#they mostly have a lot of old jewelry and decor

[viperwhispered]

I kept on talking about it, now I finally did it: put together a few outfits for Emi to wear outside the school uniform - once she has the reason to start filling out her wardrobe in Twisted Wonderland, at least.

Ngl, these pull heavily from what I wore at that point in life, with a dash of wish-fulfillment for extra pizzazz.

First of, the casual - when she doesn't feel like dressing up and is just throwing something on:

Add an extra hoodie or something for colder weather.

The strappy - feels a bit extra but like... she would:

Also works with a dramatic blouse with some flowy sleeves (think Morticia Addams).

(There's also a variant of these two known as the "the boyf's not here and I miss him" with one of Jamil's hoodies, probably the one with the flames that he wears with his school uniform. Particularly prevalent during Emi's third year, when Jamil’s away doing his internships.)

Dressing up, tartan edition:

Dressing up, waist corset edition (prob with the prev shoes, I couldn't bother with repeating elements):

Also works with some long, flowy sleeves and thicker tights.

Also like... feel free to throw in spiked wrist bands and belts and things in there, they're definitely part of the assortment, too.

And like, not to say these are the only things Emi has (there's definitely more of like, basics in her wardrobe too, and cozy oversized things to get wrapped up in), but I feel like these gets the general vibes across, especially for the more standout things she likes to wear.

So yeah, it's like... You can often hear Emi coming just from the clatter of chains, especially when she's taking a seat, lol.

Tagging @scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

If you'd like to be tagged for Emi things, just let me know!

[biteofcherry]

Shiny Trinket

Heart of Ruby Masterlist

part of Ruby Garden series

Dom!Ari Levinson x submissive female reader

summary: Don't ever think that your Dom doesn't take your opinions into consideration. Ari's about to thoroughly review your small suggestion about the Ruby Garden club's interior.

warnings: Dom/sub dynamics; bdsm; Dom!Ari Levinson; power imbalance; safe, sane and consensual; established relationship; mild bondage; use of sex toys; explicit s**ual content; very light objectification;

word count: 3.6k

In response to the pleading I wrote something with Dom!Ari to start the weekend. So grab a drink, don't drink it while reading, but hydrate afterwards as aftercare is important even for readers 😂

Head resting on Ari's shoulder, you mindlessly play with the button of his partly-open shirt as your gaze trails across the space. Soft timbre of Ari's voice as your Dom talks to another member is soothing enough that you let your thoughts simply wander.

Dark tones on the walls, which at first sight may look like simple black paint, are in fact a velvety wallpaper encrusted with decorative swirls. BDSM equipment in red leather and old-wood styled designs is mixed with black, French-style furniture; like the curved dresser which drawers are filled with small fun implements, from nipple clamps to gags.

Ornamental iron hanging from the ceilings in various spots around the club serves as rafters to which poor bottoms can be cuffed. The chandeliers, most in red or reddish-gold, a decorative echo of old French districts.

No wonder Ari feels here so at ease. Not only because he owns the place, but because he made it a much kinkier, lush reflection of the New Orleans, which used to be his home. 

You like the quite luxurious feel of the Ruby Garden, with the enticing shades of black and titular red, wood and upholstery that sometimes make you fantasize about past century brothels or private clubs where kink started to bloom amongst bohemian passions.

But there's something missing. At least according to your eye.

"It could use some sparkles," you mutter under your breath, not fully aware you said it out loud.

Ari's legs beneath you jerk up slightly, nudging you as he tilts his head and glances at you.

"Hmm? What were you saying, mon Chérie?" He asks.

Ari never loses his focus on you, even if he's engaged in a conversation with someone else, his instincts are always zeroed in on you.

It's endearing, but sometimes also scary. Especially in moments when you'd rather not have your Dom sense you're about to get into trouble.

"Nothing important," you shrug. "Just that something shiny could be added to the club's interior."

"What?" Ari arches a single brow, now fully looking at you.

"Hey, I find the club very chic and stylish," you playfully tug on the collar of Ari's shirt, "but even with the addition of red it's still mostly masculine. A few shiny trinkets here or there could level it up."

Okay, so maybe you like sparkling things a bit.

Maybe a lot.

Maybe the vanity at your place is stacked with four jewelry boxes that beside your usually worn jewelry contain lots of broken strings of colorful beads, which you didn't have a heart to throw away because they were so pretty and shiny.

"Shiny decorations?" At first Ari looks at you as if you lost your mind, but his eyes slowly darken as he deliberates on something.

You tilt yourself back warily, as much as Ari's heavy arm securing your back allows. You don't trust that look on his face, when his features harden and evil kind of mischief ignites in his blue eyes.

When he gives you that look, it usually means you're about to suffer his wicked ways.

"I think I have to seriously consider such a proposition." Ari hums, tracing his fingertips down your arm.

He gently takes your fingers in his and lifts your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles like a gentleman. Reminding you of the movie vampires you once compared him to, saying he had that southern charm blinding his victim into compliance so that he could rip her apart and leave her body in the bayou.

Ari had laughed then; rich and genuine amusement that carried through his apartment and made your heart flutter in happiness.

Then he'd tied you to a reupholstered Bergere chair and wrecked you to a point that you prayed for being dumped dead in the bayou.

So now that he's dropping into his charming deception again, your heart jumps in reasonable fear. And your pussy clenches.

"Stand up for me, Chérie." He helps you up on your feet, moving along with you, until he's towering over you.

"Remove your clothing, please." Though he's polite, you know it wasn't a request, but an order.

One you don't have much trouble complying, despite there always being that first wave of embarrassment when you undressed fully in the club, since there were always curious eyes around you.

"Wrists, please."

It's an instinct, to place your hand in Ari's grip without hesitation. Even if you're wary of his creative type of evil, you trust him deeply.

Ari's leather cuffs are already in place, always put on before you enter the club floor. Now he links them together, binding your hands. Then he lifts your arms above your head.

Your eyes follow the line of Ari's arms as he stretches them - one hand holding your bound wrists, while the other reaches for a chain hanging from the rafters above.

Uh-oh.

He chains you in place, pulling you up 'till you're balancing on the balls of your feet.

Ari tenderly runs his fingertips along your arms and down your sides, reminding you of his presence and care, despite having just thrown you off balance.

"A second, if you please." He smiles at you, but it's not really reassuring. Not at the moment when you see the wicked hunger gleaming in his eyes.

Ari sways you gently, chuckling when you squeak as your feet slide across the floor.

He moves past you, walking a few steps away. You can hear amused huffs coming from the few people who are around, including the Master with whom Ari was speaking before.

You try focusing on the sounds of what your Dom may be preparing, but the mixture of the club's noises drowns out the quiet slide of a drawer being pulled open.

Ari doesn't take long, but enough for you to start stewing in images running wild.

There's always an element of surprise (to not say shock) when being with Ari. No matter how many details you talk over before starting some scenes, your Master always twists it up and makes your head spin.

He stands in front of you again, steadying your body with a hand on your hip. He lets his gaze roam over you; slowly, so that you feel the burning attention rousing each part of your body.

"I'm always open to suggestions," he says, squeezing your flesh, "so I'll happily consider the option of adding more sparkling elements to the interior."

"But I'd rather keep with the color scheme, okay?" He asks you, as if he was really talking about simple interior design.

You know he's not. You can practically see the cogs in his devious mind twirling rapidly, creating a plan of your demise to the tune of his evil laugh.

You swallow nervously, nodding your head hesitantly.

Then Ari takes something out of his pocket and your eyes widen.

The chain that dangles on his finger isn't long. It has three red, crystal hearts placed evenly across it. And a pair of biting as fuck nipple clamps - each on one end.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" You shake your head, scrambling away as far as your chain allows, which isn't far.

Ari sighs.

He takes one step to the side. Then lands a slap on your ass so solid, that the crack of it echoes through the club and the painful sting makes you jump forward with a shriek.

Rough fingers squeeze your chin harshly when Ari faces you again. his eyes hold a reprimand that's a hair away from punishment.

"Nipple clamps are not on your hard limits list." He reminds you. "Or has that changed?"

"N-no, Sir," you want to cast your eyes down, but with the way Ari's holding your chin you're forced to withstand the eye contact.

"Do you perhaps need to safeword?"

Though his voice is a low graze of displeasure, you know it's at your antics, because Ari is always - absolutely always - serious about consent and safewords.

"No, Sir," you don't hesitate in your answer, even though you know it's sealing your fate.

"Are you in the yellow range? Do we need to pause and talk?"

He would. Immediately. If you hinted at actual discomfort beyond what you could take for your Master.

But you were nowhere near that stage. You were simply fussy and maybe the tiniest bit bratty, which meant you were getting yourself in even more trouble.

"No, Sir," you grumble in defeat.

"Ah, so you're being whiny just for the sake of it?" Ari releases your chin, but his fingers curl instead around the back of your neck as he steps so close to you that his clothes graze your naked skin.

"I don't like nipple clamps!" You blurt out, unable to stop the petulance from spilling.

"Tough." Ari shrugs. "Because I like putting them on you."

"I like how you squeak when I attach them," he murmurs, running his fingertips under the swell of your breasts. "How you pant as you breathe through the pain for me."

"I love how wet you get from them," he pinches your nipples, at the same time capturing your lips in a kiss.

Your yip melts on Ari's tongue, dispersing into a moan the longer he holds your nipples between his fingers.

You'd tell him it's not the clamps themselves that do it to you, but the fact Ari makes you suffer them. Also because his voice, warm and raspy, is like prelude to sex itself and you would get wet and needy from his talk alone.

But any coherent thought leaves your brain when Ari's mouth descends down your neck and onto your breasts. He cups each in his big hands, squeezing. Then his mouth is on one of your nipples, sucking and tormenting it into a stiff point.

He lavishes the other tit with the same voracious attention, tugging on the stiffened peak with his teeth, before releasing it.

Straightening up, Ari holds your gaze as he rubs your poor, tortured nipples with his fingers, wiping away excess of his own saliva, so that the clamps would hold on better.

And then he's attaching the first one; impish glee lighting up his eyes at your hiss.

By the time he secures the other clamp, adjusting the tightness, you're trying to steady your ragged breath and not close your thighs, because your folds are getting puffy and wet.

"See? Shiny." Ari mocks you, flicking one of the crystal hearts hanging from the thin chain attaching both clamps.

The impact, however minimal, tugs on your nipples, sending another zap straight to your core.

