#purple yarn family

[thelunarsystemwrites]

Hey kid

I’m your uncle

come with me, we’re going to the arcade instead of school

Hell yeah! >:]

[theladyhibiscus]

Not me as somebody who crochets on the reg getting criticisms/unwanted comments about everything I make:

"You always use the same colors" :/

Me: can't help it I'm a thalassophile and therefore I must always use beige, khaki, turquoise, teal, aqua blues, whites of all shades. Let the coastal creations commence!

"Nice bag. You know, that looks perfect to use only for holidays like Easter"

Me: ...my coastal bag is to be used every time I feel like it. What are you talking about.

"Those oceanic colors don't match with your current outfit so don't use it."

Me: it's not about what looks nice TO YOU but what feels right and fun to use FOR ME.

"Why don't you add (whatever) to your creation. It'd look great if you add (whatever). And, how about next time, you actually use a leather bag bottom instead?"

Me: I don't want to.

"You sure can't take a comment or a slight criticism. Why are you like this?" :/

Me: you sure can't mind your business.

"Why are you doing 2 projects at once. Finish one and start the other I don't get it."

Me: oh you sweet summer child ohohoho...you just don't understand the mind of a crocheter do ya?

"You know, if you make something for somebody it sure won't be coastal themed or whatever. You have to try something different."

Me: who said I'm making anyone ANYTHING? They don't want to pay the correct price for a hand-made creation so that won't be happening. Anyway, ONTO THE COASTAL THEMED SCARF!

[tj-crochets]

An update on my art wall!

I made all of this except the mini quilt, which was made by @anotherdayforchaosfay (aka @creations-by-chaosfay, I’m never sure whether to tag the main one or the sewing one, but either way, if you want a quilt, mini or otherwise, I think her commissions are opening again next week sometime?)

[purple-yarn-rp]

so!!i made a little rp alt :3!!

(tagging the family!! so they know)

@thelunarsystemwrites , @italic-doing-random-shit , @karineverse ,and yk @/inka-boi

[thepandalion]

Feeling super validated rn

[fashionsfromhistory]

Jacket

c.1630-1650

Italy or England

Several examples of knitted jackets or waistcosts survive in museum collections are waistcoats, with well-known examples in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (473-1893, 346-1898, 106-1899 and 807-1904). Both men and women wore these items of clothing either as undergarments during the day or as informal déshabillé or undress at home in the evening to provide additional warmth. These items tend to fall into two categories: Italian waistcoats that open down the front, sometimes known as Florentine waistcoats, and those that pulled over the head. Italian waistcoats were knitted using one or two colours of silk yarn, in imitation of patterns found on woven silks, the effect often enhanced with the use of purl stitches. The fine gauge of these waistcoats suggests that they were hand-knitted in professional workshops, using extremely fine metal knitting needles, known as ‘wires’, for wealthy classes to buy as ready-to-wear clothing. The garment is constructed from rectangular knitted sections; two front panels, two back panels and two sleeves. Several have triangular gores inserted to provide additional width over the hips, at home by the wearer or a member of their household. Their name suggests that they were made in Italy and exported to northern Europe, but it is now known that fine silk yarns were imported from Naples to London from the late sixteenth century to supply the native knitting industry. Because knitted waistcoats were for informal wear there are no known sources showing them being worn, making it hard to give them a more specific date. They appear to have originated at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Lady Elizabeth Howard, the wife of Lord William Howard (1563–1640) ordered ‘a pound of woosted for wastecotes’ for 9 shillings in 1618 and the Danish Royal family used knitted silk waistcoats for children’s shrouds during this period. Knitted waistcoats continued to be worn throughout the century. There are records of waistcoats being relined during the course of their use. Sir Thomas Isham (1656/7–81) is billed £1 5s 6d from his tailor for ‘new Lining A Purple and gold Silke knit wastcoate’ in April 1680. There are continuing references to them also in the early eighteenth century, including a London newspaper report of the theft of a ‘green silk knit waistcoat with gold and silver flowers all over it’ in 1712.

Glasgow Museums (ID Number: 29.126)

[actual-sleeping-beauty]

WIP Wednesday

thanks for the tags @paperstorm and @alrightbuckaroo! today for wip wednesday i present to you: nothing! just kidding, i would never do that, i will show you the temperature blanket at the end of this post, but first i have to tell you about my next project that i have been trying to start for 87 years since september. (if you are just here for the blanket, skip to the bottom of the read more.)

so, back in the summer @carlos-in-glasses posted her version of the step by step sweater by florence, and i thought, hey, this would be lovely to make for my grandfather! but the pattern uses wool yarn, and the man will not hand wash a garment. everything he owns has to be able to go in the washer and preferably the dryer, although i could probably convince him to air dry a sweater. maybe.

so anyway, i'm on the hunt for either a cotton or acrylic yarn that is soft enough to be comfortable as a sweater and the right thickness. i have gauge swatched two different yarns at this point. the michael's stores have very limited selections within these parameters, there isn't a joann's close to my college town, and i won't shop at hobby lobby because of the rampant homophobia and smuggling of human remains. so i've been stuck for a while, just endlessly gauge swatching and getting frustrated. (for the non-knitters, a gauge swatch is where you knit a small-ish section to make sure your yarn is the right thickness and you're using the right size needles.)

so then randomly my cousin sends me a youtube short of someone saying they made this sweater with pound of love from lion's brand, which is an acrylic yarn! my yarn woes may be over! of course, the colors i need are not available at the michael's, but that's okay, we're going out on tuesday night and we can check to joann's then. so we go to joann's at like, 7:45. the sign out front clearly says it is open from 9-9. all the light are on inside. the doors, however, are locked. my mom and i stood there for like five minutes knocking on the door and waiting for someone to show up, but it was just locked and seemingly abandoned by whoever had been working there? so anyway i STILL don't have the yarn i need and i am starting to think the universe doesn't want me to make this sweater. luckily i am more stubborn than the universe and i will persevere.

and now, the 2022 temperature blanket! i have been working on this blanket for so long that two of the yarn colors i originally picked have changed formulas lmao. but if i had bought all the yarn i needed originally i wouldn't have any space in my closet for clothes, so oh well.

as a reminder, this is the first temperature blanket, which is january to june 2022. mug for scale. it's very stretched out because it is so heavy. i rarely get to use it now that i'm home because my family loves it and always steals it.

