#awesomebutunpractical art

[isfjmel-phleg]

My friends came over to watch the first episode of the new A T L A, and maybe it wasn't perfect, but I liked it a lot! The characters are very much like themselves (@awesomebutunpractical have no fears for Aang, his light-heartedness has remained!), and I felt it was in the right spirit.

It's going to take a tremendous amount of restraint for me to not binge it all this weekend. We'll take it one episode a week.

Not major, but this Zuko is something of an artist, sketching portraits in his journal and for his conspiracy-board wall, and honestly I love that for him. He has a random skill that has nothing to do with fighting! Something that in better circumstances he could develop more and find an outlet in.

(And if they keep in Sokka's utter lack of art skill, it might be a fun contrast to make.)

[gonturan0]

9 people you would like to get to know better

tagged by @nadjem-mari. Thanks for tagging!

3 ships: uh, I don't really ship anything beyond my very niche tastes... but I like Sasha x Milla (Psychonauts), Lance x Allura (Voltron), and Aloy x Being Oblivious To All Flirting (Horizon: Zero Dawn)

first ever ship: again, I ain't a lady who ships things. so... idk Sasha x Milla? I read a shipfic for them once years ago where Sasha keeps trying to rationalize his relationship with Milla as a friendship but ultimately he makes a move when he realizes the romantic nature of his feelings for her, and I enjoyed that. it's one of the only ships I really enjoy

last song: Tennessee Plates by John Hiatt

Last movie: Across the Spiderverse; I saw it in theaters.

currently reading: I just finished a guide on Australia's eastern wildlife, so I'm gonna go back to Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and see if I can actually finish it this time.

currently watching: I don't watch shows these days ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but someday I'll watch Wander Over Yonder...

currently consuming: oxygen. I'm done eating for the night

currently craving: Horizon: Zero Dawn. Almost done with the game!

I tag: @jurakan, @chicoryblast-art (can't tag your main for some reason), @spectrearia, @awesomebutunpractical, @akinaw, and idk who else. Do this if you feel like it.

[urban-hart]

A VERY late contribution to the 'Tag People You'd Like to Know Better'. Thank ye, @lady-merian :3 for le tag

Three Ships: Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert (tAngleD), Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta (B99), and @soundofmind's James Hawke and my own Hild Ashlund from our first complete rp because they're a freaking solid couple, okay??

First Ship: uhhhhh i can't actually think of a first ship?? I'm generally not too strongly in the shipping game as it is.

oh wait, wut dat?? something in the distance, fast approaching? OH??? a HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPO??? OH NOOOO-

NOTE the writer perished before she could find an answer, so sad that she never got to choose :(((

Last Song: currently listening to 'The Heat' by Scrawny. (side note: i have found a voice claim for Aaron)

Last Movie: watched the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey last night. I made fun of it basically the whole way through. That said, I do think it's fantastic entertainment, if nothing else.

Currently Reading: in addition to 'Lessons in Chemistry', I'm also delving into the Odyssey since I've finished the Iliad. still just in the beginning part with Telemachus, so I haven't seen my mans (Odysseus) quite yet.

Currently Watching: Already mentioned B99. I AM also watching a lot of 'Bluey' on my lunch breaks. Super cute, and such a thoughtful show. Very much deserving of its high praise. have had a vague desire to Blueyfy myself and blorbos, but settled for a Blueyfied Tilly :3

Currently Writing: ....does this tag game count?? hehehe, no i know. Merian, you did kindly suggest I share about any art project that may be in the works. And I do have something to share this time! It's the New Guy whom Agnes remarries present day

he's a nice dude. as stated in the image, these are just rough passes. I'm leaning toward the more squashed face shape/proportions to the far left-- the gist is that he is a large-ish man. Agnes (who is at least taller than Lyall) is here to the far right for scale.

NO PRESSURE TAGS: @patchworkperceptions (that's right! anOTHer tag!! i mean, i know you already, but its a fun thing, just do it) @kingdomblade @apieters @roxirinart @awesomebutunpractical @mrsducky EDIT *points* @swordshards you too!! if you want!!!

[lydiahosek]

@awesomebutunpractical's OC Scenario Template thing!

Assign Each Character a Number, Answer Questions. Can be Random, Can be Not So Much.

1. Lynn

2. Erin

3. Rikki

4. Terrance

5. Evan

Just a little context: Lynn, Rikki, Terrance, and Evan were in the same class in junior high (Lynn and Terrance go back even further) and have been friends ever since. Erin is Lynn’s younger sister.

  1. Lynn and Rikki both are in a hurry and practically bump into each other when they get to the door. What happens?

Chances are they’re on their way to the same place, or at least understand how important each others’ destinations are to them. They’ll both step back and Lynn will be the first to do the harried “after you” wave and let Rikki through.

