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writingwithcolor · 1 year ago

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A Careful Balance: Portraying a Black Character's Relationship with their Hair

@writingraccoon said:

My character is black in a dungeons and dragons-like fantasy world. His name is Kazuki Haile (pronounced hay-lee), and his mother is this world's equivalent of Japanese, which is where his first name is from, while his father is this world's equivalent of Ethiopian, which is where his last name is from. He looks much more like his father, and has hair type 4a. I plan to make his character very finnicky about his hair, both enjoying styling it, but also often being unsure how to style it (not in that he doesn't know how to, but has so many options for how to style it, he has trouble choosing). However, I know that there are some very harmful ways to write black hair, especially in regards to how the black character themselves feels about it. Kazuki does not hate his hair, in fact he takes joy in it, and I'm researching black hair and hair styles to be as accurate as possible. But I'm unsure if portraying a black character as occasionally overwhelmed by or vain about his hair is negative. How would you suggest either changing this or making it work? Does it need to be changed in the first place?

Black Character Overwhelmed by Curly Afro Hair

Your Black character wanting his hair to look its best and at times feeling overwhelmed seems reasonable and natural to me. It appears their challenge comes with how to style it. Not so much with struggling how it looks or how hard it is to manage. That is good, as this further helps avoid placing a strong negative focus on Black hair.

Him caring a lot about how it is style should not be deemed vain or frivolous, either. In any case, hair care is self care. There’s nothing wrong with having pride with your hair, especially hair that mainstream society, historically and present, might say is not beautiful. This still matters, even in a fantasy world, since your readers still exist in this reality. It’s empowering and a welcome change to see someone who loves their afro hair, actually.

There are unique factors someone with coily afro hair would experience vs. straight, wavy, or looser curls, but people struggling with their hair (too frizzy, too flat, too limp, too thin, too thick!) is universal.

There is a delicate balance to achieve.

Avoid Writing a Black Hair Journey Experience

An overall negative Afro hair journey might be the reality for many, especially when society deems Afro hair as unacceptable and slaps so many uninvited opinions, laws and policies over its existence and on certain styles (again, historically and very much at present), but that’s the kind of story that is best handled by someone with the background. Someone willing to commit to the research might also be able to pull it off, although it’s truly not the kind of thing an escapism novel needs in my opinion. If the story is not meant to delve into “A Black /Black Hair Experience” then I'd avoid going that route. That is moving a bit towards a struggle narrative, depending on how much it defines your character’s story.

Add positive and neutral hair language and interactions

For your writing, I’d avoid using unchallenged negative language about his hair. Being overwhelmed at times and frustrated is one thing and expected. If his hair is constantly brought up, and is associated with uncontrollable, ugly, or too [insert struggle here], then rethink the direction you’re going.

Add some positive or neutral terms, reactions, and interactions in the narrative towards afro hair, such as describing color and texture.

“His fine coils bounced in the wind.”

“Hair black and shiny”

“She wore her hair in two large, fluffy buns.”

“He admired his fresh, neat braids in the mirror, smiling at his reflection, before turning to leave.”

Another tip: It may have been for research purposes, but leave out any hair number categorizing in the story and rely on description. I’d say this goes for any story, as reading the number would feel off.

“He had coily 4a hair.” Nahh! :P

Also, I would suggest sending all passages that focus on his hair to a Black sensitivity reader for review.

More reading:

~Mod Colette

#asks #black #black hair #hair #afro hair #description #tragedy exploitation #struggle novel #creator responsibility #representation #guides #writeblr

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hhughes · 2 months ago

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how come no one ever wants to talk about how much fun it would be to wedding plan with luke. Guess I'll just sit here with my 87 open tabs and dream by myself.

˖ ࣪ ⭑ ( 𝒂/𝒏 ) . . . um i’ll talk with you about pookie any time nonnie . . .

I just know he would be so so invested in the planning with you. giving so many opinions and thoughts about colour schemes, cake flavours, dinner options. you name it he’ll spend hours researching and and talking with you about it.

he doesn’t even get bored when you spend three hours on the couch telling him about the the different table cloths and why you’re struggling to choose one.

and while luke does care about the little details and he will give you his honest opinion on all of it , at the end of the day he just wants his bride to be happy.

“ happy wife , happy life right, ” he mutters against your head, placing three short kisses on your temple.

“ no not right. I want this to be our perfect day. not my perfect day . . . “ you argue softly and luke cups your cheeks gently between the palms of his hands, placing a cute kiss on your nose.

“ baby, I get to marry the girl of my dreams. I get to be your husband, ” luke says excitedly and your lips can’t help but lift at the glimmer in his eye talking about being married to you.

“ I get to go to bed and wake up next to your beautiful face for the rest of my life. it’s gonna be the perfect day no matter the texture of our table cloths. and if the table cloths mean a lot to you, they mean a lot to me, so we can sit here for another three hours and make pros and cons lists for each one but either way, we’re gonna have the perfect wedding. I promise you, ” luke continues and you turn your head, placing a kiss on his palm before stepping closer and tugging your fiancé into a tight hug.

“ I can’t wait to be married to you Luke, ” you whisper, realizing just how lucky you were to have him

“ I can’t wait to marry you either future mrs. hughes, ”

#luke hughes x you #luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes fluff #luke hughes blurb #luke hughes x reader #꒰ 🗄️ ꒱ — 𝓗hughes #꒰ 📂 ꒱ — 𝓗hughes > blurbs

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bivht · 9 months ago

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Astrology Observations

😎Virgo moons are polite and respectful until you cross their boundaries. But people accuse them of being rude even when THEY were the ones put in a super uncomfortable situation

😎Aquarius and sagittarius placements are free-spirited. You tell them to do something and suddenly it’s an obligation rather than a choice and they don’t want to do it anymore lmao

😎Cancer risings and their low-key unhealthy relationship with food :0

😎Taurus is branded as the foodie of the zodiac but I think Sagittarius is the ultimate foodie

😎I like to see the moon sign as who a person is at their core. And the moon sign in your mercury persona chart is very insightful to how you express yourself.

for example:

Aries moon- expresses themselves passionately, perseverant, doesn’t give up easily, likes to keep things tidy, hard working, could be naggy, aggressive

Taurus moon- sweet and charming way of talking, logical, doesn’t like believe anything without concrete evidence, self care, words of affirmation, has definitive personal boundaries, slow down when you’re eating babes, when they’re toxic they’re some of the worst kinds of toxic

Gemini moon- domicile (home sign), real sweet talkers, witty, critical thinking skills on point, charmers, just the right amount of flirty, know how to talk themselves out of a situation, scatterbrained, PERFORMERS

Cancer moon- sweet, will remember your birthday, wants to include everyone, confused easily, overstimulated easily

Leo moon- humorous, dramatic af, will spread love to whoever gives them attention, gives their love to everyone, critical thinking not their forte

Virgo moon- domicile, polite, respectful, knows how to remain professional in awkward situations, hates the feeling of being stuffed full?? 7/10 full is sufficient for them, due to this they’re usually slim, “perfect” self expression, neat and tidy, expresses gratitude for every tiny thing, eats slowly, critical thinking on point, extremely private (esp. about relationships)

Libra moon- diplomatic, likes to agree, charming, soft and sweet but also vengeful, avoids confrontation, talks shit behind backs instead of addressing issue directly with person

Scorpio moon- opinionated, probably a coffee addict, death stares at people they dislike, private but not the same as virgo, virgos tell you things but won’t go into detail, scorpios just won’t tell you. so fiercely loyal, their charm is fatal

Sagittarius moon (detriment)- happy, seems like they’re always having fun, don’t take themselves too seriously, charmers, funny facial expressions, stuff themselves full. they DEVOUR food, tendency to overindulge so can be chubby cheeked, struggle to articulate themselves in a professional manner, hates being nagged, lacks critical thinking, they get bored easily so consistency is an ongoing struggle, can be flirty

Capricorn moon- logical, down to earth, realistic, charming, articulate, their smart little jokes, a bit reluctant to try new things but they will, loves feeling in control (more than anyone else), really patient, consistency is key, can be rude and dry, may make shy, insecure people shifty

Aquarius moon- they talk in a very self-important way, very recognisable tone of voice, an intellectual, research whore, likes to share their found knowledge with people, lecture people, full of themselves

Pisces moon (detriment)- ehhem OVERSHARER to the T, silly humour, a bit unreasonable as they don’t follow logic, poor critical thinking skills, either super empathetic or lacks any empathy, can be flirty

😎More of an assumption but Leo+Virgo (and/or taurus)= hating slimy and mushy textures like eggplant, okra, durian

😎Chiron in the 6h can be obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness. My brother has this and he will not eat from the same spoon or drink from the same straw as anyone else, not even his own mother. He’s criticized and scolded by his mother because of this

😎A mother with 10h mercury is scrutinizing their childrens’ speaking abilities and how they interact with people in public

😎Aries mars has a fit looking body

😎People with sun 1h in the mars persona chart can seem really athletic

😎Sometimes individuals with neptune hard aspects (esp. square) are accused of having a mental illness (bullied)

😎Mars square neptune is a really anxious placement. Their panic is so clear on their face. They get really nervous about things more than others. Their intentions are confusing and people find it hard to figure out what your intentions for your actions are

#astrology observations #astro observations #astrology notes #persona chart #moon signs #astrology

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py-dreamer · 5 months ago

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@dynamicsimp hope ya like it!

EYESHOT AU DITY

I literally did this in one day- help.

So yeah, I tried out the gosh-dang challenge and honestly?

Quite happy with how it came out! It was very interesting and actually very fun working on a piece with a monochrome pink palette!

Gosh, I haven't gotten to use my REAL lineless style (I use it for stickers but I haven't done any stickers in forever) where all the cel shading is real harsh and as it says in the title: no outline.

Lately, I've been more focused on lighting and texture in my digital works and just making everything 'softer' and more 'realistic' but dang, I forgot how much I missed just using my harsh and more cartoony style.

But because it looked good, here's the one with some light:

I am very happy especially since I do believe there is some improvement in the style.

(In that it doesn't look as amateur as when I first started out. But I think that's mostly cause I used monochrome here)

Does anyone else get that struggle? Feeling like you're not advancing then keep pushing yourself to change and improve but also really missing the original style?

Anyways some of y'all might be wondering where I've been for pride month....

I PROMISE IT'S NOT CAUSE I HATE PRIDE MONTH OR LGBTQ+ PLEASE PUT YOUR PITCHFORKS DOWN!!!!!

Mainly it has mostly been art block and just demotivation especially since I'm STILL WORKING ON THAT BIG PROJECT UGHHGHHHGGGHHGG.

(I'm not blaming y'all I'm just feral)

And just general procrastination.

BUT.

I do have another project in the works. So to any of my lovely marshiemallows who have seen my previous posts,

you'd know that I'm very...opinionated about Macaque. More specifically his attitude in canon and how the fandom treats him.

(Keep in mind the thing was planned before s5)

DISCLAIMER: Again, I do enjoy Mac's character. I just think he's a bit of a d!ck and kinda hates how a lot of the fandom (not all) brushes that over and throws the bucket of Wukong's sins down on the king's head.

(I also would not hesitate to wack him with a stop sign on the chopping block if given the chance /hj)

But without further ado I decided to do something other than complain and present you guys this:

Yay! So if you're into Macaca bullying, join the Mac bullying train! CHOO CHOO!

(also big thanks to @furornocturna for beta reading and helping with characterizations and stuff. There will be another post just detailing bout the fic later but yea go check them out, their work's great)

AND HAPPY ANIVERSARY TO DYNAMICSIMP FOR THE AU!

#lmk #lego monkie kid #my beloved #art #py's_art #lmk au #lmk eye shot au #lmk fanart #shadowpeach #lmk monkey king #lmk macaque #lmk sun wukong #lmk liu er mihou #lmk six eared macaque #the hero and the warrior were like the sun and the moon

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balo-badartist · 2 months ago

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HFDOSN OMG YOUR ART IS SO LOVELY!!