THIS is the current wip. it is currently july through most of october 2022. again, mug for scale. i am finally free from the purgatory of purple and red and now i get to enter endless yellow territory. yippee!

tagging: @whatisamildopinion @strandnreyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @herefortarlos @welcometololaland @rmd-writes and whoever else wants to share!

[livi-in-digital-circus]

“The Amazing Digital Family” || a short story for Bunnydoll writing week!

I had so much fun writing these two stories, thank you @beanandberry and @canterbury-bell for hosting this awesome event <3

Jax was more than happy not to take part in the day’s adventure, as it meant he could finally spend some time alone with Ragatha, who was nearing the end of her second pregnancy. Though she had been feeling much worse lately, her smile hadn’t left her tired face most of the time.

Their two older children, Owyn and Ethan, were under the care of their friends somewhere in another realm, where they had been sent for adventure. Caine assured the couple beforehand that what he had prepared was one hundred percent safe for two lively five-year-olds and that nothing would harm them. At first, Jax refused to believe it, even daring to threaten the ringmaster that he would knock every tooth out of his jaw head if anything happened to either of them. Eventually, Ragatha managed to calm Jax down with her presence alone. Due to her weakened state, he became even more overprotective of her, constantly asking if she needed anything or was in pain. Even though it wasn’t the first time they were expecting a baby, the rabbit was even more dedicated. Quite a surprising but positive change in someone like him.

Right now they were both lying on the bed in their shared room. Ragatha was fast asleep, her head resting on Jax’s bare chest. He knew that his scent and warmth were the only things that could make her feel safe and comfortable, even in the worst moments of her pregnancy.

Ragatha would often throw up right after waking up, something that shouldn’t happen after so many months. They all knew that the Digital Circus had its own laws and worked much differently than the real world, but this didn’t even happen during Ragatha’s first pregnancy with the twins. Not to mention that she suddenly felt depressed and stayed in bed most of the time. Caine promised to find out the cause before the baby was born, but to Jax, it looked like he was more interested in creating more bizarre adventures, since he hadn’t found anything yet.

The rag doll shifted uncomfortably and opened her non-button eye, revealing a dark circle under it.

“Is the adventure over…? Where are Owyn and Ethan…?” She asked, her voice trailing off, due to lack of proper sleep.

“Rags, it’s only been about twenty minutes since the adventure started. You should go back to sleep, I’ll let you know when they return.” Jax’s fingers ran gently through Ragatha’s yarn hair, trying to calm her down. He knew how much she worried about her children every time they weren’t around.

“I feel a little nauseous, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep right now…” She groaned, her plush hand going straight to her swollen belly, where her third rag bunny was currently parasitizing, as Caine liked to call it. Jax got up from the bed almost immediately, not even bothering to fix the straps on his overalls, and without much effort, he slid his hands under Ragatha’s body and lifted her off the bed.

It was enough to fully wake the rag doll as she started to yell in protest.

“Jax! Put me down!”

“Why should I? You’re as light as a feather, Dollface.” To confirm his words, Jax raised her higher, surprisingly without a trace of sweat on his purple fur.

“Jax, please don’t lie to me." Ragatha stopped yelling and her voice suddenly cracked. That made the rabbit put his beloved back on the bed. The moment he saw a tear forming in her eye, he quickly realized what he had done wrong and bit his tongue. The same thing had happened years ago, and he should already be aware of it.

Normally, Ragatha cared more about others than herself, including appearance. However, the pregnancy changed her in many ways, one of which was her attitude towards her own looks. She became more insecure about her midsection and would burst into tears every time someone made a comment about it, whether positive or negative. Jax, being Jax, often makes not-so-hurtful jokes about it, often forgetting how it affected Ragatha.

This time was no different.

“Sorry about that, Dollface.” Jax sighed. “You know I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“To say that a pregnant woman is light as a feather is not the nicest thing.” Ragatha sobbed, hugging her favorite horse-shaped pillow.

“Rags, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“One ice cream box, three chocolate bars, a cup of tea, and a foot massage.”

“Noted.” Jax was about to leave the room in search of the aforementioned sweets and drink when Ragatha suddenly grabbed his hand. Despite being a rag doll in a much weaker state than usual, her grip was surprisingly strong.

“No, don’t go. I want you to lie with me, rub my belly, and let me cry on your shoulder.” She pouted. “And I want my food.”

Another sigh left Jax’s mouth. He had already managed to forget how hard it was to deal with a pregnant Ragatha, and even though she was more than close to giving birth, he still couldn't keep up with her cravings. With nothing to lose, Jax opened a nightstand and luckily found an emergency chocolate bar that was kept there in case Ragatha suddenly got hungry and Jax wasn’t around. Though the current situation was different, it was the perfect time to use it.

He handed her the candy, to which she responded with a sparkle in her non-button eye and quickly started munching on it. She seemed more lively than usual that day, which was a good thing compared to her often screaming in pain from the unidentified glitch.

Jax lay back on the bed as well, his hands gently stroking Ragatha’s belly and his face pressed against her warm neck.

“You don’t know how happy I am that you’re feeling better for once. I wish we could stay like this forever, just you and me, away from these annoying losers and stupid adventures.”

“Don’t forget our boys and the little one whose nap you’re disturbing now.” Ragatha let out a soft laugh as she felt the subtle movements of their unborn baby, probably in response to its father’s touch.

