[Art Exchange] Covert Courtesy Commutation ~ 6/8 gifts are up.

[WhiteFox]

Dear Gifter:

I wanna see how much mileage I can get out of this post.

Dear Gifter:

I would appreciate visual art over written. I have vision problems that can make reading uncomfortable.

Dear gifter;

Dear gifter;

As far as DSOF goes, any of the characters are fine. I don't have any references for them online at the moment, but I'm not fussy about accuracy when it comes to gift art. I'm open to interpretations.

I do have a "style guide" for my avatar at FA, however; http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3104772/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3294417/

I say "style guide" rather then "model sheet" because it's not how I draw my avatar, but rather how anyone, regardless of their art style, could.

Anyway, I hope that helps.

The only thing to add to this is that Gabriel, an RP character I have arts of on FA, should probably remain out of bounds for a variety of reasons. (Except in the off chance that my gifter just happens to be Basilisk. Then it would be okay.)

Aside from that, go with your instincts. If you get a cool idea, don't worry about whether or not I'll like it. Just go with it.
I'm not to fussy about how my characters are used, and if you think an idea is cool, then I will too. Good luck, have fun.

("I often quote myself at parties: it makes for intelligent conversation." -Oscar Wilde... I think. Might have been Mark Twain)

[Edit] I just noticed I didn't include a link to my comic:DSOF NSFW; violence, some nudity, some language. A bit of everything, really.

Another round, another self-quotation.

Gabriel has a comic now, which is on FA, but it's only two/three pages in so there aren't that many new characters so far.

[Gabi]

Question for  Rhyfe:

Optional question: Is there anything outside your usual artistic range you would like to see in your gift? (media to use, theme or mood, environmental effects, art style, etc?)

If nothing in particular comes to mind, that's fine.

[rhyfe2002]

Question for  Rhyfe:

Optional question: Is there anything outside your usual artistic range you would like to see in your gift? (media to use, theme or mood, environmental effects, art style, etc?)

If nothing in particular comes to mind, that's fine.

Nah, I'm fine with anything.

[Gabi]

I tried to report this but I failed, so here's a quote.

Hi, please let Meany know that while I'm alright with drawing a human (well, in this case, drow), I'd prefer, and am much better at, anthro characters, so please let me know if you have one.

My English teacher would be ashamed. I probably could report it if I tried hard enough, but I feel I'd better use my time on other things.

[Chairtastic]

Well, in that case...

I have a small cast of characters to choose from.  There's Haien, Orenio, Barbarus, Dhōngami, and Dosve.

Take your pick.

[Gabi]

A message to our friendly neighborhood lionboy.  Could I have some more background on your characters?  Hate to be blunt, but your reference sheets seem to be pretty vague. 

Also, Inumo's gifter apologizes in advance. It appears Inumo's gift is going to be delayed due to finals.

[Gabi]

Just posting a reminder that there are 5 days left to finish your gifts.

[Arroyo Milori]

Sorry I've been busy lately. Its a rather rough version of their backgrounds but I'm trying to throw out the general idea of who these characters are.

Arroyo was born in a small town but then moved to a large city known as Zephyr. But because of how things worked in Zephyr, especially including with fellow Pyskers, He slowly starts to wish he were a normal person than just another guy with abilities most people would fear. He's a bit modest but he also tries to stay calm in certain situations. He always tries to be mellow, trying to not let the little things in life worry him too much (as well as others.) 

His Pysker ability is manipulation of Water, steam and his own blood, which he was born with. He says it's a ability that reflects who he is, but doesn't wish for this ability.

Tierra grew up in Zephyr, but was a rather odd girl. She acted always sweet and perky but she was also a rather "mischievous" and curious girl with a "colorful" imagination. Her perverted mind has made her feared by men as she tries to practice her creativity on them. But it only grew a bit more violent when she lost someone that meant the whole world to her...

But besides that, she's a typical otaku with a love for all things involving yaoi. Unlike Arroyo and Devyn, she has no abilities, except on how to use a Hammer/axe hybrid effectively and using her hyper self to an advantage in combat.

[Gabi]

Alright, some gifts are here! Others will be delayed, but hopefully they will all be posted here soon.

-Merlin made this gift for Corgatha Taldorthar... and submitted it on the 26th!

-Inumo made this gift for WhiteFox.

-Meany wrote the following gift for Arroyo Milori:

To Arroyo: I'm sorry, this isn't my longest work, nor my best.  But I cut back on the details so it could work in your setting, which I admit I did not fully understand.  I apologize for the subsequent drop in quality than should be in a gift, especially at this time of the year.  Happy holidays!