"But I think, if we're going for a proper shiny ornament to decorate my club-" Ari's mouth curves in a smirk as he reaches into his pocket once again- "it needs to be opulent."

He lifts his hand up and the first thing that you see is a red crystal heart between his fingers.

Ari turns his palm up and a wave of heat washes over you. A butt plug. Very reasonable in size, but it doesn't change the fact you're still squirmy and shy when your Dom initiates anal play.

You almost caused him a laughing hiccup when you tried to talk your way out of it, by blurting out it's unhygienic.

In moments like that, when you knew Ari was going to push against your resistance, you considered moving everything into a hard limit list. Though Ari had the skill to use kissing alone as a damn torment.

You curse under your breath when Ari moves to stand behind you and kicks your feet wider apart. You catch a small audience glancing your way, quickly shifting your own gaze to the floor.

There's a snick of a bottle being open and then Ari's finger slides between your buttcheeks, smearing a dollop of lube around your rim.

The plug is coated in lube as well, easing its way inside.

Your breath quickens, a whimper spilling on your lips when Ari pushes the toy in.

"Push back, Chérie. That's it," he encourages you.

While his voice is soft and the hand steadying your hip is reassuring, the pressure against your tightest hole is merciless.

“There you go,” Ari forces the whole thing in, tracing the heart-shaped securing end with his finger. “So pretty and sparkly.” 

He pats your ass lightly, rounding you again. A glint of recognition in his eyes tells you that he's acutely aware that you’re settling into every sensation, every part of the scene that’s unfolding. 

Ari knows your body is throbbing with growing need, that you’re focusing on the feeling of your nipples being crushed and your ass being stretched; as well on the helplessness of being bound and naked in front of him. In front of other people, too. And he knows being at his mercy (while also deeply certain of remaining in his care) tops your arousal. 

Your gaze is a little dazed already as you look up at him, a blissed sigh leaving your lips when Ari’s touch marks your body.

He’s tracing lines along your sides, moving closer to caress your back and then up your arms. He draws patterns with his fingertips, then squeezes your ass with both hands. 

Breath hitches in your lungs as Ari crouches down, his hot breath tickling your belly while his large hands grip your thighs. 

For a long moment nothing happens, just Ari keeping his mouth an inch from your wet core as he slides his hands up and down your legs, each time moving them a little higher, a little further between your thighs. 

When his tongue flicks against your clit, your whole body jerks with sensation. The chain clinks, your feet scrambling against the floor, and the heart-shaped weights on the nipple clamps tug harsher. 

“Shh,” Ari coos, wrapping his arms around your thighs to help you steady. 

He works wicked eights on your swelling nub, his tongue putting spells that drive you surely to the edge, but keep away from finishing your torment. 

When he pulls back, you have half a mind to glare at him. The fact he doesn’t immediately retaliate with a swat to your clit only increases your worry. Turns you on even more, as well. 

Ari reaches into his pocket once again. It takes your glazed eyes a few seconds to make out the glint of the implement within his palm. Similar to a minimalistic, curved brooch, with a single red, crystal heart. 

“Oh God, Sir.” You nearly weep, tugging on the chain binding your hands. “Please no, Sir, please, please.”

Ari doesn’t show an ounce of irritation this time, he’s too smug about drawing reactions from your body. Though you are certain that the clit clamp he has prepared for you is for his own amusement, not your own pleasure.  

“Color?” He simply asks, referring to the traffic color system that’s the classic and most basic form of stating your state when in a bdsm scene.

You whine again, because you can’t lie to him and because you’re not even distressed. 

“Green,” you admit, pouting.

You try tilting your ass back, moving your sensitive parts away from the wicked Master with his stupid implements of evil. A smack on the back of your thigh has you yelping and scooting back forward. You earn another slap for glaring. 

“FuckjesusohgodSirfuck-” you babble, eyes screwing shut as Ari pinches your puffy folds together and clamps them.

Your engorged clit is fully exposed in the tear-shaped hole, its sides squeezing it only a tad lighter than the torture devices do your nipples. The heart shaped crystal falls right atop your exposed clit and you know it will bump it with every move. 

Sucking in a breath, you press your lips together and still your body. If you won’t move a single muscle then it will be alright. 

Moderately alright, since you’re suffering already, but better than the-

Your mouth falls open on a cry and your whole body jolts when Ari pats your clit with an open hand. 

Your core burns, walls fluttering rapidly. Your ass clenches too, which in turn leads to a dirty reminder that it's stretched around a plug. Movement causes the chain between nipple clamps to sway, tugging on your abused peaks. 

The heat inside you grows, blood rushing through you and buzzing in your head. 

Lips parted, as moan after moan trickles out, you fall deeper into sensations spreading through your body. Your mind gets a little cloudy, shutting out everything that isn’t connected to your body.

Ari’s touch becomes a beacon, drawing your attention to wherever he points. Light strokes of his hands, instead of soothing your body, escalate the madness. His mouth joins the torment, kisses and bites overloading your senses. 

You keen loudly when he brushes the back of his hand against your trapped, swollen folds. You don’t even register the hum of delight from your audience when Ari taps the crystal over your clit and it bounces, making you cry out.

“Who would’ve thought that a shiny trinket is so whiny?” Ari mocks.

You, amusing him further, whine again, your head lolling forward. 

Ari’s fingers push between your lips, coarse pads rubbing against your tongue. He drives two, then three, almost to the back of your throat. Then withdraws them, a string of saliva stretching between your mouth and his fingers. 

He brings his wet fingers to your clit again, circling it oh so slowly, then flicking the crystal over and over again. 

He gives you short reprieve, enough for the pulsing in your clit to marginally subside. Enough that when he finally takes the damn clamp off, you don’t come immediately from the sheer return of blood to your sensitive parts.

You’re nearly panting and doing your best to keep your legs spread, because if you closed your thighs an inch, it surely would be a stimulation enough you’d orgasm.

Which, actually, is tempting as hell…

You don’t get to try it, however. Ari is pushing between your thighs; pants undone and cock sheathed. 

He grips one of your legs below the knee and pulls it up, wrapping it around his hip. Bending his legs slightly, Ari guides the head of his cock into your pussy. Standing still for a moment, he moves his now free hand to grip your ass and then plunges in one, swift stroke.

The stretch is maddening enough to have you push up on your tiptoes, but Ari drives in to the hilt, sinking himself so deeply that your oversensitive clit crushes into his pelvis.

You come with a scream, body convulsing in pleasure so high it’s almost painful. 

Ari holds you through it, a vein in his neck pulsing as he forces himself to stay still and not fuck into the clenching heat of your cunt. 

When you slump forward, head resting in the crook of Ari’s neck, he teases loud enough for your hazy brain to register and for your audience to hear:

“So much trouble with shiny trinkets. You poke it and it immediately breaks apart.” 

Your incoherent mewl against his neck makes Ari huff a laugh. 

He kisses your shoulder softly then starts moving. He keeps the few first thrusts slow, finding the best angle for his own pleasure. Then steadily increases the pace and the force. 

You start responding, as each push jolts your body and the embers of arousal ignite into flames again. The clamps on your nipples are still attached, pulling on your peaks with each roll of Ari’s hips. His hand on your ass angles, long digits resting atop the crystal of the anal plug and tapping it repeatedly. 

“Oh! Ohh!” Your head tilts back, cheek squishing into your outstretched arm. 

Ari tugs on the butt plug, cock driving into you harder. Among the fizz in your head, you can hear faint jingling - of the chains on the rafter, of the chain swaying between your tits, of the buckle in Ari’s belt. 

There’s also the pitiful babble coming from your own mouth: begging and prayers, all at once. 

Ari’s grunts elicit a special type of pleasure, a certain fulfillment at knowing your Dom is satisfied. That you give him this pleasure. For a submissive like you it’s a gratification greater than your own orgasm. 

Though you sure love the shattering climax that Ari rips from you when he rams into your pussy at a particular angle.

The squeeze of your walls topples him over soon after you. The feelings of his cock twitching inside you makes you sigh in contentment. It always does, whether he finishes in one of your holes, or in your hand. 

You don’t fully register the tenderly spoken “I’ve got you, mon amour,” when Ari slides out of you a few heartbeats later. 

It’s the rush of blood returning to your nipples after he takes off the clamps, that shakes you out of daze. The zap of pain surges to your core in a twisted ripple. 

Ari rubs your nipples gently, easing the ache. Kisses each tip. 

He eases out the plug from your hole, then gathers all the toys into a small zip-lock bag to take it cleaning later. One strong arm around your middle, Ari uses his other hand to unchain you. There’s no stumbling as you sink boneless into his arms, Ari's an expert in catching and holding you. 

With your head resting against Ari’s chest when he sits down on a small sofa, after wrapping you in a soft blanket, you focus on the pounding of his heart beneath your ear and don’t hear the passing comment of one of the Masters about it being a fun idea to have someone be made into a trinket once a week. 

Ari doesn’t mind this type of recurring decoration at the club. 

As for the kind of shiny trinkets you liked, Ari decides on buying you a few sun catchers to hang in the windows, so you could chase the shards of rainbow scattered on the floor and walls.   

[serpentface]

I'm sure you've covered the bug situation at some point, but just because I'm curious and to ask more specific questions: what are the biggest insects one could ostensibly find? Are any insects kept like bees (are there just bees)? Any sort of cultural significance involved with insects?

The bug situation is pretty much earthlike, you aren't going to be able to find any insects bigger than can be found in the cenozoic.

There ARE indeed just bees, they haven't been mentioned a lot since most of my posting is based around Whitecalf's setting and beekeeping isn't heavily practiced in Imperial Wardin (the Hill Tribes are the only people in the region that beekeep as a core cultural practice, and their migrant progenitors May have brought the region's first domesticated honeybees with them) but beekeeping is very widespread. Silkworms are also canon.

The kermes insect and cochineal is canon, and species of both can be found in Imperial Wardin (the cochineal here is closest to the armenian cochineal specifically). Both produce a high quality red dye, though smaller quantities of cochineal are required to make the same amount of dye. A cochineal more akin to the Central American species (feeds on cacti) is found west and south across the seaway, (including parts of Bur), and is the most valued of all (has the highest dye output).