I was wondering if you have any tips to rendering or the way you pick colours?? It's something I struggle with and yours are so vibrant and full of life!

HII I’m actually so happy to answer ur question! I work at the studio I took art classes at to help highschool kids learn the basics to art, so I love teaching a bit of art!!

Mind you, I’m still a younger artist, and I still have a lot to learn. And this is only talking about my style and my tastes! Make sure to look at how the true masters do it too! (My favorite master artists are Redum4, Octahooves, and Matchach on Twitter)

When it comes to rendering, values, and color, it’s all about balance and contrast.

For rending, (at least for my style) it’s all about lost and found edges. Balancing lost edges vs soft edges. Smooth vs textured, harsh vs porcelain.

In my style, I see rendering as a way to convey character and mood. Lost edges equals softness and grace. Found edges equals harshness and severity.

I utilize lost and found edges in this way! In other words, if you ignore balance (such as utilizing many found edges and hardly any lost edges) then give it a narrative/mood reason, I say! :3

But in terms of the basics, lost edges means a smooth surface, a smooth transition from light to dark (or transition of color). While found edges suggests a harsh transition from light to dark. ALSO and probably most importantly when it comes to edges in rendering: Found edges reels the eye in, creating focus. Lost edges typically lose the eye, creating a rest for our eyes. It’s important to balance them for these reasons too!

For colors, it’s all about THE GRAYS. (Ironically enough!) The basics of my coloring method can be described via this sphere:

Basically, a highly saturated color can only have its high saturation in the spotlight BECAUSE the gray tones make it pop by giving the eyes a break period saturation wise. All about contrast!

As you can see, I differentiate the colors and saturations by values. My shadows are deeply saturated, typically warm. (It’s more typical to make the lighter area warm and the shadows cool! But I find that vibrancy comes easier if you desaturated the light, make it colder, and really PUMP UP the saturation and heat in the shadows.) And the areas lit up are typically cooler and have hints of gray in them! This is great for conveying strong direct light (which is typical in my style), and it makes it look as if the light is so powerful it seeps through their skin. You can see how I do this in some of my work, I typically exaggerate these qualities in skin!

You can also do this especially well for skin with melanin!

This also works especially well digitally, because saturation and value works in tangent in the color square! Pure white has no saturation, and the more saturation you add to pure white (the further right you go on the color square) the more value you get.

The use of grays are the most important thing when it comes to vibrancy, in my opinion! Too much saturation is, well, too much. Again, you can disregard this rule if you have a reason for it. Such as a high energy mood or overstimulation you’re trying to convey! Or desaturated to convey coldness, stillness, etc.

Anyways, I hope this made sense! (And sorry about it being more of an info dump than tip-giving >w<) If anyone wants clarification on anything, feel free to ask me in the comments! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

#artists on tumblr #art help #art tips #coloring tips #rendering

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lostlegendaerie · 7 months ago

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Veritas Ratio and Autistic Representation

Chances are you know autistic people in your life; autism itself is a fairly recently coined term, dating back to 1911, and can encompass a wide variety of symptoms and eccentricities which have existed since the dawn of humankind. (The 'fey-touched' child or changeling in European lore shares a lot of traits with autistic children.) Autism is a spectrum, encompassing and overlapping a lot with ADHD and other neurological disorders. There are probably millions of people out there, especially from older generations, who are on the spectrum and have no idea. I did not even get my diagnosis until I was 27.

So it is entirely possible that the creators of Veritas Ratio from Honkai: Star Rail did not intend to write him as autistic and based him on people they knew in their own lives, who, diagnosed or not, are on the autistic spectrum. However, the point of this piece is to talk about the ways in which Veritas Ratio is good autistic representation (in my opinion as a autistic person), and how people who want to write characters like this can take a page out of Honkai's book in their own work.

1) SPECIAL INTEREST. Ratio shows a *staggering* amount of dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and his quest to cure the world of ignorance. This quest of his tends to supersede everything else in his life, with no mention of any friends, family connections or romantic partners in his character story. (Said as a Ratiorine shipper - not sinking any 'ships, here) His dedication to education started early, with reading college undergraduate education levels while still in middle school - seven or so years ahead of his peers. Autism is considered a disability, yes, but it does not exclude you from being smart, and the fixation on your chosen topic(s) can be extremely useful in motivating you to reach the top of your field. His path being The Hunt also outlines this dedication; he is seeking his target without rest or distraction.

2) SENSORY ISSUES. Ratio very explicitly can become distracted and disgusted by the feeling of dirt or sweat on his skin, something that tends to be more prevalent with specific clothing textures but absolutely can manifest in a need to feel clean. He also can apparently become very irritated and overwhelmed by lights and sounds, and wears his plaster mask as a way to deaden and deafen the amount of sensory input that he receives. This allows him to think better, and is a fantastic example of what it feels like to suffer from sensory overload. (If you find yourself getting stressed in crowds, try bringing earplugs and putting them in the next time you're in a noisy restaurant and see if doesn't help you out.)

3) STRONG SENSE OF MORALITY. Autistic people tend to suffer from a somewhat black-and-white feeling of right and wrong, and can hold themselves and other people to an extremely strict moral code. This does not mean that they are always correct in what they believe is right and wrong, but it means that they can be extremely passionate about following those rules. Ratio's beef with the Genius Society and their selectivity is indicative of his unwavering passion towards sharing knowledge with the masses, but the tactless way in which he wishes to cure ignorance bleeds into our fourth point.

4) DIFFICULTY WITH SOCIAL CUES. In one of his earlier conversations with Aventurine (where he is clearly irritated at how careless Aventurine seems to be about their entire mission), Ratio inadvertently insults Aventurine's his lack of education and parents. He apologizes afterwards, stating he did not intend to come across that way, but he maintains the same imperious tone of voice. Autistic people often, but not always, struggle with social cues and can often be considered rude when we are trying to be direct and easily understood; and we can especially struggle with understanding sarcasm or sounding sarcastic when we intend to be sincere.