   

A day in the Life
By MeanyOwl

   A blaring roar woke the lion up from his sleep with such force he fell from his hammock.  The church next door had started services, and the pipe organ for some reason was always three times louder than it should have been.   Since he was already out of bed, er, hammock, and the music wouldn't readily allow him to go back to sleep-dang that dog for swallowing his ear plugs!-Arroyo moved out from the mountain of dirty laundry that surrounded his hammock, and looked around for some clothes that weren't quite as smelly as they ought to be.  Cursed laundromat being so pricey.

   Hydro-kinesis was all well and good, but it took hours of controlling tiny bits of water to remove smell and dirt from one sock, versus an hour's work in a washing machine.  Not quite worth the effort, in the long term.  Clothes selected, Arroyo took up Brocken from its resting place on his wall.  The magnificent bronze sword gleamed in the morning light, something which always made him smile.  Affixing Brocken to his waist, the lionboy left his apartment in search of the day's work.

   Zephyr wasn't the best place for non-normal Psykers to live.  True, it was a decent enough place, but the high Psyker population made the normals itchy.  Not that he very much cared.  If they had an issue, it was their issue.  No point in making it his issue as well.  The local bulletin board was quite full that day.  Many people needing odd jobs done, it appeared.  Not many fell within Arroyo's line of expertise, but that was fine.  Improvisation had earned him his dinner more than once in the past, if it did so again, well then yay.

   First thing on the list, a living practice dummy for a school of youth karate.  Sounded easy enough, especially with the 'skilled weapons users preferred' bit at the end.  If having years of experience with Brocken didn't make him a skilled user, then Arroyo would shave his legs.

   "So, you're a swordsman, huh?"  The karate instructor addressed Arroyo in the back of the dojo while the chants of many youths doing their exercises filled the air.  He was an older badger gentleman, who had kindly offered tea.  "A chain-swordsman no less.  Yes, yes you indeed qualify."

   "You're sure I won't hurt any of the kids?"  Arroyo queried.  The ad had said for the advanced class, but he hadn't seen anyone over fifteen in the class out front.  Worry began to set in.

   "No, my advanced class is quite capable.  Their skill aside, pitting them against foes whom have not a solid chance of victory will teach them nothing.  If they are victorious, they will learn the extent of their growth.  If not, they will learn how far they must still grow."

   "Aren't we the sage."

   "A habit, resulting from drinking too much tea, and seeing too many years."  They laughed, and shared another cup.

   Upon reflection, Arroyo shouldn't have worried.  Even with Brocken's chain ability, he'd only won four fights out of ten.  The four he had beaten had taken time out of their fight to boast their skill, and how inevitable it was that he lose to them.  Aside from minor variations between them, choice of word, whether or not they had the presence of mind to pin him first, or disarm him, it boiled down that they gave him time to analyze the situation, think, then act and secure victory.  Those that had won did not do this.  Their sensei took the time and pointed this out, several times so that the message sunk in.

   The pay had been good.  But there was still daylight in the sky, so there was time to earn a bit more money, so that he might not need to work quite so hard tomorrow, maybe even save some money for later.  Start a bank account.  All that good stuff.  Back to the bulletin board it was.

   Most of the work had since been taken, indicated by people taking the provided red marker, and drawing an X over the job.  He spotted his earlier job and smiled ruefully.  There was one that he saw, it immediately piqued his interest.  'Watercolourist wanted for portrait painting.  Must be of exceptional quality.  Supplies provided.'

   Everything about that add made Arroyo pick up the red marker.  'Exceptional' was the high-brow term for Psykers, the upper crust not bothering to pervert the language with slang.  A lot of Psykers had powers useful for arts and crafts, it was just a matter of finding a normal who wasn't entirely xenophobic about them to pay for the works.  Evidently 'Mrs. Matilda Vane' was one such person.

   The long-haired lionboy ran back to his place, and grabbed some dirty clothes.  He now had money, and so could afford the laundromat, and not smelling like cornchips.  Just as the sky started to turn from a clear blue to an orange tint, the now crisp, summer breeze smelling Arroyo arrived at Mrs. Vane's charming house.

   After the polite soft two knocks, a tiny little human woman opened the door.  She was positively ancient, far older than the karate sensei, older than Arroyo had ever seen, to put a fine point on it.  "Er...Mrs. Vane?  I'm here about the ad?"