Some of the purely invented kept insects include:

Caviar ants, which are a type of domesticated leafcutter that has been selected for multi-queen colonies and massive egg production. Their eggs and larvae are a STAPLE food in a lot of qilik societies- qilik are primarily carnivorous (specifically insectivorous) and can digest a limited range of plant matter- this is a form of mass agriculture that most readily and cheaply feeds large populations. Caelin and delkhin societies also utilize them (though tend to depend more heavily on large animal agriculture), and some human/elowey societies have adopted them (though virtually never as a staple food).

Silk-orchard spiders, which are a species of colonial spider that can be reared for mass silk production with a stable enough food source. This silk is much costlier to produce than that of silkworms, but MUCH stronger, and is used to make ultra-lightweight armor (it's not going to stop a direct stab of a blade in of itself, but can be highly viable when padded and reinforced).

King locusts, which are domesticated grasshoppers selected to be big (about the length of a human hand), fat, slow, and flightless, and reared as tiny livestock (mostly by qilik).

Two decorative arthropods that are used in the Cynozepal/Ch'Chen regions primarily, which are brooch beetles (a mix of selectively bred and wild-caught beetles worn live as jewelry) and jewel ticks (colorful ticks that rarely transmit diseases to non-mammalian hosts, intentionally allowed to latch as temporary decoration).

(This old post goes into most of these in further detail ft actual illustrations here [x])

---

I don't have Many specific culturally significant insects established but here's what I've got so far:

-One deity in the Burri pantheon is the god of beekeeping (as well as a minor agricultural deity).

-Insects are VERY significant to the Chit-Sut-Susit qilik culture. Most in this group have converted to the Cynozepali Cosmic Dualist religion and do not worship their original gods (the chief of which was strongly associated with butterflies) but retain practices of ancestor worship. One facet of this is believing that each person has two souls, one that remains earthbound after death to guide the living, and one that moves on to the afterlife. Earthbound souls of ancestors take the forms of moths and butterflies, and these animals have a protected and sacred status. Butterflies in particular are associated with masculine beauty (which is primarily being delicate and colorful) and the garb of Chit-Sut-Susit drakes often mimics butterfly patterns.

-The periodical cicada is a symbol of esoteric knowledge and enlightenment in the (pretty major) Eterhimhamdli religion, which is the dominant religious practice east of the Blackmane mountains across many cultural groups (and is a religious minority in Imperial Wardin, mostly brought by Yuroma migrants). This religion's core doctrine recognizes no deities and no individual soul (rather believes that personal experience is a facet of a collective consciousness/oversoul) and the primary goal of its priesthood is accessing hidden knowledge obtained by freeing the mind from the body (through meditation, trance, psychoactive drugs, and trepanation) to tap into the oversoul, and achieving enlightenment through completely freeing oneself of the body's illusions and attaining full experience of the oversoul. The cicada's cycle of 'sleeping' beneath the earth for years, then emerging as one in unison is used as an analogue for enlightenment and the return to the collective. (The Scholarly Order of the Root is a sect of this religion)

-Horseflies are admired by the Tho-Tykoso people (north of the Viper seaway, adjacently north of the central Royal Dain kingdoms). They are noted for being small yet difficult to kill due to their agility, and capable of inflicting great pain and wearing down much larger beasts. Their warrior culture is based mostly around mounted archery using small, nimble khait, and they seek to emulate these qualities. Horsefly symbols are common on khait tack and the clothing of warriors.

[libraryspectre]

Allow me to ramble on the internet about my grandma again

I got much of my diy spirit from my maternal grandmother, who spent most of her time (that wasn't cooking, fishing, gardening, community service, or hunting) doing Art. This could be painting murals on any available surface, hot glueing old jewelry and seashells on things, making elaborate holiday decorations by painting plywood cutouts (cut by my grandfather), glueing ribbons and patches and rhinestones on denim jackets, and, once, making her entire front walkway into a genuinely gorgeous mosaic of broken tile.

The thing is, she didn't have many developed skills. She wasn't a particularly talented painter. But what she lacked in skill she made up for in sheer audacity and an eye for aesthetics, and most of the things she made ended up looking cool and fun/pretty, even if it wasn't my taste (she was VERY maximalist when it came to clothing especially, but I loved most of her painting and a lot of the decor.) She didn't have a lot of money and her materials were cheap - acrylic paint, plywood, garage sale trinkets and goodwill clothing. Tons and tons of hot glue. The corner of the garage where she worked was a wonderland to me, even though it was mostly things like costume jewelry and aquarium beads in old cottage cheese containers.

She was always enlisting me for help - I'd get excited when she told me to wear old clothes, because that meant we were painting. Her attitude was really good for me as a creative kid who struggled with perfectionism. She'd always tell me that if you mess up, you can just paint back over it! "Paint is cheap" was one of her favorite sayings. But the biggest lesson I took away from crafting with her was to customize, to stamp your identity on your surroundings, to take it into your hands to change anything in your environment you weren't happy with. Approach any art project with enough gumption and it will probably be AT LEAST fine - and you can almost always improve upon it in the future. In the meantime, at least it will be yours. And NEVER let yourself be bored when you could be creating.

I've gone down a lot of crafting avenues she never touched - she wasn't one for fiber arts, and I keep falling deeper into that rabbithole. But I've held on to that spirit of customization. I think of her often as I learn new ways to alter my clothes, stumbling blindly into embroidery and rudimentary sewing, bleach dying and fabric paint. I hate the landlord white of my apartment walls and dream of the day I can just paint on them anytime I want. I need to do at least a few seabirds in her honor.

[i-arch-my-backula]

Slashers on Valentines day

Happy Valentines day everyone. I'm single so I don't really have anyone to celebrate with but who cares when I still get chocolate and can watch a campy slasher movie centered around the holiday. This is kind of a random selection of slashers including Danny because he's my baby girl and I saw really cute Valentines day themed fan art of him. Anyway I hope y'all enjoy <3

Includes: Hannibal Lecter, Harry Warden, Candyman, The Sinclair brothers, Amanda Young and, Danny Johnson

Warnings: Mentions of murder and gore kind of

Hannibal Lecter

He's obviously cooking for you today. You're not to step foot into the kitchen because he's taking care of all of it himself. You're getting spoiled today and that's final.

He's going to buy you something expensive that you'll love. It might be a ring or a new bag, maybe an entirely new outfit. Whatever he sees fit to give you. He doesn't expect you to get him anything but if you do he's very thankful.

He's probably taking you to the opera with him. Something high brow and fancy for his lovely s/o, nothing but the best for you on a very special day.

I can see him spending the evening drawing you too. You're probably in his study, drinking wine and doing something relaxing while he sketches you and recites love poems.

Harry Warden

He's going to be busy murdering people on Valentines day so he's not going to be able to do much of anything with you.

But he is going to bring you whatever he thinks you'll like. Flowers, chocolate, a card addressed to one of his victims, whatever he finds he's giving you.

He doesn't really enjoy having decorations up for Valentines day. Having pink and red themed decor is fine with him but explicit Valentines day decorations aren't his jam.

While he isn't there on the actual day, he's going to be there after Valentines day and that's when he's going to shower you with love and affection.

Candyman

It's going to a very romantic day overall for you. Lots of your favorite flowers around your house/apartments waiting for you when you wake up. Maybe some chocolate but probably a little honeycomb too.

He's going to steal you all of the gifts he gets you. Mostly expensive jewelry he thinks you'll like or you've pointed out to him.

Oh and he is most definitely writing you a love letter pages long, listing off every detail of why he loves you and what he would do for you.

Of course he's going to be spending the entire day with you. You're not going out but you're going to enjoy time spent with him in your house together.

Vincent Sinclair

He's going to give you whatever gifts he can make/get you for the occasion. He doesn't have access to most traditional things for Valentines day so it might just be a painting or a love letter, but he's trying ok?

He wants to spend the entire day with you. He usually spends a lot of time with you anyway but especially on this special day. He'll keep Bo away so he doesn't make stupid comments about you two, and Lester won't bother you at all.

He might want to try slow dancing with you since he's never done it before and he sees couples do it in romance movies all of the time. He might suck at it but he doesn't really care because it's with you.

He's going to end the day with a nice dinner between the two of you. He pulled out an old cook book to use for this and he did a pretty good job at cooking it too.

Lester Sinclair

He's going to get you all of the stereotypical gifts, chocolate, flowers, a card, etc. He just loves you so much and he wants to spoil you every once and awhile you know?

He's going to take you out to an actual town where the two of you can really be a couple. You're probably just going to be walking/driving around and getting dinner but it's the thought that counts.

Lots of physical affection too. Like he wants to always have a hand on you today. He thinks that he can't fully express how much he loves outside of giving you hugs, kissing you, holding your hand, etc.

He's probably taking pictures of all of this. I can see him being a sentimental person so spending a special day with you is something that he's going to want to document.

Bo Sinclair

He thinks the whole idea of the day is stupid. But that doesn't mean he isn't going to do something special with you for Valentines day. He can be a gentleman when he wants to and today is one of those days.

He'll probably get you flowers. Nothing too special, he'd ask Vincent what flowers to get if he doesn't know your favorite flowers are. I feel like Vincent could go off on a big thing about the different meanings of flowers but he knows Bo doesn't care so he'll just say roses.

I feel like he would maybe get you a ring that matches one of his. Partly to sell the idea that you're married to victims, partly because he's a possessive guy and likes the idea of you always being reminded who you're dating.

He also expects you to be romantic. He knows you can't do much because you can't leave town without him but he still expects you to do something like cook him something special or write him a love letter if you're that kind of person.

Amanda Young

She also thinks Valentines day is stupid. She's never been much of a romantic and probably has never been in a healthy romantic relationship, let alone an actual relationship.

Like Bo she's still getting you something. If you're like her she's getting you a gothic box of chocolate and maybe flowers (They do sell gothic boxes of chocolate and I'm in love with them).

She will happily go out to dinner with you. She somewhat expects you to plan it and pay for at least half of the dinner. I can see her getting dressed up if it's a more fancy restaurant and looking so pretty.

She's also going to rub it in Hoffmans face that she has a partner who loves her and that she got spoiled while he probably sat home alone doing whatever he does.

Danny Johnson

He's going to make a scrap book of all of his favorite pictures of you and share it with you. Pointing out the ones he likes the best or ones with fun stories behind them.

Because he's an obsessive little shit he knows all of your favorite things and he's going to get them for you. Expect to find your favorite flowers, candy, drink, etc on your kitchen table in the morning.

