articulated forms for reference. It helps you get an understanding on where there should be joints and how those joints should work. From that you can create the segments of plates and points where the articulation would be open.

For example, I use exposed ball joints for most of the articulation points on the limbs, but for areas like the wait and neck I create segments of overlapping plates unlike the shiny stiff outer layer to show a wider range of movement, and a more openly mechanical section.

Also, don’t be afraid to discard regular anatomy. You’re working with a mechanical being, you can get weird with it! You can mess with proportions, and be unrealistic. In fact I’d recommend experimenting in such ways. As for rwd mechanites, if the canon design of them isn’t working for you or your art style, just… well, change it! Experiment, find different forms and shapes that better work for how you draw.

The hardest thing I find is probably faces, with all the different sections and shapes and how geometric they are. This is where the other big thing comes in. Practice with 3D objects. Learning how to orient 3D shapes and portray perspective really helps the very blocky structure of a mechanical being (also just for construction in general, all around a good way to improve you’re art).

I hope that helps! I’m not the greatest with putting my processes into words and followable actions but that’s the best I could think of <3

[spacedlexi]

how do you improve on capturing the essences of characters in fanart? like your twdg fanart looks SO good. but when i try to draw fanart of the characters i end up with something that looks nothing like them. any advice?

hmmmm ive never articulated this so hopefully i can answer this well enough

most importantly i did studies of them. and by studying i mean really paying attention to and breaking down the shapes AND proportions of their faces. both are equally important to capturing someones likeness. its why i did this lineup. just really breaking them down

ask yourself what features make this character identifiable. what makes them look like Them? aside from their shapes, its usually in the proportions of features relative to each other (size of chin/distance of eyes/width and height of nose/features relative to the size of the face/stuff like that). knowing proportion rules will help you here (distance between eyes=one eye length=width of nose. corners of mouth line up between inner and center of eyes. ear length between bottom of nose and center/tops of eyes (theres a lot of rules but these are the ones i consider most)). even if a character has close features they will still averagely be in proportion to each other and same goes for a character with wide features. let the rules guide your eye

when i draw a character i usually start by drawing the shape of the head First (i also do this when doing regular portrait studies). then add the features. it helps to keep things in proportion when you know your boundaries

when i break down the shape of the head i pay attention to these areas: forehead to cheekbones, cheekbones to jaw, jaw to chin. also cheekbones to upper lip if im drawing them from an angle. is their structure rounder and softer or harder and angular? a wide jaw or a small one? wide chin small chin? lower cheekbones higher cheekbones/general prominence? long head or short head?

then i worry about the features themselves. aside from using rules to plot them, this is where shape become important again in capturing their likeness. clem and aj both have larger eyes but weighted differently (clem rounder on the outside. aj rounder on the inside). louis' are more almond shaped. violets more hooded. are the eyebrows thinner or thicker? do they have shape? (clems have a triangulation to them (specifically S1-3) but violets are more simple lines. louis' are thicker and taper off. aj's are pretty small and not too thick). shape of the nose? shape of the mouth? the lips? are they fuller or thinner? wide? pout?

another thing for likeness when drawing characters like.. Actually Living is to consider what emotions drive their reactions/expressions. characters express feelings differently. how does this character express anger? sadness? happiness? are they more open with their feelings or reserved? are they unimpressed? do they get shy? what embarrasses them? what excites them? are they mischievous or more serious? its about the overall behavior of the character and the cumulative average of their emotional reactions to create a sort of baseline to work from (does this make sense? 😭)

UUHHH.. im sure theres more i could say but thats the gist of it. just takes time and practice. use references!! dont be afraid to trace them either if youre stumped itll help 💕