With my reasons for believing Ratio to be Autistic coded firmly established, let's move onto why I think he is good representation. The two most important parts of representation, in my lived experience as an Autistic person, are RELATABILITY and EMPATHY.

Ratio exhibits some of the same mentalities and symptoms I've had, such as being misunderstood and accidentally offending people and becoming extremely stressed in large crowds due to overstimulation, so he checks off the first box. But the way that the other characters in the game respect him and do not ridicule him for his eccentricities marks the second. Whether in marketing material or in character dialogue options, Ratio's love of baths, his plaster bust, and his ceaseless drive to educate other people (whether they need it or not) are seen as charming and generally positive, and those attributes are not constantly brought up (and mocked) in his interactions and dialogue with other characters. Aventurine doesn't constantly ask Ratio if he needs to leave the Dream to take a bath, and the TB's text conversations with him allow you to engage with his special interests such as his requests for problems to solve and debates to wage against you. He is canonically seen and respected as a brilliant individual, and not reduced to a joke or viewed as comic relief (e.g. Sampo, who almost exclusively is given negative dialogue options for the player to use when interacting with him and who almost every character in the story openly despises.)

Some of you are going to disagree with me in the comments (which is fine, it's my opinion), but for the few of you who read this all the way through, thank you. I hope that this helps you view Ratio and Autistic people overall in a new light, and I am excited to see where else we go from here with him and the rest of the cast!

#saro's writing #hsr meta #hsr ratio #dr ratio #Veritas ratio #autistic experiences

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taxidermycanine · 2 months ago

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Hey not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I'm looking for whoever might be able to offer advice. My wife just told me she's therian today (wolf). I'm completely supportive of it of course. As another wolf therian, do you have any suggestions for things I could do to help her feel more comfortable or support her better?

(Anon ask to protect her privacy because she's self conscious about it)

hi! this is absolutely the right place to ask, welcome :o)

this is very sweet of you to do, and i'm sure your wife appreciates you looking more into therianthropy so you can understand her better!

i hope you enjoy this post, and thank you again for this ask! the tips are under the cut

species affirming 101: wolves and other canids

hello there! struggling to figure out ways to affirm your therianthropy because you don't know where to start? or maybe you're someone who knows a critter personally and want to learn how to make them more comfortable around you? then sit down and get comfortable because this is species affirming 101 (with me, the dog).

before we go into it, please note:

not all of these things are for everyone, and that's okay! do what feels right for you.

i will try my best to provide alternatives for any food recommendations for those of you with dietary needs, but apologize in advance if i fail to do so.

that the most important thing to affirm your species is through taking good care of yourself and spending some time outside to ground yourself. sometimes these things take time, they'll come to you eventually.

with that in mind, let's begin with the first tip!

NUMBER ONE: clothing

whether you have shorter or longer fur, this point can help you either way! the human body doesn't grow nearly enough hair to feel comfortable sometimes, which is why i wear clothes that are fuzzy, warm, and the same color as my fur. this is especially helpful in the colder months.

as for the warmer months, i recommend purchasing things such as tail keychains, trimming your nails into claws, drawing paws on your shoes. even meditating in a wooded area can help somewhat (at least in my own experience).

NUMBER TWO: snacks

usually when people think of species affirming snacks their mind immediately goes to something like jerky, and whilst that can help a few folk, in my opinion it's much too gritty for me to enjoy comfortably. i prefer eating slim jims for the saltiness and fall-apart texture. if you can't eat meat for whatever reason, i recommend experimenting with different types of mushrooms. a popular choice for meat imitation is the lions mane mushroom. when cooked a certain way, it's crunchy, filling and has a tender texture.

NUMBER THREE: ambiance

something as simple as putting on a video of nature sounds can make you feel more at home. i recommend mixing this with den making (making your bed feel more like a den by adding lots of blankets, going under them to sleep for coverage, maybe a chair or two to keep the entrance visable. i find having some sort of floor mattress works best for this sort of thing)

NUMBER FOUR: comforts

stuffed animals of your theriotype are always a nice way to feel less lonely, especially if you feel like you're meant to have young. acting like they're your pack, your litter, or simply just your belongings can provide heavy comfort during times of feeling isolated.

if you feel like you shouldn't have stuffed animals because you aren't a domestic breed, you shouldn't worry about that. One, you can do whatever you want forerver. Two, there have been many cases of animals finding things like stuffed animals and playing with them, look at this guy!

NUMBER FIVE: socializing

as canines are social animals, it's important for you to spend time with others, therian or non-therian. if you have human friends, or a human partner, great! if they're comfortable with it, you can have them pet you if you'd like. maybe ask to go on a walk with them for a more discreet option.

i'd also recommend making friends who are also therian so you have others to relate to. it's important to realize that you are not alone in this, and there are so many who feel the way you do right now. if you make some irl, go to the forest together! play in the river! if you're stuck to being online friends for however long, make moodboards! play online games where you can be an animal together! roleplay if that's more your speed! there's plenty to do with loved ones.

for now, that's all i can think of. for the anon though here's a little more just for you, i wish you and your partner the best.

be there for her, tell her that her being a therian doesn't make you love her any less and that you find her therianthropy beautiful. ask her about what she'd like you to do to help with species dysphoria, if she has any. research about her theriotype with her to show her that you care about it. as another wolf therian myself, the thing that helped me the most is having my own partner be there for me. canines are social animals, be social with her.

my love to you both,

bandit

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certifiedlovergirlsstuff · 1 year ago

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boys a liar

pairing: ethan landry x female!reader

WC: 3.5K

warnings: SPOILERS (tho you already know cause of the gif), cursing, (back)stabbing, blood. should be it!

summary: he said he would always protect you, he just never said anything about it being from him.

A/N: i got inspired by a charlie walker (scream4) edit where he was shushing kirby after he stabbed her. also don’t think tooo hard about the stab/blood loss logistics. it’s fictional.

been in the drafts since march 21

masterlist / ethan landry

Everything was in chaos. The trap for ghost face instantly goes south, like they usually do.

Kirby disappeared a minute after arriving at the theater leaving your group, Sam, Tara, Chad, you, and Ethan on your own. Unintentionally everyone split up, Chad and Tara going one way, and Sam another way, which left you and Ethan on your own.