Maybe does a romantic photo shoot with you. He wants to pick out some aspects of it but will let you pick out outfits to wear. He's going to spend half the time actually taking pictures and half posing you so he has an excuse to touch you.

If you're as morbid and crazy as him then he's going to get you an actual heart. It might be human, it might be an animals heart he got at the butcher, ok it's probably a real heart that he says is an animals.

[whole-circus]

hi! since your requests are open, could I ask for some room hdc?? with characters of your choice 🧎‍♀️

please take care of yourself and take your time!!

Creepypastas room headcanons!

➥ Jeff the Killer, Homicidal Liu, Eyeless Jack, Ben Drowned, Clockwork and Hobo Heart

Oh hi and thank you!! Here you go sweetie! If you wanted someone more then feel free to uptade!! :33

.•┈••✦ 🖤 ✦••┈•.

☆ Jeff the Killer

What a stinky men. Im sorry but his room is messy for sure and you can't convince me otherwise! Dirty clothes, empty cans, leftovers, stains..man, hire him a maid or something. Some dead plants and messy grafitties, stolen traffic signs and construction boards! Propably never in his life made bed, and his sheets aren't changed often.

Definitely has many band posters on his walls too! Maybe some vinyls too?? Mostly the black, red and grey colours can be seen. Hates the big light, so usually sits in dark or with small lamp. His drapes 24/7 covered. He is emo and plays loud music.

Smells like cigarettes and like room that hadn't been aired for long time.

☆ Homicidal Liu

Pretty, clean and organized room! The only 'messy' thing could be mugs he forgot to clean (same tho). Im sure he has gramophone and listen some of this old, silly, romantic songs! Also - a lot of plants, maybe even lego flowers? Couple of this aesthetic posters, some gobelins, small paintings. Photos with his friends, S/O! His bed is almost always well made. He have many books, and an easel (what an art hoe of him).

Mostly green, brown and beige colours. He loves natural light and candles, and if the weather is nice then his windows are open.

His room smells like cleaning detergents, soil and candles (usually the flower ones).

☆ Eyeless Jack

Soo..his room is not as clean, but its caused by his wild side. On his walls and furnitures are many straches from his hands (or even teeth!). Otherwise? You don't have to worry about surviving visiting his room, you have high chance to not caught anything! I would say his room is pretty dark, only becasue his walls are in gloomy colours - maybe not black, but gray, green or navy blue (all in dark shades).

Let's pretend that he actually was into medicine before all his tragic events..pls? Propably has some decorations, like skeleton, anatomy-related posters! Also likes to keep his blinds shut, he is pretty hypersensitive in terms to hearing, sight, smell. And maybe..he would have this small, funny fridge in his room, you know - to keep his..food..fresh!

About the smell..maybe a bit of blood? And something rotten? But its not that strong tho!

☆ Ben Drowned

Musty, dusty and rusty room, but we still love him! He would clean once in a while, and he do that very solid..but that doesn't last long - his room gets messy very easly. When he isnt gaming then he is sleeping..pretty productive, huh? Bed is never made, lots of junk food wrappers, empty (or not) cans..

LED lights 25/8! His room is pretty dark, propably never seen the sun. On his walls are posters from movies, anime and games. Has pretty professional gaming set when it comes to computer (I would describe it but i only know that computer need screen and keybord lol). High chance of having some psp gaming corner! Like bean bag pouffe, TV and stuff. Also! Collects figures like funko pops, anime figures, nendoroids. Ben have pretty nice Lego collection too!

His room smells like sweat and energy drinks.

☆ Clockwork

A bit messy, but in this aesthetic way - in other way, chaos under control! You know, some clothes at the floor or on chair..some dirty mugs..and her trash can is a bit too full..but as I said - everything looks pretty planed..! She has many blankets and plushies (she would never admit to that tho) on her bed.

In her room dominates mostly shades of dark green and white! Has many fun stuff in her room - rocks, animal skulls..sorry fellow animal lovers, promise they were found! But also a guitar! Full jewelry holder - and they are all well made! Thats why they are a bit too messy.. And she keeps many fake plants, she sucks at taking care of them. Clockwork has many string lights in various shapes!

Dunno, but I cant really assign smell of her room! Maybe something like dust and coffee?

☆ Hobo Heart

Ahh I miss this pretty boy to be honest! His room is clean, end of the sentence, thats it. I also think that he would have some pet in terrarium or aquarium - lizard, frog or just some fishes. Even if they are small, he treat them with proper respect and like the family members!

Has white walls with paintings and photos of his friends/SO, but most of the decorations are in shade of red. Also vinyls as decorations and posters of his favorite singers/bands (m sorry but he totally looks like somoene listening to Lana Del Ray vibes T^T) - all in this 'aesthetic way'! Simple light bed sheets, and when his bed is made (which is pretty often) he put pillows that have this silly shapes. Like to keep his room natural lightened and loves candles!

His room smells pretty like vanilia, but its not a strong scent.

.•┈••✦ 🖤 ✦••┈•.

[permanently-stressed]

Give me Biana hcss plz!!!!! literally anything, hobbies, random tics, habits, specific little things likes, dislikes, I love her and I need more from her

also I'm sry but I ship Tiana so maybe no ship related stuff? trying to be polite I swear but typing always comes across so crude I'm sorry!!!!!

I love ur blog thoooo <3

don't worry i got you 🫶🏻

So I'm gonna section these into Canon Abiding and Human AU, because I have a lot of headcanons about Human!Biana

Canon Abiding:

She has quite a bit of a temper when she's completely comfortable with someone.

Losing friendships is what takes the biggest toll on her emotionally, she was very uneasy when Maruca felt neglected

Because really, it wasn't a perfect friendship. They didn't have much in common. They were mostly friends because Alden wanted to be closer to Wylie's family.

She wears jewelry often because she likes to fidget with it.

She's very skilled with making only parts of herself vanish, but she's still figuring out how to only make her body disappear and only leave the clothes (like Wraith)

She uses her old bows to make Lady Sassyfur, her Emotional Support Stuffed Animal, even more adorable

Spends a lot of her alone time invisible, to make it seem like she's in control of something

Sophie, Dex, and her have this little trio where all of them count each other as their 'best friend' (but Sophie and Dex also count Keefe, too)

Her favorite dresses are all yellow or pink.

She looks at herself in the mirror twice, one to check for imperfections, another to think 'wow, i look good'

She has had to drag herself out of ruts in the past, but that's not a side of her she's willing to show to anyone yet.

Human AU Biana:

She did ballet from 7yo to 14yo

She picked up ice skating after that.

Christmas is her season. She decorates, she gives out gifts, the music is always on, she thrives.

Listens to Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and any 70/80s hits.

Her phone memory is always full because she takes pictures of her pets 24/7

Got really into coffee at some point and people prefer to have coffee at her house than anywhere else

She plans trips with her friends and actually goes on them. Masters in Art History? No. Masters in Fun.

Major fashion history fan. If she hears "but corsets were so restricting" one more time she is going to scream.

Her shoe game is impeccable but she's running out of space in her closet for them.

She does really light make up most of the time, but when she wants an extra boost of confidence she'll do something special with eyeshadow

Has 110 Pinterest boards. No, she's not kidding. No, it's not a hyperbole. She has 110 Pinterest boards.

She only has 7 different playlists tho. Sophie, with her 143 playlist, is horrified.

Graduated both high school and college with a 4.0.

and yeah! That's all I have now! Thanks for the ask!!

[pawnshopbleus]

Put Me in a Movie - Chapter Ten

Miguel O’Hara x Fem!Reader

Summary - You’re a famous actress and he’s one of the greatest directors of all time. What happens when you get cast in his new movie? 

Chapter Nine

Parties weren’t something that you hosted very often. Dinner parties, yes, but full-on parties, no. From the wrap parties that you went to they were mostly just the cast and crew members drinking and celebrating the end of the film. You wanted to impress the people that were attending. You wanted to show them that you were just a cool twenty-six-year-old woman that knew how to throw a party. The thing is, you didn’t know how to throw a party, but you knew who did.

Stella was over at your house in less than thirty minutes. Stella was a party girl through and through. If anyone knows how to throw one of the best wrap parties of the century it’s Stella.

She politely knocked at your front door. Usually, she would just take your spare key that was hidden under a rock and let herself in, but the two of you were setting boundaries. You were glad that she was respecting them. It’s the least she could do.

You opened the door and let her in. Stella followed you into your kitchen where she put her bag down on the marble counter. She took a seat on the bar stool and looked around. Stella was a pale woman with golden hair and brown eyes. She always wore red lipstick that could rival that of Taylor Swift. She is an underappreciated beauty that so many girls have.

You studied the way she looked around your home. You knew she wanted to say something, but she knew that it might upset you. The last thing she wanted to do was upset you.

“What is it, Stella?” “Nothing.” She crossed her legs and pressed her red lips together.

You sighed, “Look, I know you have something to say so just say it.” “This is no place for a party.” There it is! “I mean, it’s too light and too clean and too quiet.” “Well, can you fix it?”

Stella jumped at the opportunity to help you fix what could have been the world’s most boring party. People were expected to arrive at seven. It was three right now.

Stella had a lot of people in her contacts. That was the life of an agent. There was this caterer that wanted to help kick-start his son’s acting career. Stella got the son a leading role in a Marvel movie. The caterer endlessly thanked Stella and said that he will forever be in her debt. Same thing with a DJ. By five o’clock, people were running in and out of your home, getting and setting up equipment. By six o’clock, the DJ and caterer were set up outside in your backyard which had a beautiful view of the Los Angeles city skyline. The sun was about to set and in no time, the twinkling night sky would be a decoration to the party that Stella helped you throw.

“Now, what are you going to wear?” Stella asked.

You looked down at yourself and examined your outfit. You obviously saw nothing wrong with the white t-shirt and blue mom jeans that you were wearing. Stella, on the other hand, did. She didn’t want to say anything though, but by the way that her lips were pressed together again and her hands were clasped behind her back, you knew that she wanted to help you.

“If you want to pick an outfit for me then you are more than welcomed to.” You laughed at the way Stella jumped for joy when she heard your response. In under ten minutes, Stella was back downstairs. She nearly threw your own clothes at you and urged you to go put them on. It was like she was a six-year-old girl dressing up her Barbie.

Stella picked out the black Iwona Corset Mini Dress that was made out of recycled polyester from Vivienne Westwood. She brought out your red bottoms and some gold jewelry to match. She really could have been a fashion designer or a stylist if she wanted to but being an agent was the career that she choose.