  2. Erin and Evan are in an argument. What could it be about? Just to smooth things out, Terrance walks in on them.

Evan’s family owns a restaurant. They decide to experiment with live music and hire Erin to sing, but it doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. The sound equipment (which Evan set up) doesn’t work properly. The accompanist doesn’t know half of the songs Erin brought music for – in addition to the crowd-pleasing standards Evan had suggested, she included several contemporary hits and obscure showtunes. She’s sensitive to every stray noise from the diners – every too-loud conversation, burst of laughter, and misbehaving kid distracts from those who are actually listening to her. After closing, she vents her frustration and Evan gets defensive. He doesn’t think it was that bad – she did sing, after all, which was the whole point, right? – but makes the crucial errors of suggesting that 1) she is reacting too strongly and 2) maybe if she had chosen some more mainstream selections she would have gotten a better reception. She accuses him of disrespecting the art – not so very deep down she resents performing in an environment in which she sees herself as “basically background music”, even as she was counting on it as a new step professionally.

Terrance arrives and is treated to each of their accounts of the evening. He is glad to have not been there earlier so he cannot give an opinion on whose read of the situation is “right”. Instead, he reminds them that whatever happened, it’s over now. They tried it out and learned that they aren’t a good match. A couple of snide “You can say that again”s notwithstanding, Evan and Erin both cool down. He pays her and thanks her for a night’s work, she thanks him for the opportunity and the payment, and they part ways.

(Evan’s family tries a few more acts over the next few weeks but ends up deciding that it’s not adding anything – that it’s more work and more money without pulling in more business – so they go back to their loop of recorded music.)

  3. Erin needs a confidant and the options are Lynn and Rikki. Who’s it gonna be? What circumstances would cause this to switch?

While they haven’t always been the closest, Erin would still choose Lynn – unless the secret had something to do with Lynn herself.

  4. Rikki and Terrance are stuck in a body swap and now they need to impersonate each other. What are the traits they’d overplay to sell it? Who’d do the better job?

Rikki would probably do better imitating Terrance than vice versa, though she’d call people “Dude” too much. Terrance would try to be affectionately snarky and sarcastic but it would come out as awkward and mildly rude. Everyone is uncomfortable.

  5. Evan has lost something precious. There’s a pile of circumstantial evidence that Erin is the thief. Does Evan decide to trust Erin anyway? Jump on the evidence and start the blame game? Is there enough trust there to label this a betrayal? Is Erin actually responsible?

Left to draw his own conclusions, Evan will believe Erin took it. If Lynn catches wind of it, though, and comes to her sister’s defense, he’ll backtrack. He and Erin are at best acquaintances, so the presumed theft is in his mind a jerk move but at least nothing personal.

Erin’s many things, but she’s no thief. When the truth comes out, she’ll accept an apology for the accusation, but she may hold the incident over his head in the future.

  6. Terrance, Erin, and Lynn are all out in the middle of nowhere and they stumble onto a very suspicious bag of money. What does each of them think of the situation?  Can they agree on what to do?

Erin’s imagination is already spinning five different salacious backstories for the bag’s presence here. She wants nothing to do with it, for fear of entanglement in some gangster’s ransom drop or smuggling scheme. Terrance is not quite as convinced of the bag’s colorful past but considers the alternative that someone was just that careless with such a large sum, which annoys him. A tiny part of him wants to take it for his own/his family’s use, but *frustrated sigh* no, that would be wrong, let’s just leave it. Neither of them get their way, because Lynn is adamant that they take it with them and report it found as soon as they reach civilization again.

  7. Rikki and Evan are, for the sake of this question, arch-enemies.  For reasons they care about, they have to play nice with each other for a dinner. How well does each pull it off? Does Lynn pick up on the tension in the room?

Rikki plays it too friendly and casual, leaning on Evan and laughing at everything even slightly clever he says. Evan plays it too smooth and professional, as if he were at a business dinner and Rikki was a favored client. He’s the more convincing of the two, but Lynn absolutely notices both the stiffness in Rikki’s smile and the excessive courtesy Evan shows Rikki and nobody else.

  8. There is a bug! A particularly big, spiny, potentially venom filled specimen. Lynn, and Erin are in the room with the little guy, and Rikki, Terrance, and Evan are in the next room over. What happens?

Bugs have a way of just suddenly being in the room without anyone having noticed when they came in. Lynn probably let out an embarrassingly loud yelp of surprise when she first spotted it in the middle of the floor or the counter or wherever. This attracts the attention of everyone else.

Rikki: *calls from the other room, concerned* What??

Lynn: *hurriedly regains composure* Nothing, just a bug.

Terrance: *gets up, heads toward the bug-occupied room*

Rikki and Evan: *follow him with mild interest*

Erin: *has instinctively backed away from the bug, is torn between her general regard for animals and her need for it to be far away from her*

Terrance: *squishes it before anyone can stop him*

  9. Let’s cast Rikki as a detective and Terrance as the assistant. What could this look like? How effective would they be?

Oh, Rikki would have a blast bossing him around – sending him to do research and get coffee and the like. As for the actual investigation, Rikki’s very sociable, which gives her an advantage in interviewing people (and realizing when they might be lying to her). She deep-dives everyone’s social media, too. Between the two of them they’ll connect most of the dots, but depending on the nature of the case (say, if it’s in an unfamiliar setting) they might need an especially cooperative witness or an especially convenient clue to solve it completely.

  10. Erin is jealous of Lynn. What’s causing this? How is this expressed? How honest is Erin about these feelings?

Well this is pretty much canon! It’d take a powerful truth serum to get Erin to admit it, though!