The two of you decided to head to the balcony and sit near the railing. The second Ethan sat next to you, you leaned your head on his shoulder and slipped your hand into his, and gave a firm squeeze. Your heart was beating loudly in your ears, it was the only noise you could hear besides your breathing and Ethan’s with his puffs of air ruffling over your hair. Your eyes just stared blankly in front of you, the black robes of ghost faces past in your direct line of sight.

“I don’t like this.” An opinion you’ve withheld. You felt Ethan shifting his head, “I told you to stay home.” “Yeah, but my chances of getting killed would have been a lot bigger if I was separated. Plus I want to make sure you and everyone else are safe as well, we’re all making it out of this mess alive.” You squeezed his hand tighter before bringing it to your lips and kissing his knuckles.

The feeling of Ethan kissing your head made you feel just a bit lighter. You moved your head off his shoulder and stared into his warm brown eyes, his soft gaze fluttering your heart. With your free hand, you cupped his cheek and leaned in with your eyes drooping close, Ethan meeting you halfway. His plush lips were a simple touch of skin before he tilted just a bit, his nose pillowing into your cheek. Your lips moved in a simplistic dance, nothing heating up, just wanting to enjoy each other during a blissful moment of peace before an incoming storm tears it down.

You pulled away first, needing to catch your breath. Your lips were still close, noses bumping into each other and both smiled at the action. Your fingers danced over Ethan’s skin, feeling the texture and bumps, wanting to absorb it all into your skin.

“It’s gonna be fine, sweetheart. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His voice was low, a whisper to your lips. He ran his thumb over your hand. You peered through your lashes at him, “I know you’re lying, but thank you.” You couldn’t guarantee your safety, or anyone else’s. You rather keep your expectations low.

You fully pulled away from Ethan, his eyes watching your every move. You looked over the balcony and saw no one around, it caused worry to fester.

“We should probably regroup with the others,” you stood from your seat and turned to the stairs, but a hand wrapped around your wrist stopped you in your tracks and you looked over your shoulder, “I meant it. Everything is gonna be fine.” Ethan’s puppy dog eyes which would usually melt your insides and weaken your knees only caused a chill over your skin.

“Okay. I trust you.”

How you wish you could retract that statement.

The both of you checked different rooms of the theater, not finding Kirby or Sam. You found Tara and Chad… as they were kissing. You started to walk quietly out of the room when a blur of motion caught your attention.

“Look out!” You screamed, but it was no use as Tara got stabbed in the back by ghost face, Chad holding her body.

Ghost face pulled the knife out and just as he was preparing for another stab you rushed at him and grabbed his arm. The two of you struggled for the upper hand. He grabbed at your hair and yanked it causing your head to bend backward harshly making a yelp fall from your mouth. Being distracted by the tight pull of your hair, your hands loosened their grip on his arm and he took the opportunity to stab the knife into your stomach making you cry even louder. To make matters worse, he started to pull the knife down, ripping apart your muscle and skin tissue. You felt like you could pass out in a blink.

You heard someone scream your name and then you fell to the floor and the knife was yanked out, and your chest heaved for a steady breath. Your body was shaking and you touched a finger to your wound and it was instantly coated in slick blood. Your head was starting to get woozy, black dots were spotting your vision and the ground felt like it was being tipped like you were on a rocking boat in a rocky sea. A warm feeling graced your stomach and back, a breeze kissed your cheek and tickled your ear and if you could focus enough you could hear whimpers and pleading for you.

A hard press to your abdomen made you jerk forward from the floor and squeeze your eyes shut from pain. Your heart was beating frantically and your skin was feeling clammy, tiny sweat drops hitting your eye. Your hands clawed at the person’s hands and arms as they applied more pressure to stop the bleeding. You fluttered your eyes open, trying to keep yourself from slipping into the darkness and to see who was with you. Curly brunette hair was your answer.

“E- Ethan…” you groaned as he pushed harder, “stop, stop, stop! It hurts! You're hurting me!” Tears fell from the corner of your eyes as you tried pushing Ethan away.

“I know, I know, but I have to stop you from bleeding out. Sweetheart, please, come on. Hey, hey, just- just look at me, okay? Just look at me, let me see those eyes I love so much.” His voice was wavering every few words. You laid your head down on the floor, you still don’t know where in the theater, your eyes staring up at the ceiling as you gripped Ethan’s hands in a comforting way.

You didn’t want to die. You made it out of Woodsboro with the twins and the Carpenter sisters, but maybe this was some twisted thing from the universe. Only the siblings get to live in this new franchise, as Mindy would put it. You didn’t want to die. You wanted to live a normal life, not have to watch your back for the rest of your life just because someone was obsessed with horror movies and given ideas by the killers. You didn’t want to die. You wanted more time with your boyfriend, Ethan. The two of you only dated a few months, but you wanted years with him, a lifetime with him.

“I- I don’t wa- want to die… Ethan. Pl- Please.” You choked on sobs and it only caused more pain to flare up.

“It’s gonna be okay, it’ll be over soon. You just need to hold on a little longer.” He moved a hand from your stomach and caressed your cheek, the feeling of your blood touching your skin making the intimate gesture vile.

There was something within his eyes that flickered like a switch. One minute he was looking at you like you painted stars in the sky and the next it was like he was looking at the person he hated most in the worst, a nasty grimace tugging at his beautiful lips.

The hand touching your cheek slipped down and down until it wrapped around your throat and squeezed, tight. Air immediately was cut off and you grabbed at his wrist and tried to pull him away, but he was a lot stronger and in stable condition. You felt his other hand move away but you didn’t notice how he grabbed something from behind him and kept it away from your eye line. He leaned in close, his breath skating across your redding face. You pushed a hand into his face, but he pushed it into the ground and you winched from an unknown object pressing into your wrist.

“You know, (Y/n), I just wanted you to know you were my first girlfriend. And it was a real pleasure for me, first kiss at a party while slightly tipsy, classic. First intimate time together while watching a movie, another classic. Also thank you for taking my virginity, you were lovely.” He sighed, “Honestly… I don’t think anyone after you will be topped. An added bonus, you survived the Woodsboro killings, like come on!” You continue to struggle in his hold as he speaks to your face.