Stella wanted to do your makeup. You didn’t need any, but since there were going to be cameras everywhere tonight you needed to look your best. She just put on a bit of concealer, powder, mascara, eye shadow, and lipstick. The look was very natural yet chic like your hair.

Guests began arriving a few minutes after seven and soon enough, the party was starting to look like a party. People came up to you and congratulated you on hosting such a nice party. You simply thanked them and directed them to Stella, the real hero of today. Without her, your ass would have been stuck in blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

Jessica arrived in style like always. She was wearing a custom-made Chanel pantsuit. It looked great on her considering that she was very tall and lean. On her feet, she wore pointed-toe heels that could poke someone’s eye out. Peter arrived soon after that with Mary-Jane by his side. Peter was wearing something boring like every other male actor in the universe while MJ wore a green slip dress that made her stand out in the crowd. Peter and MJ made a beautiful couple and they were so head over heels in love with each other that it made you sick with envy greener than Mary Jane’s dress.

You gave both of them a hug and then asked them if they wanted anything to drink. The caterers had brought along with them an expert mixologist.  Peter asked for water while MJ asked for a shot of tequila. She was a new mom, she needed it. You gave them their drinks and watched as MJ took the shot of tequila. She threw it back with ease and walked away to get another one. Peter just stood there, mesmerized by every step that his wife took.

Jessica joined the two of you soon after and struck up a light conversation. Things weren’t as tense as they were yesterday. She hadn’t mentioned the fact that Miguel chose to hug you instead of her. It’s not like she was angry, she was just a bit suspicious. After all, you were her friend and friends don’t date friends ex’s. Even if said friend cheated on her ex.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw someone going upstairs. You explicitly told everyone that upstairs was off-limits to everyone. You excused yourself for a moment and followed the person upstairs.

You angrily made your way upstairs and mentally cursed Stella for making you wear such elegant shoes in your own house. Your gaze was directed at the floor, making sure that you didn’t trip on any of the steps which meant that you couldn’t see in front of you. The person that you were following most definitely could hear you coming.

“You-” Was the only word you said before you realized who you were following. Miguel was wearing the simplest outfit yet it made him look absolutely unique. There was nothing in this world that could make that man boring. He even spoke two languages. Spanish left his mouth sometimes when he got angry or was passionate about something. Everything that this man did made you fall for him harder and harder.

“Sorry,” he said looking at you. He gave you a once over and nodded his head in approval. He then directed his gaze to a painting on the wall. “The Birth of Venus is one of my favorite paintings. I saw it when I first came into your house.”

“Came? More like broke in,” you shook your head as you took place beside him. “It’s fake. The painting's not real. I printed it at Staples and put it in a picture frame.”

“I could tell.” Miguel points at a watermark on the bottom left corner of the faux painting. “Botticelli painted it. Not some dude named Robert.” The way he pronounced ‘Botticelli’ made you shiver with need.

The two of you were now standing so close to each other that your arms were touching. Your skin was growing hot with the anticipation of what he might do or say next.

“What are you doing up here, Miguel? I told everyone that upstairs was off limits.”

He looked down at you, “Why are you following me?”

You laugh, “It’s my house.”

“I like your dress,” he said. Miguel's hands found their way to the front of your dress. His fingers played with the black strings that were fashioned into a bow. The entire time he did this, you were looking at his face. His features were soft as he played with the strings that were attached to the front of your dress. Miguel’s hand then snaked its way to your back and brought you in close.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he whispered. Now, you were looking into his eyes while he looked into yours. He was searching for the answer in those beautiful eyes of yours, but he knew that he couldn’t do anything without your verbal consent first. His thumb teasingly traced along your mouth as he waited for an answer.

You wanted this. You wanted him, but everything in you screamed at you to run away. He was danger packaged into the man of your dreams. So, you did the thing that your brain told you not to do. You went with your heart and your heart said, “Yes,” and he was kissing you.

His hands were rough at your waist as he kissed you with such fierce passion that was kept inside for so long. Your eyes were kept open for a moment, but only for a moment before they closed as you melted into the kiss.

He couldn’t believe it. You were kissing him! He was kissing you! Miguel had spent the past several weeks wondering what you would feel like and taste like. He finally had you and he stupidly let you go.

“I can’t,” Miguel shook his head, “I can’t. It’s too soon after the divorce. I can’t. I’m sorry. I thought I was ready, but I’m - I’m sorry.”

Miguel left you there in the middle of your own hallway. You were still high off of the adrenaline and the feel of his lips on yours.

Chapter Eleven

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 18: Prink 💅

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Prink (v.)

to dress, groom, or decorate (someone or something) in a careful or showy manner; primp

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It’s a good thing I check the definitions before I start on the art for these—I would’ve done tomorrow’s word by mistake today if I didn’t! 😮‍💨 

Narrowly avoided catastrophe aside, I like how this one turned out a lot! 💎 

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk a bit more about that word mix-up and my general process for the art. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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Does anyone remember at the tail end of yesterday's description that I said today's word was one I'd been really looking forward to?

Well, (as implied by the short caption) that was incorrect—I had actually jumped ahead and was thinking of tomorrow's word and continued to do so right up until I went to grab the definition and get started today.

Note the phrasing there: Thankfully, I start each of these art pieces with the definition in the center so I have a better idea of what space I have to work with for the mandala rounds, and because the words are new-to-me, I still have to consult the definition list. SO I found out I'd been thinking of the wrong word before I'd made any actual art progress! 😅 I was thinking this would be one of next week's words!

Note the phrasing there: Thankfully, I start each of these art pieces with the definition in the center so I have a better idea of what space I have to work with for the mandala rounds, and because the words are new-to-me, I still have to consult the definition list. SO I found out I'd been thinking of the wrong word before I'd made any actual art progress!

Ergo, my word mix-up wasn't quite the catastrophe it could have been. 😮‍💨

I had already spent several minutes looking up inspiration that was related to tomorrow's word, so it felt strange to have to so strongly pivot my line of thinking, but I'd certainly rather have to do that than realize I'd made completely the wrong piece of art for the day...And then still have to turn around and make the right one. 😖

With that in mind, once I actually had the correct word in mind, I was pretty worried the outcome was going to be another bag of mixed feelings like yesterday was...And yet, I'm actually very pleasantly surprised with what I managed to put together here. 😁

I'm not quite ready to say the whole package is my new favorite, but the color scheme is definitely one of my favorites so far, and I at least like today's line work much better than yesterday's, or a couple of my other "least favorites" of the month so far. Considering how I started out, that's a win in my book!

So then, "Prink": My thoughts, as might be obvious, went mostly to sort of an idealized "old" Hollywood headspace. I definitely wanted to get a dress in there somewhere—That was at least one thing I knew more or less from the beginning of the month, after the list was finalized and I had mostly settled on the mandalas as my method of attack, that Prink would be "needing" a dress.

I went with a very [in my mind] stereotypical "glam dress"—Sparkly, probably satin, with a fur stole/boa—in part because it was easier to draw than a lot of other options would have been...But also because for me that kind of dress just does feel like a "careful but showy" fashion choice, and it kind of fits right in with a lot of the other imagery that was coming to mind: Gaudy jewelry (my favorite kind!), pearls, those backstage dressing mirrors framed by circular lights, red carpet events, expensive perfume....etc...

...And that's basically how my exact thought process went right there. 😆; One vague idea/symbol of celebrity "prinking" after another. Really the only thing that—perhaps surprisingly—didn't immediately come to mind was the suit/tuxedo, but I thought to add it in because it would be a little more variety than just repeating the dress around, and I later realized it fits as a subtle reminder that "prinking and primping" aren't exclusively to femininity.

Likewise, the color scheme is mostly what I'd consider stereotypical for a lot of this imagery. Except the hot pink and dark blue are a step off; More stereotypical, at least to me, would be red and black. Since I'd gotten myself psyched up for a very different word and had started out kind of disappointed, though, I tweaked the colors to what would personally be more visually exciting to me. And you'll remember that I said this is definitely one of my favorite Obscutober color schemes so far, so that both worked and I think was the right choice.

It's funny how I feel like I had even less ideas for how to tie the individual ideas together today than I did yesterday, and yet I'm so much happier with what I cobbled together. Things just seemed to flow much better from one idea to the next, and I'm not really sure why. Especially since I did start out with such a different mindset and have to change course so quickly. 🤔

I'm definitely not complaining, though!

Really the only thing I could say I'm not terribly happy with here is that it doesn't "feel" very mandala-ish. As in a lot of the lines here really are just small doodles that could be "normal" drawings on their own, they're not really composed thy way mandala motifs normally are. But, if I'm being fair and realistic with myself, this certainly isn't the first mandala of the month you can say that about. It might even be fair to say most of them have been like that, even. I think maybe it just sticks out a bit more here because I would normally think of drawing clothes so completely separately from drawing mandalas.

Perfume bottles, too, for what it's worth. And if the perfume bottle or the proportions on the suit look a little funky, here's my excuses right now; I don't think I've ever drawn a perfume bottle before and it's been a very long time since I've attempted to draw anything resembling a suit, and it was definitely not in a more simple doodle style like this. 😅 There was much small-scale learning done here today!

Let's see...I think the only thing I haven't mentioned yet is that you can see I opted to do considerably more stippling here than I think any other mandala has gotten so far. That was a very conscious choice because I've found before that stippling can be a pretty good stand-in for a glitter effect when you're trying to not get too complicated with coloring. It didn't quite "glitter" the way I'd pictured here, but I also didn't really go out of my way to help it in the coloring department, either. But I still stand by the decision to use stippling the way I did.

[And oh look, that example I linked is probably the last time I attempted to draw something like a suit...five years ago...]

In conclusion: I pretty significantly underestimated myself today...But I kind of needed to, after yesterday, I think. It feels so much better to have gone into this one so uncertain and turn out so much more satisfied with it.

I feel like I've said that same thing like five times with different words now, but if I have it's only because I am still so surprised and in that way it really can't be overstated.

[Once I realized I had my words/days mixed up] I was already feeling pretty good about what I'll be able to do for tomorrow's word, but I think now I have a little bit of confidence back that I'd lost yesterday, so I'm looking even more forward to it than before. 😉

So, in the end, maybe it was a good thing I got my words mixed up? I just hope I don't do it again, because while I maybe-needed the bait-and-switch this time, it very easily could've turned out much, much worse. 😅

...I can say I'm not looking forward to cross-posting because (as I complained a bit about yesterday, too) Instagram keeps giving me stupid problems when I come around to it specifically—And it gets saved for as-close-to-last-as-possible for that reason!—but then again, do I ever look forward to that? Not really!

