#guardy's oc: lionel

[guardevoir]

Are you still doing the meme thing? If so, how about 17 (or 18, maybe), 26, 43, 45

First off: I’m ALWAYS doing ALL THE MEMES I’ve ever reblogged. Heck, if you ever want to send in something from a meme I reblogged three years ago, you can absolutely do that. Just… y’know, maybe include a link to the post :P

17. Any OC OTPs?AHJSGFDJAHGSD Absalom and Severin. I did not expect that at all, but hey, it’s a thing now, and I love it.

18. Any OC crackships?Crackships in my hands usually don’t stay crackships for long. I shipped Cathy and Rena in Ghost Stories pretty hard, which started out as ‘ha yeah rrrright, like they’d ever actually…’ and then very quickly turned into ‘… well shit.’

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will?Not really… though I have elected to change a few names, because I accidentally chose ones that were already taken by somebody reasonably well-known. That’s a thing that happens occasionally - but so far I always caught it before I got too attached to the name in question, so that’s fine. 

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess.I actually think I answered that one ages ago, but I can’t be arsed to search for that post, so… yup.They’re usually a tad on the androgynous side, with hair that’s at the very least long enough to be fluffy. I think the character with the shortest hair (random background characters aside) is Oliver the Intern (whose hair is a tad longer than Paul McGann’s in Withnail and I)… or, if we’re talking main characters, Valère.They tend to be short-ish - read as, around 165cm / 5′4″ (which, coincidentally��is the height of their writer) or somewhere in the 170-177cm range (5′7″-ish to 5′10″), which is tall enough to be… taller than I am, but not tall enough to register as REALLY TALL to me personally. They frequently have dark hair and eyes, unless I deliberately go for a different look. They also tend to have hella cheekbones, mostly because it’s A Look and makes shading faces more fun *shrugs*They are usually either quite young (early-to-mid-20′s) and have a somewhat uneventful (or at least angst-free) backstory or are in their 30′s and have a considerably more dramatic backstory. For some reason, Elliot falls into the former category, and Gus into the latter. I don’t get it, but hey.Their backstory frequently includes a dash of dramatic irony that makes them utterly unfit for whatever position they occupy. Their outfits are usually pretty simple: underwear + pants + shoes + some sort of top + vest or jacket + probably a scarf. For the most part, I just don’t know how to fashion. Colors tend to be warm and/or muted - even characters who have a bright color at the very center of their design (Gus - purple, Jaime - red, Elliot - yellow) get some muted version in the final design (Gus - something warm and dark, frequently plum, Jaime - dark-ish red, Elliot - Eggshell yellow).

45. A character you no longer use?Feo, Sharkie and Camilla from the Treasures castJames, also from the Treasures cast, but I haven’t ever posted a picture on tumblr as far as I know.Maccie and Fred, who never had a story of their ownSternchen and Emma (”supervillain” (read as: harmless but slightly annoying Chaotic Neutral/Good) and the detective who tries to catch her).Most of them are really only temporarily misplaced, and it’s quite likely that I’ll dig them out for something in a few years.

[guardevoir]

Also, RE: Equinox, version number hhhgekhgwekqhgrnope:

New plot.

The new version features about half as much Val and Lionel (which is kind of a shame, because I do like Val, but an acceptable trade-off), but in exchange, they’re actually competent for once. I also got to use some of my favorite set pieces from the version before NaNo ‘17, which is nice.

So, Absalom’s an (ex-navy) airship captain for the Coversanian Royal Mail, mostly transporting mail, as well as small goods and occasionally express missives and military stuff, together with his highly unconventional crew and his equally unconventional ship. And then, one day, Severin, an old friend of his he hasn’t seen in ages and also a mostly-retired battlemage, turns up in the air harbor looking for the Equinox, disheveled, exhausted and with half a dozen very confused young wizard recruits in tow, and asks for Absalom’s help in capturing a nefarious enemy spy who’s cruelly abducted the dying king’s only son*.

Absalom’s a tad confused - he’s not even military anymore, he’s basically a flying mailman, for fuck’s sake** - but they go and hunt that spy. 

Except the ‘spy’ is actually Lionel, who is most decidedly not a spy, and Val went with him entirely voluntarily, for certain reasons I’m not going to give away just yet. And then they actually catch them, and shit really hits the fan.