“Nah, I’m sure the little one understands perfectly that it’s just their daddy showing how much he loves their mommy.” He left a tickling kiss on the rag doll’s neck, causing her to gasp and shiver at his touch. She knew what was coming, but before she could give in to the pleasure, the door opened with a loud bang and two little rag dolls jumped onto the bed, nearly crushing their parents.

“Mama, we missed you!” They both said in unison, clinging to Ragatha like leeches. Meanwhile, Jax groaned as his sons kicked him in the chest, trying to make more room for themselves right next to their mother.

“Aw, I missed you too, my sweethearts. How was the adventure?”

“More like ‘Why aren’t you on the adventure’?” Jax asked annoyed, trying to be as gentle as possible as he pushed the boys away from him.

“Uncle Caine let us leave the adventure early so we could see Mama!” Ethan exclaimed, his little head rubbing against Ragatha’s back.

“We haven’t seen you and the baby for a few days, we were VERY worried!” Owyn hugged his mother’s belly, his bunny ear listening for any sounds his younger sibling might make.

Because of Ragatha’s condition, the lively twins weren’t allowed to see her most of the time so that she could get more rest. However, each time they visited her, the rag doll’s day would instantly brighten. Tears immediately streamed down her cheeks.

“My poor babies… Mama is feeling much better now that you two are here.”

“Hey, what about me? I’m a poor baby too!” Jax said dramatically, crossing his hands over his chest. He was too ashamed to admit it, but sometimes he could get jealous of his own sons.

“Papa is not a baby! He’s an old man!” The younger of the twins turned to his father and stuck out his tongue. The rabbit felt his blood boil. Ethan was definitely too much like him.

Ragatha could feel the tension in the air and knew Jax was about to say something wrong, so she reached out and gently rubbed one of her husband's ears, which was definitely his weakest spot. He instantly melted into her touch.

The rest of the day they spent in bed, Owyn and Ethan talking about the pranks they had pulled on their auntie Pomni during the adventure. Jax had his arms wrapped protectively around Ragatha's belly while she continued to rub his ear affectionately. The family of four, and soon five, somehow managed to find happiness in this crazy digital world, and sometimes Jax and Ragatha even wished they could stay there forever, just for the sake of their children.

Thanks for reading!

[thelunarsystemwrites]

oh moonlight?

(hands you this lil guy)

AWEEEEE THEY LOOK SO SMOL N SOFFTT!!

They can be friends with Blossom! :0

[dkniade]

Some misc fic recommendations!

-

Teyvat scholar, Venti (ft. Traveler)

“Excerpt from the book ‘Brand New Verses From The Bard of Bards’” by threading_in_dreams (@/a-yarn-of-purple-prose)

G, 838 words.

canon-typical fragmented publication, Teyvat scholars have fun but also suffer, Poetry, pretend this is a book you picked up in-game, Traveler/Venti if you squint

Pages from a book in which a historian ponders about scraps of poetry found buried under Windrise, and argues they're part of Barbatos canon.

Very fun if you like Venti’s Archon/human personas, poetry, and piecing together information from in-game books!

-

Aether & Paimon (ft. Zhongli)

“Those who share the memories” by liminalpsych (@/liminalpsych-in-teyvat)

G, 3225 words. Fluff and light angst.

Aether POV, scrapbooks, memories, canon complimant, Pre-4.0 update, Liyue Harbor

Stone erodes beneath the fickle breeze and relentless river. Plants wither to be born anew. A flame burns to smoke and ash, and water changes form so often that it forgets even itself. The wind tries hardest of all to forget, fleeing into the far corners of the world to outrun the sands of time.

In the void above, the stars bear lonely witness to mortal memory.

Or: Paimon gets Aether to help her make a scrapbook of their travels. Aether reflects on the weight of witnessing.

Scrapbooking summarizes experiences with many NPCs from World Quests and Archon Quests. This one is kind of structured like an in-game world quest!

-

Cyno, Diluc, Rosaria, Kaeya

“It’s Time To Duel!” by StrangeDiamond

G, 6,688 words, humour.

Genius Invokation TCG, misunderstandings

When Sumeru’s General Mahamatra shows up in Mondstadt, announcing his intention to duel the Cavalry Captain, misunderstandings ensue.

Humour from knights and vigilantes taking things too seriously

-

Childe/Lumine

“A meteor” by blood_orange_juice (@/blood-orange-juice)

G, 350 words, fluff, character study/analysis.

Childe POV, First Meetings, morbid fluff, morbid fluff should be a genre with these two

A white-clad figure carefully threads her way through the crowd below. She moves like flecks of sunlight on water, without bothering anyone. A sign of someone who is fun to fight and it draws his attention for a while.

Childe and Lumine's first meeting from Childe's POV. No plot, only vibes.

-

Shenhe & Xiao, Cloud Retainer & Shenhe

“Like a Pair of Hunting Birds” by yelp

T, 5881 words, hurt/comfort, character study.

found family, trauma, feral child Shenhe, feral ancient Xiao, good and bad ways to manage emotions

"These were granted to me by Cloud Retainer," Shenhe explains, touching the ropes that he appears to be studying. "They bind away my murderous tendencies, as well as human emotion. Two dangerous traits for an adeptus, or for one who walks among them."

Xiao comes a little closer, and circles her. Obligingly, she lifts her hair aside, so he can see the intricate knotwork on her back, and he exhales a sigh or a scoff.

"Shall I unbind you?"

-

Xiao/Lumine

“Skin Hunger” by Mythicamagic

T, 2635 words, hurt/comfort, romance.

insecurity, intrusive and self-deprecating thoughts, some descriptions of violence and gore, body worship, established relationship, non-sexual nudity

When immortals fall in love with each other, they have all the time in the world to explore their relationship; but first comes the insecurities. Xiaolumi oneshot.