Lynn was the oldest sister to whom everything seemed to come easily – good grades, good rapport with their parents, making friends and getting dates, etc. This was felt less as they grew up and their worlds expanded beyond home and school (and as their younger siblings, Megan and Daniel, got older and it was less of a contrast between just the two of them), but Erin still feels it when considering their professional lives. Both sisters sing beautifully and had some theatre experience as teenagers. Erin wants to make a career as a performer. And she knows, she knows that if that was Lynn’s goal, she has the talent and likability to land any part she’d want. But instead she’s wasting it with mere church choir participation! This turns into irritation, defensiveness about her own choices, and reluctance to discuss her own career with her family when it isn’t going how she’d like.

(Of course, what Erin fails to consider is that for all of Lynn’s supposed instant success, she had her share of scrapes before Erin was around and she had to become the responsible example-setter. She puts in the work and meets people where they are and is tactful in her interactions with others even when she’d rather not be. She just doesn’t complain about it, which only feeds the perception that it’s all effortless for her.)

  11. Say Evan really has to hype up Lynn to Rikki. Is this going to be easy? Sincere? How convincing would this all be for Rikki? What if Lynn overheard the hype session?

He never thought he’d have to, but Evan has no trouble making a case for Lynn and meaning it. He can casually state, as if these were self-evident facts, that she’s smart, talented, responsible, classy, hardworking…He cites examples and everything.

Rikki will easily believe that Evan thinks Lynn is great but not see that as any reason why she should think so. The one trait he brings up that starts to soften her is that despite all the others, Lynn doesn’t think of herself as better than anyone else but instead is caring and considerate to friends and strangers alike (the way he puts it is a little more rambly and inelegant but the point gets across).

Lynn would be floored to hear Evan speaking so highly of her. She starts remembering all the times she hasn’t matched the picture he’s painted and wants to question whether he really sees her that way or was just trying to persuade Rikki. He sure sounded genuine, though. The next time she sees him she’s tentative but pulls him aside and tells him that she heard what he said. He becomes self-conscious, but only momentarily and he doesn’t walk anything back. He accepts her thanks.

  12. Erin and Terrance are now trapped in the Cave of ‘You’re Stuck Here Until You Resolve Some Character Conflict’. What would they need to talk about? What would they need to hear? How long will this take?

These two would not think to start opening up to each other until they’d been stuck for hours and were at a loss for what else to do or talk about – let’s say the better part of a day. Erin’s mind wanders back to the second-longest time they were together without Lynn around: When she was eight, he (and Rikki) got roped into babysitting her and she pulled some Calvin-level shenanigans. Even when Lynn was home Erin pestered them a lot at that age. She figures why not and apologizes for being “such a little brat” back then. Terrance tells her not to worry about it…that actually, now that he’s a parent, he’s been thinking about those days a lot lately. Being at her house was his main source of interaction with younger kids. It was and is humbling, and, he’s just recently realized, gives him a new perspective on his own experience as the youngest in his family. Erin stresses the importance of remembering the perspective of childhood in all interactions with children to avoid making them feel belittled or brushed off…and then makes a self-deprecating quip about childless singles giving parenting advice to actual parents. Terrance again tells her not to worry about it.

Awkward pause. Erin asks if Terrance was the same way as a kid. They trade growing-up-under-the-seemingly-perfect-older-sister stories and are feeling weirdly affirmed when – at last! – they hear their rescuers on the other side of the immovable boulder blocking the cave mouth.

  13. Gift Exchange! Evan got Rikki in the Secret Santa. How easy will this be? How much effort is Evan going to put into this? What will Rikki think of the gift?

At first Evan thinks this will be a cinch – she makes no secret of her interests (anime, the Beatles, dancing…), so just get her something related. But what?, he realizes when he gets to the store. What if he gets her something she already has? Does he even know her size? Or, no, that’d be too weird, buying her clothes. He can feel himself starting to overthink, so he resolves to just grab the first decent-looking doodad he sees. He’s not gonna break her heart over a little gift exchange, right?

The first decent-looking doodad turns out to be a bobblehead figurine. “For your desk at work,” he tells her. Rikki thinks it’s a little goofy, but hey, so is Evan. She thanks him genuinely and does indeed put it on her desk.

  14. Neither Rikki nor Erin believe in ghosts, but they happen to be in a very haunted house anyway. Who would figure out what’s going on first? Who would handle it better?

Erin is the first to consider the possibility of ghosts and eventually realize that that’s what’s happening. Depending on how menacing the ghost(s) is/are, her reaction might fall anywhere between trying to help them finish their business so as to pass on and just completely freaking out. Rikki is also freaking out and very unhappy to have been wrong in her assumptions about the supernatural (or lack thereof) and wants out of here immediately. If Erin’s too hysterical to contribute any ideas Rikki will just shepherd her towards the exit. If Erin thinks the ghosts need to be helped or fought Rikki will ask her what’s the quickest way to do that.

  15. Well! It looks like a couple of no good bad guys are trying to snatch Evan.  Why on earth would they do that? How much trouble would they have? What if Lynn got involved?