“You know, it was my sister's idea- try and get someone to fall for me. A good killer always has a love interest. And I’ll also be honest… I really like you, maybe even love you, but you have a purpose to fulfill. Along with everyone else.”

“Wha- What is- Fuck you!” “Such a pretty face with a vulgar mouth.” He squeezed tighter and even shook your head. “Now, where was- oh! Right! Well, we’ve reached the third act, as Mindy would say and so it’s time to make some killings.”

In a flash, a blinding heat crept up your side and you tried to gasp for air you couldn’t retrieve. You scratched and clawed at Ethan’s arm just for a simple gulp of air. The pain only worsened when he twisted, you assume a knife, in your side making the spots come back.

He removed his hand just as you were about to pass out and he pulled the knife out before going back in. You screamed and cried, the pain only amplified by the person causing it. You stopped fighting, your will to live slipping from your buttery fingers.

“Shush, shush, it’s okay. Everything is okay.” Ethan cooed in your ear as he stroked your hair from your damp skin. You don’t know what was worse, that he was comforting you just as he stabbed you and broke your heart or that you enjoyed the tiny hint of the other Ethan.

He dropped the bloody knife beside you and held your face between his hands, gentle as always, and he kissed your forehead. You eye the knife and make small moves inching closer. He moved from your forehead to your nose to your right cheek then your left. He pulled just an inch or two away as he looked into your blurry eyes, his thumbs stroking your sweaty skin. At this moment you decided to indulge in the sweet kisses, needing just something, anything. So as Ethan leaned back in you closed your eyes, hand closing around the knife hilt, and got swept away by the familiar rhythm of kissing your boyfriend. Soft and slow, taking all the time in the world to just memorize each other before pulling away.

“You could have been spared if you didn’t help kill him.” He whispered to your lips. His breath hit your wet and parted lips. “Him? Who’s him?” “My brother.” He sighed.

Your brows furrowed, “bro- brother? You- you said he died in -“ “oh, you sweet dumb thing. I’ll spell it out for you. Richie.” Your eyes widened.

“He- he and Amber- they tried to kill us! For a- a- a stupid movie! It was self-defense!”

“And what we’re doing as a family is getting revenge. Hope you understand, sweetheart.”

Your nostrils flared as you got a tight grip and looked directly into his eyes with a straight smile, “and this is just self-defense.” The blade sunk into the meat of Ethan’s side and it pushed him off your body and to the floor beside you. “Hope you understand,” you voiced his words back as you scrambled away, your body screaming at you to stop. Your adrenaline is the only thing keeping you upright.

You weren’t sure where you were running to, turning corners, and being met with a locked door before you had to retrace your steps and go a different route. You found yourself stumbling back into the snack area of the theater and you whimpered as you found Chad lying on the floor with blood coating his Blackmore university hoodie. You wanted to walk to him and check if he was breathing but Tara and Sam were missing and you hadn’t run into Kirby yet.

With a shot of pain and blood spilling with each step, you pushed forward. A hand pressed to the wall was your anchor as you traveled back to the shrine, hoping you’ll find someone alive and not the killer. As you got closer to where you remembered the main theater was, you could hear voices talking, overlapping, or yelling over each other.

As you turned a final corner you peered into the room making sure you were still hidden in the shadows for now. The glass boxes blocked the view but you could see the backs of Sam and Tara, their heads moving as the people around them spoke. You looked further into the room and gasped. Detective Bailey stood with two ghost faces beside him, masks still on their faces. You already knew who one of them was, Ethan, the one with a hand to their side. But the second one you couldn’t think of who, it couldn’t have been Mindy… it just couldn’t have…. could it?

“Mindy?” You heard Sam voice your thoughts after Ethan pulled his mask away. How his face and smile still made your heart thump rapidly.

The final killer revealed themself, “Quinn?” Tara was flabbergasted as was Sam and you along with them as you decided to make yourself known. Probably a bad idea, but you were losing brain cells the longer you bled out, and your decision-making wasn’t the wisest at the moment.

On shaky legs, you made your way to your friends. With a glance to the ground you saw Kirby, beaten and bloody, but her chest was moving so that was a relief. A bloody hand touched each glass case as you walked further, needing all the help to push forward.

“Ah, I was wondering where she went. Seems Ethan already had some fun with her.” “Well, I was the first to get her since she intervened with Tara and Chad.”

Sam and Tara turned your way and the looks on their faces made you feel a bit of relief to know they were worried about you just as you were with them. Tara made her way to you but was stopped by Ethan who stood in front of you and swung the knife in front of her like she was a feral animal.

“Don’t! Don’t touch her, only I can touch her.” He kept the knife held high as he rounded yourself and threw an arm over your stomach and pulled you into his chest. A grunt came out from the impact. His solid frame and weight were a nice wall to keep you upright, so you leaned your head against his collarbones and held his arm as you slumped a bit.

“See. She wants me, always.” “She’s fucking bleeding out, dumbass!” Tara yelled at him as she kept her eyes on you.

“Well, Quinn got a bit too aggressive-“ “Fuck off, lover boy.” “- And I stabbed her two times. But she’s a survivor, she already survived a few stabbings in Woodsboro.” He kissed your temple and in your haze, you smiled at the touch. “She can survive a few more.”

“What the fuck do you even want from us? Can’t you horror freaks leave us the hell alone?” Sam sneered at the three.

“This isn’t about movies. Not a fan of the genre, but my oldest fell in love with them. He wanted to make his own Stab movie since he said the last one wasn't like the originals. But he died before he could, his death is on your hands.” Bailey pointed his gun at Sam.

“Wh- what the hell are you talking about?”

“Ri- Richie.” You muttered out since you knew the answer to her question.

“What does Richie-“ “He was our brother, you fucking bitch.” Quinn pushed Sam in the chest causing her to stumble backward into a display.