Has fun parallels with their wings

-

familial Diluc & Kaeya, Adelinde, Klee, Lisa, Jean

“blinded by love” by li2

G, 6481 words, hurt/comfort, angst with happy ending.

Kaeya POV, unreliable narrator, misunderstandings, temporary invisibility, familial kiss, fluff, skinship & physical touch, sharing a bed

Diluc suddenly becomes unable to see Kaeya. Thinking it’s just Diluc’s usual hatred for him, Kaeya doesn't suspect anything wrong.

Kaeya’s POV for the first half hurts so much but the second half is sweet😭

-

Lumine, Paimon, familial Diluc & Kaeya

“Lamp Grass Guides You Home” by StrangeDiamond

Gen, 6387 words, fluff, light angst.

souvenirs. Chapter 2 has brief mentions of pain, starvation, and violence

After scrambling to cobble together a gift before their Jade Chamber visit, Lumine gets the idea to start collecting small gifts and souvenirs, so she'll always have something to give if she needs to.

Kaeya is the first one she goes to for advice, and he has a lot of good ideas for things she can collect and make, using Mondstadt's regional specialties. He even tells her about a certain souvenir he was once gifted - a charm made of Small Lamp Grass, encased in resin, that he unfortunately lost when he moved. There's a bit more to the story, Lumine learns, when she sets out to make one for him to replace it. There's history linked to the charm Kaeya lost . . . but there are also new memories to be made going forward.

A sweet one about making and receiving gifts

-

Zhongli/Venti, Venti & Diluc (ft. misc adventurers)

“I need to tell him (I can’t tell him)” by asingleqingxin

T, 1949 words, angst, major character death.

Venti POV, mentions Istaroth, set during Chapter 1 Act I’s Rite of Descension, Venti doesn’t know Zhongli faked his death, misunderstanding played for drama, grief, dissociation, Venti loses grip on time period briefly

Oh, that's not good news.

He needs to tell Morax.

...he can't tell Morax.

OR

When the rumors about the Rite of Descension hit Mondstadt.

Angst and misunderstanding from the canon event written from Venti’s POV in Mondstadt

[blood-orange-juice]

Ok, Childe as a wuxia/xianxia trope. It's honestly a bit embarrassing how well this fits.

(blame @a-yarn-of-purple-prose for this post and if anyone here is a wuxia fan feel free to correct me, I'm new to the genre)

Wuxia is a Chinese martial arts fantasy genre you are all familiar with. An adjacent genre is called xianxia, "immortal heroes", it ramps all the fantasy elements up to eleven and skews tropes a bit (we'll get back to that).

A common trope is some kind of unorthodox school/sect or technique, allowing to achieve greater power without the usual decades of training. It could be straight-out evil or just revolving around chaos.

Such a martial school is usually called an evil/demonic sect (sect is more like a clan in that setting, not the modern concept of sect) and their techniques tend to drive practitioners to insanity. Either because they are inherently corrupting or because getting too much power without growing as a person is really not the best thing for your mental health. They are also often cast from hp points.

And then there's the archetype of a demonic sect heir. The best pupil or simply someone who has inherited a lost art. Proud, always greedy for more strength, often noble in some weird way.

*points to our calamity of a boy*

Common elements of such stories include:

Falling into some weird realm or meeting a weird person who teaches the hero a Forbidden Technique

Learning a technique too quickly through some sort of magic/alchemy/memory manipulation

Some people are so singular in their pursuit they become insane (走火入魔)

Ambition bad, loyalty and family good

Conflicting loyalties, generally a conflict between a chosen path and personal weaknesses/attachments (could be both ego and familal love, and this is more of a xianxia trope)

Fits like a horoscope so far but wait.

There's a very interesting case of Korean murim genre (their version of wuxia) where sects are less varied (I recommend this post for a basic introduction) and we get three paths:

Justice/Righteous/Orthodox/Light — theoretically they keep the Evil Faction at bay, and protect innocent people, but usually are corrupt to the core

Evil/Unorthodox/Dark — these try gaining as much power as possible and attempt ruling the whole world

Demonic Cult — usually dont take part in evil and justice battles, follow their own code of conduct based on their religion, value strength above all else.

(I'm sure there's a similar distinction in wuxia too, I just can't find it in the deluge of lore)

"Demonic" is closer to "pagan" or "heathen" than Christian idea of demonic here, their beliefs are often based on Zoroastrianism and worshipping a sacred flame. Do you remember all the Persian themes used for Khaenri'ah? And Surtalogi being the flame on Surtr's sword in Norse mythology. I also had the impression that Genshin gnostic references are based on the Zoroastrian-flavoured branch of Gnosticism.

In murim the trope of demonic sect heir is called "heavenly demon" (I believe, a more correct translation would be "supreme heathen"), they are utterly badass, live for the glory of battle, seem more like forces of nature and follow a very strict honour code often conflicting with normal human ethics.

(do I need to spell it out)

TvTropes also says this about Korean stories:

(do I need to spell it out pt.2)

I'm not sure why a Chinese studio would focus on the Korean version of this trope but I'm sure something like this exists in China as well or maybe there's a popular manhwa that inspired authors.

Xianxia extends the fantastic element further, focusing on Taoist concepts and practices and adding all kinds of magical realms (celestial, demonic, etc) and magical beings and making immortality achievable. I still need to read more about it but if I understand that right, demonic heir trope turns into a demon prince in this case. An actual visitor from the demon realm or a practitioner who achieved immortality through dubious means.

These are fae-coded in a way very similar to Childe and have a certain nonchalance towards things most humans would consider traumatic. They are simply not bothered by them, having a different set of morals or faring from a realm that is much worse.

Our boy isn't that (he's still very much human) but he's aesthetically coded like one, same as Scaramouche is yokai-coded, despite not being a yokai.

So. When people say Childe's arc is a reference to Journey to the West, it's not entirely untrue, JttW is the classic of xianxia genre and Childe does belong to the same genre. He, however, is not Sun Wukong but a different, darker trope.