Evan’s a pretty unassuming guy – this is either a case of mistaken identity or has something to do with his family’s restaurant. Maybe the baddies are business rivals or saboteurs. He’s also very unimposing physically – they’ll sadly have no trouble picking him up. Lynn is shocked and appalled. Her first instinct is to go to the authorities.

  16. Terrance and Evan have been assigned the Those Two Guys role. Whatever part of the story they play, the other tends to be around too. Would this be a voluntary arrangement?

Terrance and Evan would be great as Those Two Guys. They were the type to immediately seek each other out for partner projects at school. Since in this case the main business of the story isn’t personal to either one of them, they’ll gladly stick together on the sidelines offering commentary and doing odd jobs.

  17. What kind of age gap is there between Erin and Rikki? What if this was exaggerated? Switched around? What kind of dynamic would you get with an old Erin and a young Rikki?

Erin is five years younger than Rikki. When they first met (and for some time after) they were just “Lynn’s friend” and “Lynn’s pesty sister” to each other. If that gap were widened they might have gotten off on a better foot – Erin would’ve been too young or less inclined to bother them* or they would have been more patient with her or both – and be on friendlier terms now that they’re all adults. Not that they’re rude or resentful or anything, but they might be on “stop and chat” acquaintance level rather than “smile, nod, and keep walking”. The same thing if Erin was the older one – she likes kids and is generally nice to her younger siblings’ friends, and Lynn starts (and leads Rikki into) trouble less often than Erin does in the same position. There’s a slim but nonzero chance that young Rikki, who already has an interest in dance, sees and is inspired by Erin’s early experiences in musical theatre, too.

*Presumably Lynn and Rikki remain the same age as each other in all of these scenarios. Otherwise none of them would have met at all.

  18. What’s something both Lynn and Terrance find hilarious? Would they enjoy sharing it? What would Erin think of it?

In eighth grade Terrance taught himself to do a pretty good impression of their constantly grumpy gym teacher when he and Lynn had him as a chaperone on a field trip. He breaks it out again periodically for years afterward and it reliably causes Lynn to dissolve into giggles, especially when he does so at school and there’s the danger of being caught.

Erin never has that teacher, so much of the humor is lost on her, though it is still kind of amusing hearing Terrance do the goofy voice.

  19. Evan and Terrance are in an on-going disaster together. Who’s handling it better? Is there a clear leader between them? Are they working together or cracking under the stress?

Terrance is more openly frantic, but he’s also the one who ends up taking charge to move forward. Evan is the one who first declares that they need to stop panicking and make a plan. A good balance overall, but this process may need to be repeated depending on how long the crisis continues and how many obstacles crop up along the way. I could unfortunately see Terrance accusing Evan of not getting it or not caring enough (and Evan taking issue with that in turn) if things got really, really bad (you know they’re gonna apologize and make it up as we move into the third act, though).

  20. Let’s say Rikki was leading a team built from Erin, Evan, and Lynn. Would this position be more likely to be earned, elected, granted by a higher authority, or self-proclaimed? How would you rank Rikki’s leadership skills? Is there anyone in the underling trio who objects? Anyone whose particularly loyal? How functional would the team be overall?

Rikki probably (rightly) declared herself the most knowledgeable about whatever the group’s purpose is, thus the others couldn’t really argue against her taking charge. Lynn wouldn’t have argued anyway and defends her friend when the other two grumble. I’d give her a 6.5/10. She’s confident and decisive and her judgement about what needs to be done is usually pretty good. She’s not very patient with less than instant obedience, though. She’ll explain herself if asked but she won’t be happy about it. Major unforeseen complications may throw her for a loop and derail the process, as well. Otherwise, the team will generally cooperate and accomplish its objective.

  21. Terrance’s been left out of the day’s shenanigans. Is this taken personally? What level of solo shenanigans will they get into if left on their own?

Terrance doesn’t mind staying behind once in a while. He’d be upset if it became a regular thing, though. He’ll most likely spend the day around the house – shoot some hoops, practice guitar as loud as he wants, etc.

  22. If you had to choose a babysitter between Erin and Rikki, who would it be? Who would Terrance choose?

I would choose Erin. Both of them are responsible, but Erin’s much more willing to take on the role. Terrance is much closer with Rikki and would choose her.

  23. Alright, let’s swap Terrance and Lynn’s stories for a moment. Would they get along with the other’s supporting cast? What’s one big way the stories would change?

Lynn would be a sensitive and cooperative daughter to Deirdre (Terrance’s mom). Lynn and Lily (Terrance’s sister) are already pretty similar – book smart, ambitious, organized. They would have been very close growing up together, but they also would reinforce some of each other’s flaws – tendencies toward stubbornness, snobbiness, brushing off other perspectives. Also, without younger siblings around on a daily basis Lynn would lose the relative ease she has in dealing with little kids.

Terrance would bond with David (Lynn’s dad) over basketball and bristle under April’s (Lynn’s mom) fussiness. He’d regard Erin with either tolerance or annoyance, depending on the day. Things would improve when they’re both adults. The relationship between him and Megan and Daniel is more consistently benevolent but distant – he has to help look after them when they’re very little, and he’s preoccupied with his own matters as they get older.