   "Mrs. Vane is my granddaughter, young sir.  She put the ad out in my name.  I am Miss Hagia Sophia.  Come in, come in."  Despite her small, withered body, Miss Sophia's voice was crisp and polite, and she moved quite easily, stepping aside for Arroyo to move in.

   The house walls were littered with large, magnificent paintings.  Most of them professional watercolour works.  Arroyo was starting to see why the ad had specified such.  "My husband did them."  The small woman's voice startled Arroyo, making his fur fluff out a bit.  "Back when he had the passion for art. Ah, such memories..."  Miss Sophia led him through the, admittedly a little cluttered house, to a parlour, lit up by the setting sun, and set up for a painter's arrival.  A large square of watercolour paper.  "I had almost given up hope of someone stopping by today, but you arrived just in time for such beautiful lighting."

   As Miss Sophia sat down, getting her shawls and bun hairstyle all situated on the opposite side of the paper, Arroyo contemplated what was to be done.  "Miss Sophia, is there anything you'd like in this painting?"

   "Oh, no, I know what its like to give an artist limitations, and personally would accept anything you give me.  But my granddaughter is insistent upon a portrait for posterity."   She considered a moment.  "Oh, one thing, could you demonstrate your powers for me?"  Ah, yes, that.  Arroyo had nearly forgotten.  Drawing some water from one of the many bowls provided, the lionboy made the liquid preform a series of acrobatic displays for the elderly woman.  The sight...it made her so happy to see it, Arroyo almost lost control of his water from surprise.  The old woman's face, wrinkled and dotted with liverspots, cracked open in a display of such utter joy...Arroyo had never seen an old person so happy.  Usually they were always complaining, and if they smiled it was thin, and partially forced.

   "That's good...thank you for that.  Please, paint?"  Arroyo bowed a little, then sat down in front of the the paper, and began mixing pigment with water in various mixtures to grant various shades and hues.  He knew what he was to paint.  That smile, that joy...he would work from there.

   "Your husband was a painter?"

   "Oh yes.  He had such a gift with colours, especially the water kind."

   "Oh?  Was he a Psy...was he 'exceptional'?"  Arroyo asked, catching himself in time.
   
   "Yes to both your questions.  But you didn't hear that from me.  Matilda would have such a fit, if she learned I was spreading 'vicious rumors' around like that."  The old woman sighed and giggled at the same time.  Arroyo was starting to like her.  Capturing the lighting, what movie makers called, happy hour, filled his time for a bit, but, once he started peaking around the paper to get the proportions right, words again passed between them.

   "So, your granddaughter doesn't like having an 'exceptional' in the family?"

   "No.  She's a victim of this modern thinking.  She's a sweet girl, but hasn't quite grown a spine yet.  She will in a few years, though."  The certainty with which she said that gave Arroyo pause, before he resumed work.

   It did not take long to finish up.  Arroyo supposed his muse was with him, to speed things up.  In reality, it hadn't been that hard to get a portrait of Miss Sophia.  She wore her heart on her sleeve, and so it was easy to get an understanding of her personality, to make the painting a real portrait, not just a fancy, expensive photograph.  He'd done all he could to mix in the joy he'd seen in her, the slightly frustrated love of her younger descendants, and the certainty she seemed to have about everything.  Sitting back to reflect on his work, Arroyo took a breath to recover his mental facilities from the trying time he'd had, for all of the short time it had consumed.  Then he called Miss Sophia over to see it once he'd let the colours dry.

   She looked at it, then at him, back to the portrait, and then hugged him.

-rhyfe2002 drew this gift for Meany.

-Arroyo Milori drew this gift for Basilisk.
/**
* Author's comments:
* I hope he doesn't mind if I didn't draw him without his headwings. Had a hard time with the head though (along with the left arm >m>)
**/

Corgatha Taldorthar and Basilisk have been delayed due to finals, but they should be posting their gifts soon. I have yet to hear from WhiteFox.

[Arroyo Milori]

Don't be hard on yourself, its my own fault for not putting up enough information in the first place.

Thanks <3

[Chairtastic]

You're welcome. <3

Also, oh my lawdy lawd!   Rhyfe, this is eighteen different types of awesome, and I have only words for fourteen.  Thank you so much.

[Gabi]

WhiteFox is having technical difficulties. I hope he can sort them out soon.

[Liatai]

Whew. Okay. This is late. Months late. Beyond late. I'm so sorry for making you wait so long, Arroyo. But here, at long last, is my gift to you from Round 12. Hope it's liked, and I hope you have a happy holiday season!