Oh well. Has to be done. [In my mind, anyway.] So I'll leave you Sparklers here and get on with that for today. Here's hoping tomorrow comes out at least this nicely, if not even better... 🤞

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See the Prompt List

Artwork © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[wemade-an-arrangement]

Since I love my moots, I want to share some stuff on the content I do~ and a few interesting facts about my art journey. Why do I want to draw chibis? Why did I choose to draw George like that 🤣.

Well I always did traditional art and little sketches, like everyone. But then I moved to digital art. At first, my art sucked 🤣🤣🤣. Later on, I fell in Love with Hinduism, and drew the dieties very often. (Traditional and digital) then I started drawing chibis on them.

There I realised how cute it came out! And how it made others feel~ in a positive way.

I think I mastered turning everything adorable, and idk why. But I love sharing it with others.

Afterwards, I got introduced to Mdzs~ and yes, I contributed fanart for that Fandom too. I do more fanfics than fanart cuz I love writing~ and I find that that my art wasn't good enough for the fandom😫.

I always loved royal or revolutionary history. Or fashion history. It's intriguing how fashion can change depending on the change or happenings of society or views. Also how a person can wear something to convey emotions, their thoughts and political views (sometimes) without saying a word.

How a person of power can tie two nations together with just one piece of jewelry.

~~

Hamilton was really entertaining, with catchy songs. Some people say that they don't like how they were portrayed, but it's theater! And that too a musical. They have to be fun and appealing to the audience. Imagine watching a 2hour play about old men~ just standing there~ reading a long speech in a monotone voice. Then they stop, to scratch their powdered wigs, because of lice™️, while they recall if they asked their 'special maids' to make mashed potatoes and beans for dinner.

~~~ ok if it was a documentary, it would be ok. But in the world of music, it doesn't work.

Unpopular opinion to this~ "Lin in glorifying them!"

He's not, he just succeeded in making them attractive (appealing to the eye) So appealing that we loved the musical version more. That's what certain screenplay do~ They turn dirt into decorated clay pots.

So I said, lemme draw King George, Queen Charlotte, and of course Seabury. And like before, they came out a little too cute. I'm so glad that everyone got very fond of them. I never new I would get the appreciation ❤️❤️🥰. It means a lot. I love giving everyone adorable art because I know how I feel when I see adorable fanart too. GOT TO SPREAD THAT LOVE🥰

~~~~

Um well as for ships in my content. GEOLOTTIE is the main. However I'm free to draw any ship concerning Kg. Just for youuu. In my nonsensical comics, Seabury is just that friend who's dragged my king George, and he loves to be dragged (affectionately) by him. He's George's ride or die. Definition of a loyalist. (Yeaa, I'm a bit of a Kingsbury Stan~ Don't come for me! )

Everyone depicts him as selfish, but I try my best to incorporate his historical traits (did research), and the depictions of him I saw in certain shows/movies.

25% Hamilton diva. Mostly the Hamilton Groff Diva 🤣

25% Historical.

25% from queen charlotte.