Canonically, Terrance starts working immediately after graduating high school. However, David works for a community college and gets partial tuition coverage for his children, so it was the non-negotiable assumption for as long as any of them can remember that they would all get college degrees. Terrance majors in English but has no clear direction of what he would want to do with it beyond doing something so he can have a steady income and propose to his girlfriend.

Conversely, Lynn is still as determined to get a degree as she originally was, but she’s not tied to going to that particular school. She follows in Lily’s footsteps to a large university in a nearby city. She’s also an English major, with a journalism minor – this probably brings her and Terrance closer as friends as they navigate their programs simultaneously, comparing and contrasting their requirements and course material. Come senior year, they’re both looking out for job opportunities and eventually end up at the same newspaper.

  24. Terrance, Erin, and Evan have all been taken to a mysterious location, and separated. They have not seen their “hosts” yet, but have had time to think about the situation. When they are reunited, Evan has been replaced with a slightly too friendly, but otherwise identical, impostor. Do the other two notice? Does the discussion turn to escape? If they realize Evan is missing, what would the others do?

Erin definitely doesn’t notice the change. Terrance does eventually. I’d like to say he does immediately, but he would easily believe that the dire circumstances have simply inspired his friend to Realize What’s Really Important and be more openly affectionate.

Erin is the one to tell them to cut the mushy stuff and let’s get the heck out of here. When they realize “Evan” is a phony, however, Terrance flips out and (mentally if not also physically) scrambles around trying to figure out how to find the real one. Erin is agreeable to not leaving without him but is also now very concerned about the who, how, and why of the impersonator and will interrogate him. She’s mostly sure Terrance is the real Terrance. Mostly.

  25. What’s one goal that Rikki and Lynn could share? What would they think of each other’s methods of getting said goal?

One of their favorite long-running prime time prestige drama/soap operas is in danger of cancellation and they must save it! Rikki immediately jumps to social media, calling for their fellow fans to make a stink. Lynn must admit the power of numbers and the fact that that’s probably where the higher-ups are most likely to look. Her first idea was a letter-writing campaign – actual pen on paper, with long, detailed, reasoned arguments in the show’s favor. Rikki admires the patience and skill necessary to do that but guesses the majority of viewers don’t have them (“I know I don’t - but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the show!”). She urges Lynn to go on with it, though, and anyone else confident in their word-assembling abilities.

[lover-of-the-starkindler]

Bethira and Elystan Liddick from @isfjmel-phleg‘s Blackberry Bushes book 2 chapter 4.

[raine-hearts-art]

Happy Birthday Xiao Xingchen! Palette by @awesomebutunpractical

ID: A digital drawing of Xiao Xingchen from the shoulders up. He is toward the right of the canvas, wearing a blindfold and a smile. His hair is partially up in a bun with a pale guan. The art is color-blocked with no shading and minimal highlights. ED.

[why-bless-your-heart]

@awesomebutunpractical

Before you, before me, before all that we see, there was a giant by the name of Grop. His eyes were numbered two, his hands here numbered two, his feet were numbered two, but for Grop, that was not enough. For Grop was a proud giant, prouder than any giant of old had dared to be, and he had a dream that came from the darkness of his sleep.

In his dream Grop was larger than any giant of old had dared to be, his body covering the galaxy over, his eyes looking out from a planet, his hands reaching across a star, his feet walking across a universe, a giant the size of a galaxy.

And so Grop began in secret, making division of himself, multiplying with dark arts, making his eyes from two to two million, his hands from two to two billion, his feet from two to two trillion. All the parts of himself he divided and multiplied, covering the galaxy in his own image, to become a giant such as at which all the universe would shudder.

But no secret can be kept, and the dream of Grop that had come from darkness was revealed before he had made its completion.

So Grop was sundered from himself and scattered, and all that remained of him was spread among the stars so that his body covered the galaxy over. In this way Grop's dream was fulfilled, and his eyes looked out from a planet and his hands reached across a star, and his feet walked across a universe--but Grop's thought would no more dream in the darkness of his sleep.

And the planets turned and the stars burned and in time came you and came me and came all that we see.

[allieinarden]

I have officially finished all four of the Psmith books. Thank you, by the way. I laughed out loud several times. Now armed with the knowledge of what you were talking about I started digging through your Psmith tag and stumbled across Watchdog!Psmith. The idea of the battle that would ensue between him and Peepers just makes me smile so hard.

Boy, am I glad you gave me an excuse to drag these out of storage. 

[isfjmel-phleg]

I was happy to see @awesomebutunpractical's OC Scenario Template come around again, because it's so much fun. So here's another variation with my OCs (I'll do another with five others later).

Bethira and Josiah both are in a hurry and practically bump into each other when they get to the door. What happens?

They are both very apologetic. Josiah is rather embarrassed. Bethira makes a point of asking if he's all right? Did she hurt him accidentally? No, he's fine.

Antavia and Rietta are in an argument. What could it be about? Just to smooth things out, Ayra walks in on them.

Rietta said something flippant about some form of art (a painting? a play? a book? doesn't matter) that Antavia sees as Serious Business, she took this as a Declaration of War, and she's lecturing Rietta on the artistic merit of this thing while Rietta continues to insist that it doesn't matter. Ayra walks in on this, hears what they're discussing, and turns right around and leaves. She doesn't have time for this nonsense.