This also explains why he has that "shonen anime protag but not quite" vibe. Shonen was heavily influenced by wuxia but this trope never quite made it to anime or maybe never became popular enough. It's not a deconstruction, it's a different story. Or perhaps a deconstruction of that different story.

[clovenhoofedjester]

jellicle lineups; part 4/4

I FINALLY FINISHED THESE

grizabella | 🌃 🥀 🍂

i really wanted to mix revival and older replica for this one. the thigh-high boots, sparkly, tasseled dress, and generally the wig are all revival inspired, but the curly fur stays and the makeup is old because i really do like the very dramatic, gothic grizabella looks. her coat is also heavily 2019 inspired with the length and stripey purple fabric

i also was not sure how i wanted to do her hair other than it covering one eye (SHOUTOUT TO THE FANART I SAW WHICH HAD THAT. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE URL) esp the color so i did a gradient of light grey to dark brown, which i REALLY liked ! it also helped me decide that shed be chocolate smoke instead of a tabby

idk. ijust like her

i very much want to emphasize the "proud" and "indomitable" of her character in my portrayal of her; think betty buckley. i think shed be 61 in human years.

jennyanydots | �� 🧶 👠

HER DESIGN... is very similar to her replica one because.... i really like it. very heavy emphasis in how her makeup is sometimes done with the HUGE lower lashes and squiggles. she also gets a cute little pink nose and blue eyeshadow

very 2019 inspired also. the hat, tasseled jumpsuit and bejeweled tap shoes stay ...... but i did want to give her the vest and collar from 2019. i just like that. shes also fat because yes

she remains sweet and nice yes. but i think warsaw was onto something when they made her Like That. shed be 56 in human years

jellylorum | 🎨 💐 👒

i ORIGINALLY drew her design a month and a half ago with the headcanon that shes gus' caretaker but bro. that jellylorum & asparagus jr. & gus family angst potential was too great. so i redid her as looking closer to gus. :3

idk why but i decided to go with a 1940s inspired formal look for her.... i quite like the hat and think it helps her to stand out, so i'm comfortable in that decision. her fur design is also mostly replica inspired. enjoy her neapolitan ice cream makeup too

she also gets a pink nose and her collar from the 2019 version. idk why the collars went so hard in that movie

i LOVE one of her 3 words being practical... yes, she is THE practical cat. i think shed be 59 in human years

bustopher jones | 🌹 🤍 🍛

VERY replica inspired.... with notes of other productions. opera populaire had full glasses bustopher which i liked. an older makeup look also had stripes which i also thought looked nice (and makes him look more related to mistoffelees) ! there are also multiple bustopher designs that have the moustache and beard 2 for 1 dealio..... and decided to incorporate that as well

he also gets the fishbone hanky crevat thing and a fishbone brooch. i almost made his rose white but i liked the contrast of the red. enough that i decided to give him lipstick too . and youd best believe that he has a giant fucking pipe that he smokes out of

i love the idea of him being the older generations' tugger in his time. i believe it. i think hed be like 55 in human years

skimbleshanks | 🚂 🎆 ⏳

I COULDNT RESIST BASING HIM OF THE MOVVIEEEEEE im not sorry that was peak skimble. the whistle and chains, the MATCHING conductor hat and pants, the moustache, the tap shoes..... truly, it was too good. my only regret was that i couldnt show the suspenders in this design because i wanted to keep the vest

i did keep the makeup/fur pattern very similar to his replica design though. idk. its just good. emphasis on the brown in his tail, the brown of his clothes, and the bell

anyone else get handsome gay silver fox vibes from him? anyway [being rushed out the door] i think hed be 56 in human years

asparagus jr. | 🧷 🎲 ⛲

lets go babey asparagus jr. inclusion ! i Really struggled with the clothes because i wanted to include the weird yarn poncho but didnt want to make him look hippyish (hippies are cool it just wasnt the vibe i was going for).... so it is reincarnated as this strange tassel-y scarf shawl thing. idk

he also gets a collar similar to jellylorum's because i like the idea of them living in the same house :^3. his makeup is also pretty different from how it appeared in the 98 version because i wasnt really feeling it. i like stripes. so stripes he shall get

hes also wearing a corset thing. idk what my propensity for designing men with a slightly feminine touch says about me (IM A FEMININE QUEER MAN)

not much notes on his personality other than i think he really looks up to his father (enough that he took on his more dignified name). hed be 57 in human years

gus | 📖 🌌 🔭

MUH OLD MAN... i love him. very much based on a bunch of different replica designs for him. he gets a beard and sideburns because i think i really do love the costumes w facial hair, and i think it just fits. he also gets glasses

he gets the coat and handkerchief (now a scarf) that typically hides the growltiger costume... which has a crisp formal outfit underneath. maybe he takes the coat off during his number to signify having moments of clarity and humor during his song

i do think in my interpretation hes well enough to joke around during his number and play the rumpus cat but like. damn you can tell this cat is old. hed be like 93 in human years

old deuteronomy | 🌕 🍮 ⭐

i have fully abandoned replica deut. say hello to haute couture resplendent transgender old deuteronomy. fit with a gigantic white coat, velvet dress, and gigantic fluffy hat. and yes, she did have 99 wives

she also gets the pendant that she was drawn with in the concept art for the 2d animated movie.... what was up w/ that....