25% My own little flavour

~~~~~

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Sincerely yours~

Ralph Robinson 💅

[lawful-evil-novelist]

Design Notes: Kimmuriel Oblodra

This one's by request, a few people asked about him so I figured I'd share. This is mostly going to detail Kimmuriel’s design in Bag of Memories, which is a slightly more developed version of his design in The Smiling One.

Kimmuriel is a somewhat young drow in Bag of Memories.  I put his birth year at roughly 1088 DR in Bag of Memories, so he’s about 277-278 during the story.  He’s small, standing at barely five feet, and very thin.  He has muscle mass but it’s kind of negligible compared to literally everyone around him.  It’s enough that he can put up a decent  fight but not enough to really affect his body type.

I describe Kimmuriel’s face as catlike, specifically referring to his features as sharp but attractive.  He looks a lot like his father, Tsabanor, but he doesn’t have many features in common with K’yorl.  However, he does have some features in common with Jalynfein Oblodra, K’yorl’s older half-brother.  Make of that what you will.  

Kimmuriel has dark gray skin with a cool undertone, which is fairly normal for House Oblodra.  While I never designed these characters with Lolth’s Embrace in mind, I did end up notating their markings eventually because I am kinda fond of natural skin patterning.  Kimmuriel’s markings have a silver cast like all Oblodras, but his markings are extremely faint.  The most visible markings are around his eyes.

Speaking of Kimmuriel’s eyes, they’re a very dark red-violet, kind of a wine color.  They still glow a normal crimson color in the dark, but they do look a lot more purple in certain lights than, say, Rai’gy’s eyes.  Kimmuriel doesn’t have super long hair, he keeps it roughly chest-length and ties it back in a high ponytail to control it.  He habitually decorates it with little Githyanki braids, a habit he picked up from one of his childhood tutors, Kyn.  Kimmuriel also wears a very thin framing of dark blue kohl around his eyes.  Nothing fancy, and the dark color serves a further purpose of blocking sun glare on the surface.

Kimmuriel has three sets of piercings:

A set of astral silver hoops notating his formal entrance into House Oblodra at fourteen.

A pair of earrings made from Illithid bones, carved into needle-like points, made by Kyn to commemorate Kimmuriel completing his formal psionics training (Kimmuriel literally killed the illithid Kyn got the bones from).

A set of small gold studs shaped like spiders, formerly these belonged to Rai’gy, and Kimmuriel wears them as a tribute to him.

Another habit Kimmuriel picked up from Kyn was incredibly simple clothing.  I like keeping to the open skirting of drow clothing we saw in the visual dictionary, and kept that with Kimmuriel’s robes, making them very modest in comparison to most drow, with a higher collar, but more practical three-quarter length sleeves.  Generally I think he wears simple leather gauntlets to cover his hands and most of his upper arms.  Underneath he wears leggings and practical boots with a low heel.

Kimmuriel doesn’t wear any open jewelry other than his earrings, but wears his father’s amulet of catapsi under his clothes.  The amulet functionally disrupts all psionics that aren’t his own.  It’s a silver amulet set in the center with a fairly large piece of purple jasper.  It’s mostly a nice little memento, since Kimmuriel rarely uses it.

Kimmuriel wears some leather armor but only if he knows he’s going to get into a fight.  He dresses in mostly black, but his robes have some small hints of dark blue to them.  Kimmuriel still owns his House Sigil, but he almost never wears it.  He doesn’t need it to levitate so he keeps it hidden away in his room with other mementos.

Though he doesn’t seem to carry any weapons outwardly, he carries Kyn’s other gift for him: the dagger Draa’zviir (Kyn named it).  Draa’zviir is made from the tip of Kyn’s old greatsword, an astral silver blade with a dragon-bone hilt that is imbued with chaotic elemental magic.  Kimmuriel doesn’t use it often.

[zincbot]

ALICE

Whole thang

🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫

ALICE EXPLOSION

1. are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

I associate her with maroon, gunmetal, navy blue. She wears mostly blues and greys, some black. She has a yellow tank top that used to be white. None of her white clothes are white anymore, tinged pink by blood or grey by oil.

2. what sort of music would they like? have you thought about what genres or bands do they lean towards? do they have a favorite song?

She likes heavy metal. A silent enjoyer of dad rock. She doesn't usually put on music while she works because she likes to be able to hear her surroundings, but you can sometimes find her whistling or humming. She doesn't know the names of songs but i think her favourite is the entire Rush album "Moving Pictures" which she might think is just one really long song.

3. weapon of choice? any particular reason they chose their weapon?

Already Answered!

4. how crafty/resourceful are they?

Possible the most in the world. If you're looking for weapons. Alice excells at stripping things down to useful parts, at repurposing. Duct tape is her best friend. She makes things that work. For how long, it doesn't matter. She'll just keep fixing.

5. how do they typically dress? does their wardrobe lean more towards practicality or aesthetics?

100% practicality. Pockets. Durability. Warmth. Her three tenets. The first time she acquired her own clothes she looked insane.

6. how do they wear their hair? do they care a lot how their hair looks?

shorn. she shaves it down every so often and cuts it again once it starts bugging her. she doesn't like it long enough to grab, and she's annoyed by hair tickling her neck when she's working. other than that the appearance couldn't matter less to her. (at least, not anymore)

7. favorite animal? why?

Already Answered!

8. do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

i. really don't think so? nicknames just slide off alice like water. she doesn't respond to them. her name is alice.

9. favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions?

she's partial to meat and potatoes. mac n cheese. she loves pie. diner food is always a hit. not a big raw veggie enjoyer, also not a fan of "complicated" foods. if she can't figure out how it's put together she's not inclined to eat it. she is picky but not a complainer. she doesn't have any food allergies.

10. if they wear jewelry, what kind? do they prefer silver or gold? do they have a favorite gem?

she doesn't wear any. she doesn't like how it feels. gemstones as decoration don't interest her. certain minerals are good for specific reactions though.

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

we're both butch- no, but i think alice has a lot of my struggles with understanding people. she's different from me in that she's not introspective about it At All. i would be so desperate for alice to be impressed with me. she wouldn't be impressed with me.

12. how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?

as a character? around a year. in canon she's 49 years old. she doesn't know her birthday and neither do i. she doesn't mind celebrating someone else's birthday but won't do anything unless specifically told it's coming up so she has time to get something. her gifts are usually pretty middling.

13. what languages do they speak? how fluently?

english only. fluent enough. when she was younger she remembers learning a lot of big words. she doesn't like using them much.

14. are they any good with numbers?

better then she lets on. she's the type to let a calculation run in her head, spew out a perfect number, and then say "eh, around 50 or so". she doesn't see the point in getting bogged down with nitty gritty. her measurements are always accurate to the millimeter.

15. how big or small is their family? who did they live with growing up? do they live with anyone now?

if she had a family, she never knew them. those records were erased long before her fake identity was forged. growing up, she knew there were others, but rarely if ever saw them. she learned from overhearing conversation that it wasn't uncommon for them to die. nowdays, she lives "alone", but her house is rarely empty.

16. do they have any pets? what do they call their pets?

never. a potted plant is enough work already.

17. how did they spend their summers/free time as a child?

the first time alice experienced a summer outdoors, she was nineteen years old. the constant heat was new. and not enjoyed. she got very badly sunburnt. it was after her first winter, and she found it less dangerous than winter, with more resources available. they sent her on a job to take out a great wooden construct. she blew it to splinters.

18. their opinion on lying, stealing, and killing?

lying's necessary sometimes. it's usually not her style. stealing was something she didn't understand for a while. she still does it sometimes, but now she understands that money can buy goods and services. killing isn't something she's ever taken lightly, but it's something she does without flinching, these days.

19. are they quick to anger? what sets them off?

quick to be annoyed? sure. quick to anger? not anymore. when alice was younger she would hiss and spit and display fury as quick as anything. nowadays she's pretty immoveable.

20. if applicable, can they drive? if they have their own, what color is their vehicle? is the inside neat and tidy, or a mess?

YES. it's one of the things alice picked up the quickest in the outside world. the first car she called her own was a 1993 jeep wrangler, purchased close-to-new, with a newly acquired "transportation budget", "Ellie", she maintains like clockwork, and its still running to this day, a near 30 years later. paint job is usually a soft black, but she's redone it before. the inside is tidy at first glance, but stuffed full with weapons and tools.

21. their favorite place to be?

the garage. of all the rooms in her house this is the space that is uniquivocably alice. it's where she goes to unwind, where she goes when she's stressed, where she goes when she gets an idea. it's her place.

23. do they sleep well at night?

"well enough" - alice. she still has bad nights every so often, but nowadays she'll just get up and head to the garage.

24. how would you describe their voice? can they sing?

pretty deep, pretty casual. she doesn't tend to speak in long sentences. she doesn't sing, really, but she's a surprisingly talented whistler. you'll catch her humming from time-to-time and it's nice.

25. do they have any creative hobbies? (art, writing, music, etc)

none so standard. she draws up blueprints on occasion with a rock-steady hand, but her main art is her metalworking and electrical skill. her inventions and creations are where her creativity lives.

26. how good/bad is their hearing? what about their eyesight?

her hearing is incredibly sharp. she hasn't lost a bit of it so far. her far eyesight too, is still sharp as anything. i like the idea of her needing reading glasses, but i haven't decided if that's true or not yet.

27. how do they move? are they clumsy? light on their feet? do they use mobility aids?

alice moves steady and sure. she doesn't often trip or stumble. her footfalls are generally pretty heavy around her house, but she still remembers how to step light. she doesn't use any mobility aids, she's always healed up really well with home-made splints and wraps.

28. if applicable, do they have a favorite sport? do they play any sports or prefer to watch?

she's not really into sports. whenever she's zoning out in front of the tv occasionally some football or soccer will stay on for a bit. she's not caught up with the teams. i'm not sure alice 100% knows the rules to any sports, and you'd really have to do some convincing to get her to see the poing of playing em. she'd be a beast at rugby.

29. how do they show that they care about someone? how do they express that they don't like someone?

when alice cares, she'll pick you up whenever you need. she'll drop everything and bring the car around with no complaint. she'll fix things that break for you, she'll keep her door open. she'll notice little flinches, she'll start softening edges around them. it's all action, never words. conversely, when alice doesn't like you, she says "i don't think i like you very much."

30. are they associated with any particular element (air, earth, fire, water)?

earth, to me. and metal. sturdy, solid, alice is foundation, brick and wall.

31. do they smell like anything notable?

machine oil, 100%. alice smells like a mechanic no matter what she does.

32. do they like receiving gifts? giving gifts? what is their ideal gift?

she's not great at receiving gifts. she'll get something useless and grunt about it and keep it on a shelf forever and instantly notice if anyone moves it. she's not a great gift giver either, some of her gifts are inexplicable, and she's not gonna explain why she got you a full silverwear set where each item can flip open to hide something inside. her ideal gift is something she can use.

33. do they have any habits that aren't particularly self-destructive, just maybe odd?

she's governed at times by a strange flow of thinking. she gets caught in loops of repetition, of taking apart and repairing. sometimes she has to whistle. sometimes she can't. she doesn't know why. it's easier to follow the impulse. most of the time.

34. if applicable, how would your other characters describe them? i mean specifically the people around them.

i kind of want b. to meet alice. he'd describe her as "not that scary". (lying)

35. how would your character describe themselves? it doesn't have to line up with how they really are.

"i've got work to do."

36. do they ever return home?

almost every day, these days!

[sk1ttery]

Can you give us some domestic specs house hcs, like what they do on a regular day and just how they interact with each other

HI BESTIE WHAT’RE YOU DOIN HERE /lh

CW for brief mention of abuse.

This is gonna be long.

A little more background on the Specs household:

It consists of Specs, Dutchie, Blink, Skittery, Tumble, Spike (OC) and Elmer.

Dutchie and Specs are adopted brothers who ran away at a young age after Specs’ parents passed. They had a lot of money inherited from Specs’ grandparents and they moved into their old house.

Later, Blink moved in after Specs discovered he was essentially homeless, followed by Skittery and Tumble when they ran away from their abusive house. Then Spike, and then Elmer. Splasher and Finch are honorary members of tbe household due to how much time they spend there because Finch gets lonely and Splasher just likes annoying them. As is my OC Riff, because be spent a month staying with them when he was visiting from New Jersey.

A day in the Specs Household usually consists of whoever’s up first feeding the cats and making breakfast for everyone. They try to eat together but sometimes people sleep in so stuff is put aside for later.

If they don’t have a day out planned or people coming over, they tend to mostly do their own thing and just co-exist as I’ve mentioned before. For example, Blink will sit on the floor in the lounge and play guitar while Specs reads. Skit might be upstairs making jewelry or playing with Tumble. Elmer might be gaming in his room in the loft.

They like to have group hang outs where they’ll play card or board games, or watch movies together. Sometimes, if they have guests over they’ll play Truth or Dare. And people tend to come over a LOT. This is because Specs’ house has an open door policy and a really comforting and safe vibe. (Several other houses also have this vibe). They also enjoy baking and together while blasting showtunes.

Spike isn’t an insanely social person and he gets burnt out/drained super fast, so he and Dutchie tend to spend a lot of time in their room hanging out, but Spike does like to spend time with the others when he’s up for it. He likes the company and likes to lie with Dutchie and nap when everyone else is hanging out.

Quality time, co-existing and having their own spaces is a huge thing in the house. Considering most of them came from toxic situations before moving in, Specs and Dutchie did their best to make the house as accessible and comfortable as possible.

They did this by removing any potential triggers (Throwing out any alcohol, replacing the glasses with plastic cups) and giving the others the space to decorate their rooms to their liking, to make their rooms their own spaces. Specs, Dutchie, Spike, Blink, Skittery and Tumble’s rooms are all on the second floor. The attic/loft has three rooms, Elmers, ans the two spares which Splasher and Finch spend a LOT of time in when they stay.