Antavia needs a confidant and the options are Bethira and Josiah. Who’s it gonna be? What circumstances would cause this to switch?

Bethira is the obvious choice. They're fairly close in age, they were at the same school, and Bethira knew all the people from Antavia's past who are dead now. Antavia sees Bethira as a victim of the system like herself and would love to try to get her out of it.

Fun fact: Josiah and Antavia are second cousins (her grandmother Edella was his grandfather's sister). But I have no idea what circumstances would lead her to confide in him. He would have no interest in anything she would have to say and nothing to offer that she would want to hear.

Josiah and Ayra are stuck in a body swap and now they need to impersonate each other. What are the traits they’d overplay to sell it? Who’d do the better job?

LOL! They're siblings who aren't on great terms, so they would both do the most overblown caricatures of each other. Ayra would portray Josiah as a self-righteous spoiled brat. Josiah would portray Ayra as cold, calculating, and obsessed with politics. I doubt either of them would be overly convincing, but Ayra's got more experience wearing a mask than Josiah, so I'll give it to her.

Rietta has lost something precious. There’s a pile of circumstantial evidence that Antavia is the thief. Does Rietta decide to trust Antavia anyway? Jump on the evidence and start the blame game? Is there enough trust there to label this a betrayal? Is Antavia actually responsible?

The second Rietta would find evidence that Antavia was the thief, she would angrily confront her without hesitation or further examination. They have no particular connection or reason to trust each other, so Rietta wouldn't consider it a betrayal exactly, just extremely wrong behavior. This would be a terrible choice, because Antavia would get defensive and also angry, and there would be a whole Incident. Whoever the thief was, it wouldn't really be Antavia, who, whatever her faults, would not resort to theft.

Ayra, Antavia, and Bethira are all out in the middle of nowhere and they stumble onto a very suspicious bag of money. What does each of them think of the situation? Can they agree on what to do?

Ayra would find it suspicious but be too savvy to get involved herself; she'd figure out a way for the proper people to address the situation. Bethira would be concerned for whoever must have lost so much and outraged that someone would apparently steal like that. Antavia would think the whole thing was hilarious and make it one of her celebrated party anecdotes.

Josiah and Rietta are, for the sake of this question, arch-enemies. For reasons they care about, they have to play nice with each other for a dinner. How well does each pull it off? Does Bethira pick up on the tension in the room?

I have no idea why they would be enemies; canonically Josiah will develop a bit of a crush on her. But whatever the case, he would be painfully polite to her at this dinner, while she would be seething with rage--it's harder for her to conceal feelings, especially strong dislike. Bethira would definitely pick up on this and employ all her tact to try to defuse the situation.

There is a bug! A particularly big, spiny, potentially venom filled specimen. Bethira and Antavia are in the room with the little guy, and Josiah, Ayra, and Rietta are in the next room over. What happens?

Bethira would find the creature distasteful but conceal her disgust and calmly ring for someone to come and dispose of the bug. Antavia would probably be inspired to write a poem in which the bug is a metaphor for something.

Let’s cast Josiah as a detective and Ayra as the assistant. What could this look like? How effective would they be?

This would look awful. Both of them like to be the smartest person in the room, and Ayra wouldn't take kindly to being an assistant. She would constantly be trying to put the annoyingly smug Josiah in his place, and he would argue. They wouldn't get anything done.

Antavia is jealous of Bethira. What’s causing this? How is this expressed? How honest is Antavia about these feelings?

Is there anything for her to be jealous of? Bethira is trapped in a system that Antavia escaped, suffered through two unhappy marriages, and only has her two sons left, neither of whom seem to like her much. But Antavia truly does come to like Delclis and Elystan, so maybe she envies Bethira the opportunity to be their mother. Antavia would make no secret of her feelings--she'd be dramatic and sarcastic and spiteful to Bethira about it--but wouldn't be honest enough to address the root of the problem. It's all Bethira's fault for having amazing sons and then failing them. Antavia would never!

Say Rietta really has to hype up Bethira to Josiah. Is this going to be easy? Sincere? How convincing would this all be for Josiah? What if Bethira overheard the hype session?

Josiah canonically meets Bethira before he meets Rietta, so this wouldn't really fit, but if it were the other way around...I don't know that Rietta has particularly strong feelings one or another toward Bethira, but she can be enthusiastic when needed. Josiah would be ready to take The Most Fascinating Girl In The World at her word. And Bethira would be puzzled and embarrassed if she overheard.

Antavia and Ayra are now trapped in the Cave of ‘You’re Stuck Here Until You Resolve Some Character Conflict’. What would they need to talk about? What would they need to hear? How long will this take?

Ayra has zero tact sometimes, and she let slip some critical remark about Antavia's failing to do her duty to her country. Antavia is deeply offended (Corege failed her!). So they would need to address their different approaches to life. Ayra would need to hear that she should have been kinder and that the expectations her father raised her with are/were not especially healthy. Antavia would need to hear that she could stand to be more altruistic, even though she isn't on active royal duty anymore. Unfortunately, neither of them have the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to discuss this productively, and so they're stuck in that cave for a long time.

Gift Exchange! Rietta got Josiah in the Secret Santa. How easy will this be? How much effort is Rietta going to put into this? What will Josiah think of the gift?