*Why does he, a retired former battlemage with pretty serious magic issues, have to go spy hunting? Mostly because the brass said so, and Severin generally doesn’t question orders, unless they’re obviously morally wrong and/or suicidal, and this doesn’t quite qualify. Also, certain people wanted to keep the whole abduction thing on the down low, for political reasons, which rules out big military involvement. Plus, Severin has a reputation for getting shit done with very little collateral damage. **Albeit a government-employed one, which leaves him with no choice, really.

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yesterday’s doodle thing from my sketchbook!

Sketchbook #5 is super massive, so waiting until I have filled the entire thing and then scanning a “best of” (as I usually do) would be a huge pain. 

Anyway. No preliminary sketches, the entire thing was drawn using only two PITT Artist Pens, in XS and B. 

Val came out okay, Lionel looks a bit meh (but then again he always does), I kind of fucked up drawing Absalom (unfortunate angle + fear = kjafgakj), but Severin came out so well that I may actually finish this up digitally as well.

Also, I love doing very casual semi-calligraphy/hand-lettering

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Probably the best thing about Equinox Version WayTooMany is how Val’s now actively trying to run straight at the problem no matter how deeply unwise that may be instead of... vaguely meandering away from the problem, and how Lionel turned from an annoying, bratty manchild into an insecure and still slightly bratty but also smart and resourceful undergrad student just trying to look out for his reckless asshole of a boyfriend, who also happens to be the heir to the throne. 

I was getting fed up with those two, and now I can hardly wait to get to their part of the story.

[guardevoir]

Today’s doodle sheet - not a lot, because I’m busy, but I wanted to do something. Plus, I haven’t drawn Severin in a good long while and I almost never draw Lionel - mostly because he’s super hard to draw, but doesn’t look like it. 

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The fun thing about the new Equinox plot is that it’s, for a pretty good part, Val and Lionel (about 21-23 years old, both of them) against the rest of the world, with Absalom and Severin chasing them, believing Lionel to be, basically, an Evil(TM) James Bond. 

Even after they’ve cleared that up, Val and Lionel stay in “I WILL FIGHT YOU”-mode for pretty much the rest of the story, and Absalom’s just really out of his depth, because ajksfgakfg they’re so young??? Kids, noooooo :<

(for bonus points, even in this version he used to know Val when Val was a little kid, which doesn’t make it any less confusing)

[guardevoir]

Sketchdump 5.1 - not including [this] thing I already posted, as well as stuff related to the 50 weeks of art improvement thing.

First row: [1] - Had a nasty cold, so I gave Gus a nasty cold, too. Cathartic! [2] - Gus’ rarely drawn historic BFF... who kinda sorta almost murdered him. [3] - Valère. Second row: [4] -  Outline tests featuring a brush pen, an ink pen and my favorite fountain pen [5] -  One slightly distressed Gus and one very surprised Severin. Third row:  [6] - Nananananana- ZUBAT! Fourth Row: [7] - Boredom breeds skulls, apparently. [8] - concept sketch for [this] [9] - Jaime being grossed out. Also, more skull.

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I realized I haven’t been a jerk to Lionel in a while.

(This was a random brush test in Clip Studio because new brushes and stuff.)

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I just procrastinated on playing video games by doing art. Never thought I’d see the day.

Jaime looking like that always means shit’s gonna blow up soon. Lionel kinda happened because... well, I guess you really shouldn’t have [this] on loop while doodling. Captain Floof looking majestic and floofy was long overdue - although the uniform is complete bollocks because I didn’t come up with one yet. Gus is... well, Gus.  And Newt kind of just... appeared... because I love his character design sO MUCH. (also Eddie Redmayne’s face is fucking fascinating, but I digress)

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Random possibly crappy NaNoWriMo snippet from today because I caaaaaan \o/

If you find any mistakes, just keep ’em. 