“E- Ethan… p-please,” you slid down his chest, his arms holding you tight as your knees touched the floor and he placed your head in his lap. “You’ll be okay sweetheart. After all this we’ll get you to the hospital, I can make an exception for you.” His black glove stroked your cheek. He moved from under you and laid you down between displays and that’s when you passed out.

You felt like you were thrown under a bus and driven over multiple times. Loud beeps echoed in your ears and you wished to block them out but you couldn’t lift your arms without your muscles aching. You tried prying your eyes open, they felt heavy and crusty, your lashes fluttering in your vision. The white light of the room hurt your head and you hissed at the brightness.

You were able to move your head from side to side to look around the hospital room. You were met with Sam hunched over her lap as she twiddled with her fingers, as her hair covered her face.

“S- Sam.” Your cracked voice called out to her making her head jerk up, a smile came to her lips and her eyes were shining.

“Oh thank god. We thought- you passed out as the three of them went after us. I shot Quinn and Killed Bailey…”

“And Ethan?” “Tara stabbed him through the mouth and then somehow he lived to run at us before Kirby pushed a TV onto his head.” She rolled her lips and looked at her hands that rested atop your bedding next to your thigh.

“Oh.” You don’t know what you expected to hear. A part of you was glad that Ethan was dead, he tried to kill you and your friends. But… you’ll miss him. It was like you saw him as two different people. Ethan Landry was sweet and gentle, soft-spoken and smart, and a bit awkward around girls. And then this Ethan… if he was related to Bailey and Quinn, then he was Ethan Bailey in that theater. Getting revenge for his brother no matter what the consequences are, stabbing you and taunting you, using your love for him against you.

“I’m sorry.” Sam touched your arm. “For what,” you shrugged your shoulders and played with a loose string from the blanket.

“That the boy you loved used it against you and manipulated you. After- after what happened in Woodsboro… you were so quiet, closed off. You barely let the four of us in and it scared us. But when Chad started to bring Ethan around and more comfortable with the group… We saw you slowly let your guard down. And I can’t be one to judge, I always have my guard up and I’ll fully be on your side if your wall goes back up as well. It was just really nice to see you be a bit free, enjoying life with a boy you liked and hanging with your friends in a new city.”

The tears rolled from your eyes and down your cheeks silently as you listened to Sam’s words. Ethan helped you be comfortable with yourself again and he just broke it all over again.

“The universe hates us, doesn't it?” You laughed through the tears and Sam joined in, agreeing with you, “but it’s making us stronger. For what? I have no fucking clue.”

You wiped away the salty water, “uh, where’s- where’s Tara and Mindy? Did- Did Chad live?”

“Everyone is alive. Mindy and Tara are with Chad right now since he woke up before you. But I can go get them if you want?” She started to pull away, “no, no. I’m fine with just the two of us for now.” You didn’t want to be alone for even a second.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep? You could use some more rest.” She pushed the hair away from your face, a motherly, sisterly gesture that warmed your heart.

You complied and shuffled around in the tiny bed and closed your eyes. You hoped to dream of warm afternoons, a cool breeze that tangled your hair and kissed your cheeks. You hoped for a nice place in New York with your friends- your family, all of you laughing and dancing around as music played in the background. You dreamed of a fantasy far away in your mind of a tall boy with fluffy hair and gentle eyes, how he would smile at you sickly sweet like honey and he would open his arms for you to run into and give you tight squeezes. He would leave kisses over your face before diving into your lips and melding them together before letting his tongue slip in and his hands would hold your neck as he pushed further. You would pull away just to catch a breath and you both would giggle like school children before you tucked your face into his neck and you would mumble the words into his skin.

“I love you”

...

@astrxq (fellow ethan lover)

#ethan landry imagine #ethan landry #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry x female!reader #ethan landry fluff #ethan landry angst #scream 6 #scream vi #scream 6 image #scream 6 x reader #jack champion

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libellule-ao3 · 10 months ago

Text

HC: Ominis, his eyes and his experience as a blind wizard

Picture Credits: @deathlysallows [link]

Hello,

I was talking to someone recently about Ominis' eyes, and it gave me the idea of publishing these HCs. 🙂

Please note that the ideas and interpretations presented in this post are my 'headcanon', some of which are mentioned/explored in my fanfictions, but not all. I respect and appreciate the different opinions and interpretations that others may have.

My intention is to share my thoughts, not impose them... I'd love to see yours btw. 😊

Approximately 1,560 words at present. This could increase with possible future updates.💚

☆ Ominis’ eyes do not have pupils to let light enter his eye and reach the photoreceptors. As a result, he has no light perception and is totally blind. This lack of pupils, a phenomenon unique even among wizards, is the result of the marriage between his family's consanguinity and Dark Arts, which they practise shamelessly. (Quote: Ominis was born blind and no spell could reverse it)

☆ Besides this absence of pupils, his eyes are distinguished by their density of pale blue radial streaks, which start from the centre of the iris and radiate outwards, against a dark blue background. This pattern gives his eyes a fascinating, dynamic look. Ominis’ eyes are not opaque, milky or cloudy. These descriptors are so often associated with cataracts or glaucoma (i.e. Eye diseases Ominis does not have in my HC) that I avoid using them.

☆ Even when taking on the appearance of a sighted person thanks to the Polyjuice Potion or using Legilimency, Ominis remains unable to see, as his brain does not know how to interpret visual stimuli.

☆ If the Polyjuice Potion had worked, Ominis' parents wouldn't have hesitated to kidnap a child of the same age, sequestering him so that Ominis could take on his appearance, proceeding in the same way as Barty Crouch Jr did with Alastor Moody.

☆ Using a Pensieve does not negate his blindness either. He therefore perceives the memories consulted by this means in the same way as he perceives his everyday environment.

☆ Ominis has a well-developed sense of touch and smell, and his hearing is very acute. However, the acuity of these senses is not superhuman. He has only learnt to maximumly use his sensory compensatory means to make up for the visual deficit.

☆ During his childhood, his parents and siblings, who struggled for a long time to cure his blindness did not value his existence. As a result, Ominis tends to see himself as less valuable than a sighted person, despite what his Aunt Noctua says.