Rietta would be excited to choose a gift for a child! She selects some toy that she enjoyed at Josiah's age, something that requires a lot of physical activity. She's sure he'll love it. He will thank her politely and never touch the gift again--a bit insulted that Rietta thinks of him as a kid.

Neither Josiah nor Antavia believe in ghosts, but they happen to be in a very haunted house anyway. Who would figure out what’s going on first? Who would handle it better?

Antavia has the imagination to put it together first, but Josiah would handle it more calmly. He would be interested in formulating a plan, but she would be wrapped up in the Drama of it all.

Well! It looks like a couple of no good bad guys are trying to snatch Rietta. Why on earth would they do that? How much trouble would they have? What if Bethira got involved?

Rietta, as a monarch, would be a valuable pawn to a kidnapper. They would have a lot of trouble, even if they could get past her guards, because Rietta would try to fight them off or escape at every opportunity, and she's very angry and boundlessly energetic, and who could keep up with that. She's exhausting! Bethira might get involved if Corege had some connection to the crime. She would handle the incident with authority and dignity.

Ayra and Rietta have been assigned the Those Two Guys role. Whatever part of the story they play, the other tends to be around too. Would this be a voluntary arrangement?

They don't even live in the same country, so this wouldn't be a practical arrangement. Maybe Ayra would be there for diplomatic purposes? Rietta would be thrilled to have a cousin on hand (Ayra's mother was her great aunt), but I think Ayra would get tired of her pretty quickly.

What kind of age gap is there between Antavia and Josiah? What if this was exaggerated? Switched around? What kind of dynamic would you get with an old Antavia and a young Josiah?

Antavia is nearly thirty-six years older than Josiah--old enough to be his mother. If this were exaggerated, she would be more of a great-aunt-figure. Switched around, Josiah would be a conventional and stuffy adult who finds this free-spirited little girl's antics tiresome and lectures her constantly about appropriate behavior. They would probably hate each other. They would probably be each other's nemesis. Josiah would be the sort of adult to have a ridiculous vendetta against a child.

What’s something both Bethira and Ayra find hilarious? Would they enjoy sharing it? What would Antavia think of it?

Ayra's got a hidden mischievous side, but I don't know if she and Bethira would really share a sense of humor. I have no idea what Bethira would find funny; she probably hasn't been allowed to have a sense of humor for a very long time. Antavia, however, can find anything amusing as long as it's at someone else's expense, so she would laugh.

Rietta and Ayra are in an on-going disaster together. Who’s handling it better? Is there a clear leader between them? Are they working together or cracking under the stress?

Rietta would be the quickest-acting; Ayra would be more strategic and practical. Both of them would be trying to lead, which would be a bit of a problem, and they'd end up arguing a lot.

Let’s say Josiah was leading a team built from Antavia, Rietta, and Bethira. Would this position be more likely to be earned, elected, granted by a higher authority, or self-proclaimed? How would you rank Josiah’s leadership skills? Is there anyone in the underling trio who objects? Anyone who's particularly loyal? How functional would the team be overall?

I have no idea what circumstances would lead to this; he would be the only male and might consider that his claim to authority, but Rietta is a reigning monarch, Bethira has been married to two kings and is the mother of another king, and Antavia used to be a monarch. They almost all outrank him. So we'll say that this leadership is self-proclaimed. His leadership skills are big on plans and procedures, but he's a bit too full of his own importance to really be effective. Rietta and Antavia refuse to listen to him. Bethira treats him like a child who needs her help. This would not be a functional team.

Ayra’s been left out of the day’s shenanigans. Is this taken personally? What level of solo shenanigans will they get into if left on their own?

She would not take it personally as long as the shenanigans did not involve anything she has an interest in. She probably went off by herself voluntarily and had some low-key adventures of her own, which she will never tell anyone about.

If you had to choose a babysitter between Antavia and Josiah, who would it be? Who would Ayra choose?

Honestly, I would have Josiah babysit. He has no experience, but he has a greater sense of responsibility than Antavia and would at least make an effort to perform the task well. Would he succeed? Probably not. But Antavia would be trying to palm the child off on somebody else.

Ayra would choose Josiah. Just to make him miserable.

Alright, let’s swap Ayra and Bethira’s stories for a moment. Would they get along with the other’s supporting cast? What’s one big way the stories would change?

Ayra and Bethira are both driven by a sense of duty, but circumstances would make their stories play out very differently. Bethira's looks were (unfortunately) a major factor in both Talfrin's and Andras's wanting to marry her, and Ayra is considered plain by the standards of her day. But let's say they were both still attracted to her. Andras marries her only to find out that she cannot have children (SPOILER: Ayra has a condition now known as MRKH syndrome, in which she was born without a uterus). Delclis is never born, and Andras dies disappointed at having no heir. Talfrin doesn't marry her, because she can't be of use to him. So Delclis doesn't exist, and Elystan's mother is someone else entirely. Ayra resumes a quiet, private life.

Meanwhile, Bethira is the eldest daughter of Odren and Liane and thus the chief bargaining chip for a dynastic marriage (since, unlike with Ayra, there's no concern about her ability to conceive). She is married off at the earliest opportunity--I don't know to whom. Probably not Viori, who would be a little too young for her. Is she happy? Well, that would depend. But hopefully there would be less drama in her life.