He almost fell as he tried to avoid Lionel, who quickly reached out and steadied the man, who looked at him with a painfully surprised expression, as if he hadn’t expected him to do so. “Mr. Hayes,” Lionel breathed, shocked, “what ever happened to you?” “Nothing,” was the quiet answer. “Yeah, right.” A tiny huff of breath that might have been a laugh under different circumstances. “I’m tired and cold, ‘s all. Had to check a few things before going to bed, though.” “Ah, so that’s why you-” the ship suddenly dropped a few meters, caught itself and was almost instantly shaken by thunder, far too close by. Then, the Equinox picked up speed with a renewed sense of urgency. Lionel and Mr. Hayes fell to the floor in an ungainly heap, too unprepared to maintain their balance. Lionel got up again fairly quickly, Mr. Hayes not so much - at first he just stayed down, then he struggled to his feet with a quiet groan, nearly falling again. And again, Lionel stepped up and carefully supported him. “Valère was right,” he muttered, “I really am getting too old for this crap.” Lionel shook his head. “Oh, come on, you’re…” he began, before realizing that he had no idea how old the first officer actually was, “… uh. I mean, you can’t be that old, right?” “Thirty-seven. Aboard this ship, that basically makes me a living fossil.” “Anywhere else in this country, that merely makes you a grown-up. Maybe you should’ve just picked another job.” “Gods, yes. Alas, this entire thing kind of just happened while I wasn’t looking.” “Sounds interesting.” “Maybe I’ll tell you the entire story one day… but not today. I’m…” he sighed, the continued, “I guess I’m going to go to my cabin now, to try and finally get some sleep.” -

“Where’s your strange wizard?” Lionel asked, as they stepped into the small, cramped room. Mr. Hayes’ lips twitched ever so slightly - which basically counted as a full-blown smile by his standards. “My strange wizard? Well, I suppose he’s outside, getting on the captain’s nerves. He has never been very good at sitting still, so I’m not too surprised that he isn’t here.”

-

The next morning, Lionel awoke to find the Captain himself at his door, not Absalom, as he’d expected. “What happened to Mr. Hayes?” he asked, mildly concerned. “Overslept. Severin actually wanted to wake you up in his stead, but he somehow got lost on the way, so I thought I’d just do it myself.” “Ah. Well, that’s alright then.” “Hm. Breakfast is in 15 minutes, so you better hurry up and put some proper clothes on; might get a bit drafty otherwise.” Lionel gave the other man an ice-cold glare and snapped: “Well, get the hell out of here then, so I can get dressed.” “Yes, sir, of course, sir,” the Captain mocked and left the room with a sarcastic bow. Lionel sighed as the door finally closed. What a jerk. Pretty, admittedly, and frequently charming enough, but still. What a jerk.

[guardevoir]

One really fun thing about writing from Lionel’s perspective is that he’s so beautifully oblivious.

For example, he’s been angsting about going over a very narrow gangway bridging a fifteen-meter drop for... oh, a few hundred words? Not very subtly, either. And then this happens:

He put a foot on the plank, carefully took the first step. Then the second. The third and the forth… and then he stood on reasonably solid ground once again, to his utter relief. He looked over to Mr. Hayes, but it didn’t look like the man had noticed anything - thank heavens.

Absalom, in the meantime, is rather emphatically congratulating himself on keeping a straight face, after dealing with Lionel being ridiculous for an entire scene. 

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Equinox is that one project in which everyone is kind of a douche and a pain to draw.

One thing Lionel taught me: There’s a surprisingly thin line between “teenager” and “He-Man” with that hairstyle. I tend to err on the side of teenager. 

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I checked my Charahub profiles for the Equinox cast because I couldn’t remember if I’d ever come up with birthdays for those folks and I just realized how much I like some of the things I wrote on there, so here, have some random facts for the heck of it.

Lionel

DOES YOUR CHARACTER COLLECT ANYTHING? supplies for magic rituals. Does he really need ten different kinds of lavender scented candles? nah. Is he going to buy an eleventh kind at the first opportunity because the shade of purple is a tad different? you bet.

WEAPON? the fact that he gets to grade his student's exams hue hue hue. On a more serious note, magic.

Valère

ALIGNMENT? Depends on your point of view...

HOBBIES? Captaining...? Also likes to read.

FAVORITE PLACE? Loves hanging out in unpredictable locations aboard Equinox. The crew's getting rather wary of random nooks and crannies at this point - you never know if the Captain is hiding in there...

WEAPON? Pretty good shot. Also knows how to handle swords, but definitely prefers shooting people in the back.

SMELLS LIKE? TEEN SPIRIT. I'm hilarious. Okay, seriously? He doesn't smell like a whole lot in general. Moth balls if he has to wear the *nice* uniform. Wet wool after flying through clouds. Lavender, after Lionel accidentally emptied a jar of ritual ingredients over his head. You get the idea.

PERSONAL PROBLEMS? YES.

WEARS JEWELRY? Nah, too easy to get that caught in everything. Besides, he's happy if he remembered to put on every piece of his uniform, never mind optional adornments.

FIRST KISS? (WHEN AND WITH WHOM) I don't think he ever has, actually.

VIEWS ON GAMBLING, LYING, KILLING, ETC...? Gambling is fun, lying is a necessary evil, killing is to be avoided.