As far as interactions go, they’re very much like siblings to each other. Skit and Specs will have a lot of light hearted arguments about stuff and try to fight each other which usually ends up with them on the floor. Most of them tend to play fight and rough house a lot but one of the main rules in the Specs Household is about respecting boundaries (like a decent human) so if someone asks to knock it off, they will.

Specs and Skittery can be pretty affectionate at times /p. Platonic hugs and cuddles are a big thing for most of them, though Blink isn’t fond of physical affection. After a bad day sometimes Skittery will come and sit with Specs when he’s reading and just lean on him. Or they’ll go to each others rooms and co-exist for comfort.

On nights where they’re all hanging out in the lounge and getting sleepy, sometimes it’ll end up in a bug cuddle pile. Skit and Spike both like when people but their whole body weight on them/weighted blankets so they always end up on the bottom of the cuddle pile. How they aren’t suffocating?? Who knows.

Elmer is the little brother of the group next to Tumble. (Specs, Dutchie, Skittery and Spike are all 18, Blink is 17, Elmer’s 15 and Tumble is 7). Elmer gets babied a lot which he both hates and loves. On one hand he loves the attention and affection because it’s something he could never recieve at his old house, but on the other, he grew up having to be so independent from a young age its hard for him to get used to.

The little pats on the back, Specs ruffling his hair, Skittery throwing him over his shoulder to put him in ‘Air Jail’ when they’re play fighting. It’s those little interactions Elmer loves.

They have a system for chores. The chores are split between people. For example: Dinner duty changed daily. Mondays Skit would cook, Tuesdays Dutchie, Wednesdays Specs and so on. They try to be healthy with food and people like Dutchie, Spike, Elmer and Skittery would make traditional meals from their home countries. (Dutchie is Dutch, Elmer’s Polish and Spike and Skit are both Ukrainian).

They have a similar system with the weekly grocery shop. One week Specs does it, the next Skittery, then Dutchie and Spike usually go together, then Elmer and Blink. Whenever Elmer and Blink go shopping together, Specs and Skittery have to remind them not to buy anything they don’t need but Blink always gives in and lets Elmer pick up things. Specs and Skit are never actually mad.

On days that no one can be bothered to cook, they’ll just order from the diner and one of the diner boys delivers it to them, or alternatively they’ll go out for food and go to somwhere one of their friends works.

[aidansloth]

Corroded Coffin Living Together Headcanons

a/n: I thought about this so much, it has occupied my brain indefinitely. By this title I mean that they are living in the same apartment and some of them are going to work and some to college and stuff (they're in their early 20s)

the times they've forgotten that one of them is taking a shower and walked right in on them are countless

"hey Gareth, did you happen to see the red blank- OH MY GOD I'M SORRY"

"EDDIE HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU TO KNOCK"

they have their fun

movie nights are a must

before living together they had constant sleepovers (talked about this with @spookyscarydemonbabe , go check out their posts!) but now, they can have them everyday!!!

though it's not everyday because they also have jobs and stuff to do, they are very frequent

no matter if they're touring with the band or if all have their individual jobs to put them through college or even a stable job (mechanic!Eddie and History Professor!Gareth 👀), they find time to spend together

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE CONSTANT MUSIC IN THAT APARTMENT

all of them playing different metal songs from their individual rooms at full volume

or even when they hear one of the others listening to something they know, they start screaming the song with them through the door

then the other responds by singing even louder

and at that point they just burst right through the door

I'm convinced they share clothes and jewelry/accessories and I will die on that hill

"Grant, I swear to god did you steal my pirate necklace again?" "No, I borrowed your pirate necklace again."

Gareth finally teaches Eddie how to take care of his curls properly

I'm sure Gareth has a lot of knowledge on hair care and skin care routines (just self-care in general) from all those teen magazines his little sisters read with him

now he's using his knowledge for a greater good

at first when they move in they're short on money, so they start decorating it and making it more metal by crafting things (mostly DIY stuff)

stuff like, they painted an old wooden shelf they thrifted black and drew DND dice on it, or getting

if something breaks Eddie and Gareth are the ones to fix it

if it's something like a lightbulb then it's Gareth. but if the freezer broke, it's Eddie's job (appliances breaking were a frequent thing for him at the trailer so Wayne taught him everything he knew)

Jeff is the first to scream at the sight of a bug

Grant ignores Jeff's screams as Eddie tries to save the bug from being killed by Gareth

in the end the bug is safely put on the balcony for it to fly away, with a pouting Gareth and a nearly-had-a-panic-attack-over-a-bug-and-now-checking-every-corner-of-the-house Jeff

if one of them takes someone home after and they're still there the next morning, they are all very respectful

Jeff and Grant are even making everybody breakfast (Eddie can't cook for shit and Gareth can only bake)

sure it'll be a bit awkward but they're good at small talk, and if their friend liked this person they can't be all that bad can they?

I'll take a moment to say I kind of headcanon all of them as bisexual

maybe Jeff has a preference for women and Eddie for men

now, their normal mornings

if this apartment has 4 different bedrooms I'm guessing it's going to have 2 bathrooms

the whole morning is everybody shouting at everybody to get out of the bathroom because they have to get ready

since Gareth taught Eddie how to take care of his hair, he's taking hours in there

Grant is very close to smashing down the bathroom door every morning

Jeff is the best at cooking so he makes breakfast for everyone, if he's not there then Gareth's making pancakes

Eddie would probably just eat cereal out of the box, so any other thing is luxury (same honestly)

Grant is very picky about his breakfast, he needs some protein in there or he'll be without energy for the rest of the day

on that note, the coffee drinkers are Eddie and Jeff, while Grant and Gareth prefer tea

Gareth says he has enough energy from his ADHD

they all have their own slippers, all funny ones with animals and characters (yk the ones with Homer Simpson's face? yeah, like that)

they also have tons of mugs, which are a frequent gift from Wayne (yes he gives presents to all of them for their birthdays and Christmas, he's very grateful that his kid has such amazing friends)

Modern!Corroded Coffin would share a Netflix account

they SAY they watch horror movies but in reality they're watching all the kids shows, like How To Train A Dragon, My Little Pony and Pokémon

even all the Equestria Girls movies, they know all the songs by heart, especially the ones from Rainbow Rock, 'cause yk, the battle of the bands

Gareth has a crush on Astrid (don't we all)

all of them still get advent calendars (full knowing that it's a marketing scheme) and in the morning they all open theirs together

I can't even imagine them during covid quarantine, secluded in one little apartment for the four of them

they would probably have started killing each other

their couch is probably filled with food crumbs, since they often eat on it

some stains too, from spilled sodas

maybe ripped a bit, but it's theirs so it doesn't matter

Grant reminds Gareth to take his ADHD meds because he has the best memory out of the 4

they probably caught Eddie taking a dic pic for Steve☠️

they have videogame nights

because the four of them are already there, most Hellfire nights are hosted in their apartment, meaning they have to hear Steve (Dustin and the others' ride) complain about the mess all the time

pretty sure Erica's also complaining

none of them have ever bought a calendar so they never know what day it si, they just turn on the TV to know at this point

having said that, they also never find the remote

"EDDIE WHERE DID YOU OUT THE FUCKING REMOTE?" "I PUT IT RIGHT THERE ON THE SOFA." "THEN WHY IS IT IN THE FUCKING SHOWER?"

they have treasure hunts every night, they also make a game out of it

whoever finds it first gets to eat most of the microwave popcorn

I'll probably make a part 2 to this in the future, I have SO MANY IDEAS

[joiedecombat]

What will Raine and X'khal be doing during the Starlight celebrations? Who will they be spending time with and will they be honoring any particular traditions? Do they exchange gifts with anyone? ✨

X'khal doesn't really get Starlight (as he doesn't really grok most holiday festivals, mostly observing them from the fringes with incomprehension). I expect he'll be kept busy running various Starlight errands for Amh Garanjy, Laurenssen, Tataru and whoever else happens to ask - taking Blitzen around to entertain the children of Gridania, delivering Starlight gifts and fetching supplies for more, and so on.

Someone, probably Tataru or Gabrielle, will make sure he has a nice Starlight dinner the night of. Thancred will push hot mulled wine on him and rescue him when various Scions get a little too sociable, or perhaps House Fortemps will claim him for a subdued but companionable evening at the manor. All in all, he'll probably have a reasonably nice time of his first Starlight Festival in spite of himself.

Raine will also be very busy, but much more of her own volition. She wasn't familiar with the Starlight Festival before she came to Eorzea, but she's had several of them by this point and she cheerfully embraces the spirit of the season and its festivities, while also incorporating elements of the Hannish winter solstice celebrations she grew up with.

That means she's spent the last month sorting through her belongings and ridding herself of things she no longer uses or needs; anything that isn't showing signs of wear, or can be made over to look new, has been refreshed and set aside to gift to those with greater need or to donate to the Adventurers' Guilds. This year she's actually had time to put her crafting skills to use making small gifts, mostly nice warm hats and scarves and small toys, for the 'little helpers' to hand out to children.

And lights. Lots and lots of small decorative lights, pretty little things of glowing crystal and delicate metalwork which she sets out in artful arrangements all over the Rising Stones and Fortemps and Borel Manors. This is one of those Hannish traditions from her childhood, and it's well on its way to catching on in Ishgard thanks to her very visible status as a national hero there.

Finding Aymeric in Gridania was a delightful Starlight surprise; she'll join him in playing Saint's little helper there, until it's time for both of them to return to Ishgard to do the same around the Firmament and the Brume.

There'll be a family dinner at Fortemps Manor, and gifts exchanged there - a very grand Lominsan-style pirate hat for Emmanellain to annoy Sicard with, a custom orchestrion roll of his compositions for Artoirel, a set of ink drawings of various scenes and people for Edmont to complement his memoir.

After dinner, Aymeric and Raine will return to Borel Manor to enjoy the rest of the holiday night privately. That's when they'll present their gifts to one another - as she has done for several years running, Raine's made him some Thavnairian-style sweets, and this year she's also crafted a music box that plays an old Ishgardian folk melody he learned from his mother. Aymeric's habit is to present Raine with jewelry imbued with protective magic - this year, a pair of earrings.

They'll cuddle by the fire, probably get kind of drunk, and will definitely make the most of having this precious time all to themselves.

[yorkshireword]

Catch a Rising Star at the Auction House

No longer does museum validation or scholarly attention determine a painting’s value. Now, the collectors’ hunger comes first, and institutions must follow.

When you want to determine the value of an acre of land, you call an assessor. When you want a value for your jewelry, you find an appraiser with a loupe. And when you want to know the value of a work of art — well, here it gets tricky. Painting isn’t priced like real estate, at so many dollars a square foot. Sculpture can’t be valued against objective criteria, like the four C’s you have for diamonds.

All you’ve got is a shared sense of the importance and rarity of some useless object of beauty. Until very recently, that value was determined by a shadowy social collectivity called the art world: curators, scholars, editors, educators, even the odd critic. Now those old gatekeepers no longer have much of a say.

Over and over these past two weeks, at Christie’s “21st Century” sale, Sotheby’s “The Now” and Phillips’s contemporary extravaganza, the highest multiples went to the youngest artists, mostly working in decorative forms, and often dated 2020 or later.

There’s something extraordinary about all this: A bull run for art comes not only against a sliding equities market (though art price corrections often soon follow), but also in a moment of widespread high-cultural malaise. At the biennials, in the magazines, in the M.F.A. programs, the tone right now is stubbornly backward-looking, capable of little beyond auto-critique and enduring a bona fide crisis of confidence.

Here is a parallel art world in which hope springs eternal. Demand for artists at the beginning of what they must hope will be a long career outstrips not only more established names, but also the promising talents singled out in Artforum, showcased in the Whitney Biennial or seen in the booths of the younger galleries at the Frieze art fair. That almost all these hyped artists are women and people of color is not incidental, surface diversification being a key strategy to solidify the status quo. Give away a little social capital and you can keep all the financial capital for yourself, and even lower your tax bill in the process.

Only a decade ago, museum legitimization and academic praise were still key to determining financial value; changing tastes may have pushed prices for Pollock and Warhol past those for Old Masters and Impressionists, but at least historians and curators were on board. Now, the collectors’ hunger comes first, stoked largely via Instagram and other digital networks. The auction house, through glossy catalogs and (increasingly) online offerings, can magic up artistic legitimacy that once only museums or scholars could assign. And then, when the gavel falls, a larger cultural credibility can be retroactively produced through gala receptions, fashion collaborations, tax-exempt conferences and other marketing activities.

But are these paintings — and it’s painting, more than all other media, that participates in this shell game — worthy of entering a museum at all? That’s a determination only history can make, but I’d observe that the time between a new work’s creation, digital dissemination, purchase and resale has become so compressed that the old legitimation mechanisms simply cannot function. It may sound anti-elitist, but it’s really a displacement of one elite (museums, with larger libraries) by another (bidders, with much larger checkbooks), and it forms part of a larger, and, in the end, hazardous cultural reversal  in which numerical measurements, measured in dollars or in likes, are the only records of quality or importance. They may be marketed as the next Basquiat, but a lot of these paintings feel more like the 1 percent’s version of the Museum of Ice Cream: a digitally circulated petty amusement, though one that may cost the same as a house in Deer Valley.

Culture was one of the last domains in neoliberal times that tried, at least a little, to hold up a distinction between the two, between, to put it bluntly, the market and our lives. The cynics of this digital age have had their ultimate victory by rendering price and value synonymous, and we’re in serious trouble if our cultural institutions, on the altar of inclusion and anti-elitism, accelerate their own capitulation to acclaim via algorithm.

Here is the game: Collectors are harnessing the last remaining drops of social esteem and refinement associated with museums to promote what the Harvard historian Benjamin H.D. Buchloh, in an earlier moment of crazy painting prices (the ’80s), called “the luxury products of a fictitious high culture.” And here is the corollary: It is painting, not the NFT, that became the archetypical medium of personal marketing and digital folly.