Would they get along with each other's supporting cast? Ayra probably would; Bethira probably would.

Ayra, Antavia, and Rietta have all been taken to a mysterious location, and separated. They have not seen their “hosts” yet, but have had time to think about the situation. When they are reunited, Rietta has been replaced with a slightly too friendly, but otherwise identical, impostor. Do the other two notice? Does the discussion turn to escape? If they realize Rietta is missing, what would the others do?

Ayra might notice; she's observant enough. Antavia would be too wrapped up in the Gothic Atmosphere. They might talk of escape, but Ayra is practical while Antavia lives in a fantasy world, so making plans might be difficult. Ayra probably would try to figure out what happened to Rietta; it's advantageous not to lose a significant political figure. But if worst came to worst, she wouldn't hesitate to leave Rietta behind if she felt it necessary. Antavia, meanwhile, would prefer to meet their hosts first.

What’s one goal that Josiah and Bethira could share? What would they think of each other’s methods of getting said goal?

They're both pretty onboard with her semi-adopting him during his time in Corege. Josiah probably wouldn't even realize she was doing it until he starts to get attached. She wishes he would be more upfront with his longing to have a caring parent again and more receptive to be treated like a close member of the family.

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😶 Levico

Levico's resting face is focused but relaxed, although there's a quality about his jaw that suggests a readiness not only to laugh but also to get in someone's face when necessary.

His body language tends to be casually confident--not arrogant but aggressive when required. There's a little drama in his movements leftover from his days as a failed actor, and it's entertaining to watch him read his work aloud and automatically slip back into impressive gestures and pantomiming and the dramatic V (focusing the eyes in a different direction for each character he represents).

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More OC art by the amazing @awesomebutunpractical! This is Rachel on the left and Emenor (Tamett’s older sister) on the right.

Rachel is, as usual, in a state of apprehension, while Emenor is probably playing concertos in her head. As ever, I love how well @awesomebutunpractical captures their distinct personalities and am forever in awe of the beautiful shading work on their hair.

The rest of the set: Rietta and Tamett, Delclis and Elystan, Amarantha and Josiah, Ayra and Ateva, Tietra and Bethira.

Go commission her! If slots are still open. You’ll have to ask.

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@awesomebutunpractical I have the most fun finding mismatched frames for these!

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I've had these prints of @awesomebutunpractical 's art for a while now but needed frames. These are mismatched but I like the effect.

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My OCs Ayra and Ateva, as gorgeously depicted by @awesomebutunpractical.

She did an amazing job on these two. The hair alone is stunning, and the expressions so characteristic. I love how Ayra appears to be standing in the wind and silently daring life to do its worst, while Ateva seems to be trying to diffidently minimize her height despite her demeanor of friendliness. (Not to mention they look plausibly like the half-siblings of her Josiah.) I am repeatedly in awe of how well she captures these characters and makes me want an animated adaptation of this WIP.

The rest of the set: Rietta and Tamett, Delclis and Elystan, Amarantha and Josiah.

Go commission her! If slots are still open. You’ll have to ask.

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More of my OCs from @awesomebutunpractical!--this time Rietta’s mother, Tietra (née Philene); and Delclis and Elystan’s mother, Bethira.

She worked from the descriptions below:

Fifteen years before, Tietra had her dark hair cut in a fluffy fringe over her forehead, and now, when all the women in Dorin were pulling their hair back to pile atop their heads, Tietra’s fringe remained. It had not suited her long oval face then, and it did not suit her now. She looked like a girl who was attending a fancy-dress party as her mother at the same age. The ladies at court whispered about her clothes–still the dusty lavender and gray shades of half-mourning, more than a decade into her widowhood, and so unbecoming to that olive Otionovian complexion. Even her dreamy expression was wrong, for it did not match her dark brows and aquiline nose and gave her eyes an unsettling faraway look. There had been a time when the court had hoped for her improvement upon longer residence in Faysmond, but they had given up long ago.

Without already knowing that Bethira had been born a mere minor nobleman’s daughter, one would never guess it. Years of queenly experience had molded the mask to her face so closely that it was unimaginable that she could have ever been anything less than the embodiment of remote elegance. She was a small woman, but not childlike despite her stature. Her fair skin was bone china, not porcelain. The blonde hair coiled atop her head had started to go silver, and her dark blue eyes, unlike her younger son’s, had lost their naivete long ago. She had delicate pointed features that some men had told her were those of an angel; perhaps they were right, if they had meant a marble one from a graveyard.

...and I love how well she captured the personalities, as she always does. The intricacy of the hair and clothing is stunning.

The rest of the set: Rietta and Tamett, Delclis and Elystan, Amarantha and Josiah, Ayra and Ateva.

Go commission her! If slots are still open. You’ll have to ask.

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Amarantha and Josiah, the last of the set of my OC protagonists by @awesomebutunpractical.

She’s done such an excellent job capturing them as described, especially with the expressions (her wide-eyed observance, his mixture of haughtiness and worry!). I love the detail in the clothing and the color choices too.

The others: Rietta and Tamett, and Delclis and Elystan.

Go commission her!