☆ Ominis has never let his blindness stop him from doing what he really wanted to do. On the other hand, as a good sneaky snake, he doesn’t mind using his blindness as an excuse not to do what he refuses to do or... to justify getting physically close to his heart’s desire. "I can’t work with my wand today, can you guide me to the Great Hall?" How can you say no to him when you know his wand [HC link] is so fickle?)

☆ When not using his echolocation spell, Ominis relies on his other senses to understand the world around him. As a result, surprise contacts can be disturbing for him as they abruptly disrupt his sensory perception. This generates anxiety, as he cannot anticipate the contact. But when this is done by people with whom he has no emotional bond, Ominis experiences it as an additional violation of his personal space, which can make him angry.

☆ Before she disappeared, his Aunt Noctua used to embroider hangings for him, which she would then hang in his bedroom. Ominis loved to run his fingertips over the raised patterns and different textures. Even without seeing them, Ominis could appreciate their creativity and aesthetics through touch. He still has a strong taste for embroidered fabrics from this period.

☆ Without concrete sensory experience of colours, his perception of colours remains a mental concept for him. At Hogwarts, he used to ask Sebastian if his clothes matched properly until he was familiar enough with fabrics to recognise them by touch.

☆ Before Ominis got his wand, he had to learn to organise his living space so that he could be as independent as possible. As a result, Ominis is very tidy and always puts his things away carefully so that he can find them more easily and navigate safely. Even in the most intimate moments, he folds and tidies his clothes before attending to his lover... firstly out of habit, and secondly because he finds it very exciting to play with their patience.

☆ For the Gaunt, the family’s image and reputation were of crucial importance. Having a blind child was a source of shame, as it could be interpreted as a weakness in their lineage or a sign of failure. When they gave up hope of curing him, they convinced themselves that a Gaunt could not be born deprived of sight without obtaining a compensatory magical ability, such as the gift of clairvoyance... Reality soon caught up with them.

☆ This umpteenth disappointment, combined with Ominis’s repeated refusal to adhere to supremacist ideals, or to practise dark arts, reinforced the hostility of Ominis’s parents towards him. As a result, the abuse escalated until the terrible episode recounted in the game (negative emotions + intolerance + misunderstanding + social pressure formed a detonating cocktail)

☆ His echolocation spell allows him to navigate independently, but it will never replace sight.

☆Capable of taking initiative, his wand has a will of its own that sometimes comes into conflict with Ominis. When this happens, it is very difficult for him to work with his wand and he may sometimes ask someone to guide him to where he wants to go. If he turns to you in this case, it’s a sign that he has a great deal of trust in you, something he doesn’t grant easily.

☆ The fact that people avoid certain words (see, or look for example) in his presence, or are embarrassed when he uses them himself, metaphorically or simply as a linguistic convention, amuses him and he doesn’t hesitate to play them up.

☆ If he’s not serving himself, he discreetly feels his plate to find out where the food is.

☆ Ominis is very concerned about his appearance because he wants to blend in with society to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Also, he feels more confident with having an impeccable appearance. His obsession: getting a stain on his clothes that he can’t detect. He used to ask Anne to check his outfit several times during the day.

☆ Although many classmates have asked him to touch their faces so that Ominis can “see” them, he has always flatly refused, as he finds it too intrusive. Sebastian and Anne are the only ones with whom he has allowed himself this familiarity... until his fiancée.

☆ Aloof and reserved by nature, Sebastian, Anne and his lover are the only people he accepts hugs from. These have enabled him to obtain information about their appearance, height, weight, hairstyle, morphology and much more...

☆ Wizards of their background were often evaluated on their elegance and their ability to fit into the society at the time. In addition to the classic upbringing of a member of the illustrious Gaunt family, Ominis’ parents insisted he acquire good social skills and impeccable manners, which was not always easy for Ominis.

☆ For he had “automatic, stereotyped and repetitive” gestures (blindism). Swaying his body or turning his head, or repeatedly rubbing his eyes were very severely punished, as were the various postural disturbances inherent in his blindness (head in profile because that’s the ideal listening position, shuffling gait to keep his 2 feet anchored to the ground maintain his balance more easily etc...). As a result, Ominis has become very aware of himself and his body language.

☆ Always with the aim of meeting their standards, his parents imposed a strict education on him, ensuring that he was fully educated in the history of Magic, that of his ancestors, that of the great pureblood families, the evolution of the bonds governing them and the dark arts for which the Gaunt are so renowned.

☆ In Victorian times, professional prospects were rather limited for blind people, even in the wizarding world, and even with the best education. What’s more, the family safe at Gringotts was just a leaky basket, so Ominis’s parents forced him to play the piano hoping he would become skilled and renowned enough to bail them out. As a result, he plays the piano very well, but he is not a prodigy. This skill is the result of long efforts and painful constraints. All washed down with tears.

☆ At Hogwarts, potions classes are the hardest for Ominis to grasp. Too much simultaneous olfactory stimulation, a method of learning ill-suited to the blind as the recipe steps rely on the precise colouring of the brew.

☆ When he's not using his echolocation spell, Ominis hates it when people leave him after a conversation without telling him they're leaving.

☆ Braille appeared in England in 1861, and Ominis learned about this Muggle system of reading and writing from his Aunt Noctua, who was much more open to the Muggle world than the rest of the Gaunt family, who refused to hear about it. He learned it on his own, with the help of his aunt and the house-elf who provided him with reference books.

☆ When he has to use a knife for cooking or in potions class, Ominis demands a perfectly sharp blade that offers a more precise cut with less effort, reducing the risk of slippage and injury, unlike a dull knife, which is potentially more dangerous as it requires more force to cut, making control more difficult.

☆ He doesn’t cut his fingernails, he files them to make sure he doesn’t cut himself.

(These last 2 HC are from anecdotes heard about my paternal grandmother, whom I never knew and who became blind because of cataracts that were inoperable at the time because of certain medical history)

Masterlist

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt headcanon #ominis gaunt #ominis imagine #polyjuice #blindcharacter #headcanon #fanfic ideas

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