ANYWAY YEAH UH. shes very different from the replica deut and other nonrep deuts mostly thanks to judi dench, with her saying that her version of deut was a transgender woman, and her complaining about not looking regal enough in the movie. here you go girly. the nose freckles/dots from some replica makeup get to stay though

she gets a lot of design notes from her children. the grey from munkustrap, macavitys white eyelashes, eye and mouth makeup, and tuggers cheek heart. shes also a light grey to kind of reflect her appearance in 2019

not much to add here other than i love her. i think she would be 88 in human years

AND THERE YOU GO. AHHHHHHH ITS DONE

[copperhawkthoughts]

Dressed to the Neins 2 - Scanlan

Tumblr gets the design meta that’s too long for TikTok:

When I’m picking a pattern and colours for these, I’m looking at character art, I’m thinking about the character, and sure, a lot of it is picking pretty colours that go nicely and fit the vibe - but there’s a bunch more to it than that. It’s real ‘the curtains are blue for a reason’ hours over here.

imagine there is a brown and white square underneath a pink and purple square, and then a hand reaches out and pinches the pink and purple square in toward the centre on both sides, letting the brown and white square show underneath. Almost like hands extended in friendship peeling back a mask to reveal a soft underbelly. Visual metaphor!

the Juniper green and Pike blue colours are at the centre of the square to represent things Scanlan values most highly in his heart of hearts - not just Pike and his mother themselves, but what they represent - genuine love and family

the ‘heart’ rounds are then bordered by a thin round of the same purple as the background - this is the Scanlan colour

the quatrefoil shape is made up of alternating rows of lavender and magenta - colours that are close to, but not the same as, the Scanlan purple. This represents the flamboyant, carefree, rakish persona Scanlan spends a long time inhabiting - one which isn’t exactly him, in the end

the brown and white ‘underbelly’ rows represent a simple gnome of humble origin. These colours carry on in thinner stripes through the quatrefoil mostly because that’s how the pattern works, but I think it makes a nice representation of how that first Scanlan is never really gone, no matter how deep into his own mythos he gets

similarly, the background is purple because as much as the colourful layers are a persona, that persona is also not not Scanlan

the border row is the Juniper colour again to emphasize how important family is to Scanlan throughout his story - Juniper’s death and Kaylie’s life being major turning points for him

Pattern: ‘Lise’ by Polly Plum (free on Ravelry!)

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Birch, Bison, Evergreen, Summer Sky, Lavender, Huckleberry, Jam Tart, Dark Orchid

[grtmnick]

Regina gasped despite herself. She yanked away the lid to a cardboard box she’d long ago stored in the attic of the Mills’ family mansion. The twisting strands of cream colored yarn, bold royal-purple embroidery, in combination they catapulted her mind back to that fateful day when her legion of black knights ransacked the summer palace, just before she’d cast the dark curse.

There could be no more doubts, Emma Swan was the lost heir to the White Kingdom, and she had assuredly arrived in Storybrooke to reap vengeance upon the former Evil Queen that ruined her life 28 years prior.

The brunette knew she should’ve been angry, distraught, or even terrified of the threat that blonde represented to a victory hard won.

Why then did Regina feel her face flash when she thought of those cascading golden princes curls as they framed so perfectly Emma’s handsome face?

[kittyball23]

The Tough Questions (a Trolls fanfic)

Summary: While attempting to explain the arrival of a new sibling, Bruce’s daughter's line of questioning stirs up some old memories, and reminds him of what is yet to be revealed to his wife

A/N: Taking place before TBT :)

__________________________________________

Art was not Bruce’s strongest suit.

Well, at least art in the pen-and-paper sense (or in this case, a stick and the sand underfoot from the beach). The only art that he had been good at creating was the kind that came out of his throat in a stunning, musical tune. It wasn't quite the same in the illustration department, though. Nevertheless, he tried his best at formulating the figures he was trying to depict. It wasn't for his sake that this drawing was being made. It was for the tall, giggling child who stood just behind him, snickering with each stroke he added to the creation.

"Daddy," she said, a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, "is that supposed to be a dog?"

Bruce turned to look at her. Brenda was a cute little girl, resembling her mother much in appearance with her felt-like skin, striped body, and yarn-like hair. A little white flower adorned her hair just above the right ear, adding a little extra pizazz, though he had to crane his neck a little to actually see it well enough. Err… maybe NOT so little of a girl, he suddenly thought to himself, considering her actual size when next to him. Despite his daughter only being four years old, he was dwarfed greatly, though this was not unusual since she wasn't 100% Troll. Residents of Vacay Island were unique-looking creatures who were at least ten Trolls high and had thin arms and puppet-like features.

As a kid, Bruce had barely been able to depict a Troll in the silly doodles he’d made within the song-writing journal he had. So, trying to make an illustration of his Islander spouse and daughter’s special features was certainly not coming out the best, either.

"No, darling. That's supposed to be Mommy. See?" He pointed out the figure in the drawing who was supposed to be his wife, Brandy.

Brenda cocked her head, pondering, looking at it this way and that, and ultimately giggling again. "Oh, okay, Daddy," she said in a way that was meant to say "Suuuure, I'll believe that dog-looking blob is Mommy."

"Oh, yeah?" Bruce said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes playfully at her. "I'd like to see you try your hand at it."

His daughter immediately stopped laughing. He expected her to meekly step back and allow him to finish, knowing her child-like drawing would probably bear even less resemblance to her mother, but he was surprised when she stood straight up, plucked the stick from his hands and bent down over the sand with a chirpy "Okay, Daddy!" in response. Bruce watched with amusement as she started to draw, but soon that amusement shifted to awe the more she added. By the end of it, Brenda had drawn not only her mother, but Bruce and herself… and it looked photographic!

"Whoa…" he said, unable to help his jaw dropping a little. "Not bad, kid… not bad at all!" He stretched up to ruffle her hair, and she laughed sweetly. The purple-haired smiled at her and pointed at the drawing. "This is our family, right?"

Brenda beamed, proud of her work, and nodded. "Yep!" she chirped.

He grinned and bent down with the stick again. "Well, sweetie, pretty soon it's gonna look like this." He drew a little figurine next to her mother’s, smaller than Brenda’s but still bigger than his. 

"Huh?" the girl was confused. "Who's that?" she asked, but instantly turned around and answered her own question with "Oooohh, Daddy! Are we getting a puppy?"