DO THEY STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN? Depends on what's on the line. Definitely not for his own honor or just the heck of it.

Severin

WEAPON? used to fight with magic, nowadays he just... carefully hides behind Absalom, I guess.

Bonus - Hogwarts houses Lionel is a Ravenclaw, Absalom could be anything except for Slytherin, but I’d probably go with Hufflepuff, Valère is definitely Slytherin and Sev... could be anything, really. Most likely Slytherin as well.

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Also, while we’re on the topic of creative stuff - I’ve been thinking about Equinox AUs a lot while I was sitting about in my tent. I’m not sure what having AUs of my own fucking writing projects says about me as a person (probably nothing good), but if you’re up for me rambling about an Equinox Modern Day High School AU... you can find that under the cut.

First off, ‘High School AU’ is only half-accurate, since it’s really mostly based off my (very much German) school experience. Read up on the German educational system if you dare - I couldn’t explain all that asshattery if I tried.

Lionel probably teaches a universally hated subject - try maths, physics or maybe Latin. Or any combination of that, really. Probably has at least one Ph.D., despite being really fucking young - which everybody ignores. Hates everyone and especially kids but still tries his best not to fuck anyone over too badly. Lives alone in a tiny apartment; has a cat who hates humanity almost as much as he does.

Valère is that one kind of weird but kind of awesome PE teacher. Probably teaches Chemistry, too. Big fan of things that go boom. Loves his job - maybe not for the right reasons (blowing shit up, being a royal pain and getting paid for it? Hell yes!), but he loves it nonetheless. He’s even pretty decent at the actual teaching thing. Has a loyal following of fan... people... because he’s the resident young, curly-haired, slightly ruffled-looking, constantly grinning cutie. Also highly enjoys flirting with a mostly-oblivious and otherwise grumpy Lionel. Actually surprisingly mysterious and secretive for such a sunny person.

Absalom is, at the same time, universally feared and respected... people also accidentally call him “mom” on a nearly daily basis. Which he’s actually kind of touched by. Many of his students are just as protective of him as he is of them.  Avoids giving speeches at graduations like the plague, because he never gets through that without tearing up.  Fair but strict... but also a complete deadpan snarker. Snark-offs with particularly wise-ass students have been known to happen. Teaches Biology and... idk, probably History.  Well-read, smart and genuinely interested in the world around him. Used to be married, but his wive and daughter died in a car accident - which he was told via mobile phone in the middle of a lesson, by the way. He flat-out fainted, scared the crap out of his students by doing so, and ended up taking half a year off to get his life back in order. Which worked... kind of.  Probably also has a Ph.D. (in History, maybe?), but few people are actually aware of that. 

Severin teaches art and music (and also leads the drama group, I guess) and is, without a single doubt, the weirdest person the school has ever seen. He works hard, he parties hard and he looks seriously weird. He also keep awkwardly hovering around Absalom for no good reason. And by no good reason I mean he thinks Absalom is fascinating but he has zero people skills. 

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Today’s super super quick doodles: Project Equinox Valère, captain and very major character, in the upper left corner. Will I ever draw him consistently? Eeeeh... Maybe? Anyway, the picture is decent, in terms of him looking like he’s supposed to. Then there’s Absalom, Val’s second-in-command, to the right, looking uncharacteristically disheveled.  In the bottom row there’s Lionel, my sciency wizard protag, grinning like the little jerkwad he is, and blessedly un-involved former battlemage Severin, who’s only there as a favour to his old commander who, in turn, owed a favour to Absalom’s old captain. Oh, and he has an infinitely persistent crush on - and a tentative but pretty sweet friendship with - Absalom, who tends to get himself into far too much potentially lethal trouble, so that may also be a reason.

I originally wanted to draw them actually doing stuff, but I didn’t manage to come up with anything good.

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Haven’t done much art lately - in part because I did more writing, but also my sketchbook wasn’t very inspiring, somehow, and ALSO because I was kind of stuck, progress-wise, and taking a break for a while actually works wonders when it comes to un-sticking my progress and art style. Screw your daily practice, I do what I want.

Anyway, those two nerds again. Slowly starting to warm up to them, now that I’ve sorted out their backstories and motives. 

I wanted to draw full-body things, but then remembered that I didn’t re-design the outfits yet, soooooo... /cough THEN I wanted to add Absalom and Severin to this, but alas, I ran out of time. I’ll have to do that sometime soon, though.