"What? No!" Bruce was unable to believe that his artistic vision didn't seem to be coming across the way he wanted once more.

"Awww…" Brenda slumped.

"But," he spoke up, patting her hand, "you're getting something even better.”

She gasped. "Oh! Really? What?"

"A baby brother," he responded, "or a sister."

Brenda blinked her large eyes. "Oh," she said after a minute, not so enthused. "Um… well, okay…"

"It’s nothing to be moping about," Bruce said. "Actually, it's something really, really cool!" He spoke animatedly, and Brenda gained curiosity.

"Yeah?"

"The coolest," he assured. "Why, a brother - or a sister - is like a friend who's always gonna be with you. You guys can play and sing and dance - "

"And hug?" Brenda asked, tucking her hands under her chin.

"Yep, and hug!" he replied, tickling the girl at her sides and making her giggle. "And the best part is, you guys will make lots of great fun memories together that you'll keep with you forever."

"And ever?" she chirped.

"And ever.”

"And ever and ever and ever and ever and - !"

"Brenda," the Troll said with warning. She went on keeping that up, there'd be no more cookies before bedtime!

"Heehee, sorry, Daddy," the girl mumbled, shuffling her foot in the sand. In peering down at the drawing again, his daughter’s face lit up. "Wow," she murmured. "Where's he now?" she asked, and then added, "or she."

"In Mommy's belly," Bruce explained.

Brenda was surprised to hear this. "What?" She crossed her arms. "Doesn't Mommy know that we're not on the menu!" she demanded to know.

"Of course Mommy knows.”

"Huh," she said, "then how did the baby get in there?"

Bruce’s eyes bulged. "Uhh…" His face grew warm upon remembering exactly how, but that was not something to be discussed with the young girl. Luckily, Brenda decided she didn't care all that much to know, and piped up with another question in her curious mind.

“Hey, Daddy, everybody has a family, right?”

“Um, yes! Yes, they do,” he answered, grateful for the change in subject.

“So that means you have a Mommy and Daddy too, right?”

“You got that right, kid.”

Brenda nodded, and then shot right out with another question. “Daddy, do you have any brothers?”

She sure IS smart, Bruce thought, a feeling of pride washing over him. Maybe a little TOO smart, he then thought, apprehensively. This conversation was now going in the direction that he hoped it hadn’t. His mind blanked out a second as the recollection of four Trollings came into his thoughts and brought a pang of sadness with it. He didn’t want to answer no, but he didn’t exactly want to go on admitting that he did have brothers, for he knew his daughter would certainly flock him with questions that would require him to reveal much about his boyband past. So, instead, he stuttered an “I… I-I don’t know…”

“What?” Brenda was appalled by his answer. “Daddy, how could you not know if you have a brother?”

“Hey, you know what I do know?” Bruce said, making sure his tone remained as chill as he was hoping it was sounding. “That it is time for bedtime!”

The girl giggled. “Don’t be silly, Daddy, I’m not tired.” But her statement instantly became null and void when she opened her little mouth and let out a big yawn.

The Troll let out a sigh of relief. Whew, what a save! In reality, it was difficult to tell when exactly it was bedtime. The sun on Vacay Island never set. But, in time, he had gotten used to keeping track of the hours in the day. And for his daughter it really was time to hit the hay. “Come on,” he cooed, grabbing her hand and guiding her back indoors and back to her bedroom. Bruce helped in tucking her in, pulling the blanket over her and kissing her forehead.

“Sweet dreams, Bren,” he said.

Brenda yawned again, and sleepily smiled up at him. “G’night, Daddy…” It was only a minute later that she was snoring contently.

__________________________________________

Give it up, Bruce, a voice in the back of his head chimed. They’re already shiny enough.

It was true. There was no need to grab any more globs of the goopy wax and apply it to his collection of surfboards. They were already ready to go, to be grabbed at a moment’s notice and go sailing the waves like he loved to do in the evenings. But Bruce couldn’t help it. The motion of running his hands over the board, of being able to be occupied with something to do was soothing to his nerves. And he had to soothe himself for sure, after the memories of that awful night returned to him.

It’s your fault! the voice in his brain annoyingly shouted. You were the first to quit!

He grabbed more wax and rubbed harder on the board, trying to push away the guilt. No, it wasn’t my fault… not COMPLETELY. Perhaps he had set off the chain reaction. He had known he was a big influence on Clay, so it was no surprise that the yellow-haired Troll had immediately called it quits not too long after Bruce had ripped his purple vest in two. But then he thought about why he and Clay had been so allied.

It’s because of John Dory…

If JD hadn’t gotten on both their nerves, the breakup could have been avoided.

Yeah, that’s right… it’s HIS fault!

But then he sighed. No… it’s not completely. Even though he wanted to pin the blame, he couldn’t. They all could’ve worked things out. But the reality was, they hadn’t.

“Bruce?”

He perked, turning to the sound of the voice. It was that of his wife. His very tall wife. If Brenda was already making him look small, that was nothing compared to Brandy. But they made things work out. Somehow… but they did! Otherwise, Brenda and her sibling wouldn’t exist. 

Brandy peered down at Bruce, her gaze almost knowing.

“Bruce,” she repeated gently, a hand subconsciously reaching up and rubbing a hand against her swollen belly. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Bruce huffed, getting back to his work. “Nothing’s wrong. What makes you think something is wrong?"

“Because you’re waxing down the surfboards,” she stated, as though it were obvious.

Bruce paused mid-swipe. Once again, it was proven that she was his soulmate. She knew him the best out of any girl he’d been with in the past. She’d figure him out in one way or another. There were no secrets between them, as he sought it should be between a husband and wife. No secrets except one. But he would tell her in time.

But… is NOW the time?

“Brucie, tell me what’s the matter,” she insisted. She crouched down, tracing a finger down through his long, flowing purple hair.

“It’s nothing, really,” he said, trying to brush the subject off. But Brandy wasn’t having it.

“Is it about Brenda?” she guessed. She’d known that he had gone to talk to her about the new baby.

“Ehh… sort of…”

Suddenly Brandy narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t have ‘the talk’ with her yet, did you? I told you to save that for when she was older!”

Bruce put his hands up. “No, no! No talk, don’t worry, my love. All I did was tell her about the family. And yeah, she had some questions, that I answered the best I could…” All except that last question, he added silently.

Brandy eyed him a second, and then understanding seemed to flood her eyes. “Ohh, I get what this is about,” she said.

The purple-haired Troll held back a gasp. “Y-you do?” No, she couldn’t possibly know, could she? He was thrilled to know that nobody on Vacay Island had known about his true identity upon his first arrival, and he’d made sure to keep it that way for many years.

Brandy nodded. “Yeah.” Then she smiled. “You’re worried about being a Dad again, aren’t you?”

Bruce relaxed. “Ahhh, yes. You got me there, honey.” He tried to laugh, but it came out nervous-sounding and uncertain.

“Aw, Bruce,” she cooed, scooping him in closer to her. “I know it can be a little scary, but hey… you’ve been doing a great job with Brenda.”

“You mean we,” he said, winking at her, “don’t jip yourself the credit, baby.”

She grinned, leaning down to peck his cheek. “And I can assure you that there’s nothing to worry about this time around. Okay?”

He gave her one nod. Bruce was a little unnerved about adding another kiddo to their family, but he felt even more unnerved in hiding the full truth from her. His gaze drifted to her belly, enlarged with the few months’ pregnancy. “Hey, kid,” he whispered softly, reaching a hand out to caress the bump. “We’ll be meeting each other pretty soon. How’s it popping in there?”

To his delight, he felt a kick in response and had to chuckle. “Yeah, I’m excited about seeing you, too. You’re gonna love our home. And your Mommy,” he said looking up at Brandy fondly.  She was a wonderful mother, the best kind there was. And while they were both still fairly young parents, they found out that they were naturals.

"All right, it's about time we head in for the night. You coming? Or would you rather finish up here?" she asked amusedly.

He smirked. "Nah, I'm done. Thanks."

"Don't mention it, sweetie," Brandy replied, giving him one more kiss before grabbing him and heading for the bedroom. 

As the door closed behind them and she pulled the sheets back, he flopped onto the bed, lying flat. To him, their bed was as big as the ocean, given that he was so much smaller than she. For her, it was just right. Just like their daughter, she fell asleep quickly, understandably so with how the growing life in her belly was making her energy drain quicker throughout the day. Bruce had a bit harder of a time falling asleep though, still fretting over his inability to just admit it to her already.

I will tell her, he told himself. When the time is right. I promise, Brandy...

Bruce looked over at his wife, his heart full.

I promise.

__________________________________________

A/N: This follows the headcanon I have that all of Bruce's kids' names start with "Br"

[smolandweirdwriter]

Adaine definitely took up crochet or knitting over a winter break and ended up drafting spells like an improved mage hand to work on multiple projects at once

When Adaine began the process of therapy with Jawbone, one of the first things he suggested was that she find something to do to destress. Growing up, “hobbies” hadn’t been common in the Abernant family. After all, something to do in your free time necessitated, well, having free time. And why would you fill time (endless, immortal time) with something inherently unproductive, when you could be studying? 

But when her anxiety crept up behind her and gripped the back of her throat in a chokehold, when she couldn’t think or work from the sheer stress of doing so, Jawbone had suggested she find an outlet for her tension. 

She tried a few things but nothing really stuck. Besides, it was junior year. She was busy. She was stressed and her anxiety meds weren’t helping, but she didn’t have time to focus on that. During winter break, before they even begun packing for Fallinel, Adaine and Kristen had been hanging out in Kristen’s room so Adaine could help Kristen write an essay.

She sat down on Kristen’s bed and was shocked by the softness of the top blanket. Kristen noticed and smiled. The blanket was one of her only possessions from her family, something her mother had knitted for her a long time ago. Kristen noted how much Adaine liked the texture and told her that she had some needles from when her mom tried to get her into knitting. She hadn’t really enjoyed it, but she offered the needles and some yarn to Adaine, and helped her find tutorial videos on CrystalTube.

Adaine spent the ensuing days learning to knit. Her first attempts were very bad, little more than tangled balls of yarn in vague lumped shapes. But she liked the repetition of it, liked seeing the way the patterns took shape. She liked the predictability of knowing what the end product should look like. 

Her first proper knitting project was a purple and yellow hat that she shyly presented to Kristen. I know it’s not very good, but— 

Adaine barely got the words out before Kristen jammed the hat on her head and tackled her in a hug. It’s perfect.

Her second proper knitting project, she gave to Aelwyn. A grey hat with cat ears and face on the front. Aelwyn had laughed when she’d first presented it to her, and then proceeded to wear it every day for weeks on end.

With Ayda’s help, she modified a Mage Hand cantrip into what they called Majestically Munificent Multiple Mage Hands (because they liked the way all the M’s sounded together, even if it was redundant. “We enjoy it, and every word serves a meaning in the spell’s description,” Ayda said. “And even if the words are not all necessarily required, our enjoyment of the way it sounds can be compounded with basic utility. Therefore, we should keep them all.” Adaine hadn’t seen a flaw in the reasoning.)

M-M-M-H allowed Adaine to summon two Mage Hands that, by the spell’s parameters, needed to stay within 6 feet of each other. This way, she could knit with magic and work on multiple projects at once, or work on something else while she knitted. 

So Adaine knits now. When she’s stressed, before she goes to bed, after she’s finished her homework or when she needs a break from it, sometimes even when she wakes up. 

She knits hats, scarves, sweaters, blankets. She knits for her friends. She knits for her family. But most of all, she knits for herself.