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Exhaustion


   Rea glanced at the tiny brass mirror in her personal "room" in the dorm, the cracked metal revealing a bit of stray lint in her ears, matching the dull ochre of the sweater she wore two days ago. Picking it out occupied her for a moment, as she stalled to herself about what to do next. Divination, of course, was the root and core of her reason for staying at he grandiose academy, and she had applied herself as her instructors wished and excelled. Even without some kind of phylacterae, she often could detect out of the edges of her awareness faint touches of probability shifts, or eddies of Fate entwining around people, objects, ideas. She actually showed more aptitude for aquavoyance than for direct scrying with her gypsy's gift, but she was third in her class of 150, some of them archmage scions, so it was hard to feel bad.

It was the rest of her pressures that pushed her to take refuge in the half asleep stupor that she had enveloped lately. She had known there would be a need for various classes in reading and writing succinctly, and as annoyingly hard as it was to please her professors in the communication department, (she thought bitterly at how hard it was to reduce a piece of information down to its shortest and clearest possible format. If I had more time, it'd be shorter........) , but mathematics was a terror. She hadn't even known she needed to take a course in the stuff until she had a conversation with old Ser Penfry, the head of the divination department, and he asked her how she was doing in her arithmetic.

Even the two weeks that she had missed had proven difficult to catch up in, and she simply didn't have a head for the stuff, dry and boring as it was, and spending the classes bored out of her mind, and swirling her mug and trying to see portents in the tea dregs hadn't exactly aided her understanding, although the knowledge that Professor  Pethelevier liked her chocolate with almonds had at least won her over enough to agree to spend extra lessons with a remedial student like herself, so the activity wasn't a total waste.

Sometimes, she reflected, her father was right, that this was all a mistake. No, that's wrong on two counts. He is right, and it's not a mistake. The other students,  they made her want to gnaw on their ears, or their tails, with the snide comments about being a country bumpkin, or their seeming instinctive knowledge of how this or that should be done without looking like a fool, how to approach the registrars, (she almost dropped out because she didn't realize that adding a course was distinct from registering, and they were perfectly willing to do nothing because she used the wrong word), and being far from her usual support network, her family and friends was wearing. Still, she had come so far already, and the experience was edifying. Nah, it wouldn't drive wedges in between her and her folks. The changes were still superficial, resisted for the most part, though she could play the game as well as anyone now, and were it not for her early mistakes carrying the stigma of memory, she'd probably be on even footing with anyone here socially.


Nonetheless necessary, as neither null knowledge nor non-caring would suffice. Her aunt Eninela used to say "what must be, can be.", and she intended to prove her right in regards to endurance. It was something of a minor hardship, but the bankers had lent enough coin to get her by, and as small as it was, her room in the dormitory apartment actually had more amenities within close range than her home did, although the lack of fresh air and easy warm sunlight was definitely something that she missed terribly,  and she had once written, for one of her assignments, a short poem on the subject, which had gotten her twenty points off for stylistic mistakes, but a commendation for being the best work in the class for its "ability to pierce the callouses of the soul and lay bare the unjaded part of us all. She still had it around somewhere, and went looking through her piles of discarded papers for it, to read and admire her own handiwork.

It was fortunate, that she used an old futon as her shrine to the rare assignment she got glowing praise for. She'd have broken her nose, at the very least, collapsing anywhere else on the floor, as oblivion beat out over stubbornness, and she curled up into a badly needed sleep.

*****************************************************************************

I'm sorry Inumo. This is literally something I threw together in about 15 minutes, as finals ate up most of December, and now that I'm back, I'm having a great deal of trouble getting the internet to work and a lot of other side assignments.

Rust on the technique, although some of the wordplay is reasonably clever, although I think the biggest weakness of the thing is the lack of plot, or conflict. It's really more of an extended description than a full-fledged story. If you want, I can probably "commission" as it were, something better.


On the other side, Merlin, great job! He's ugly as he's supposed to be, and the clothes and background are amazingly well done. I'm saving this to my hard drive, and I hope to see more of your work.

[Lisky]

I've been chiseling away at improvements... but finals and holidays have killed my muse... here's your gift thus-far Merlin DX

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/EWork88/MerlinWIP.jpg

Also, nice work on Ed, Arroyo, he really doesn't get enough exposure X3... especially in that he's my favorite character to play in D&D... his antics are the center of much amusement for our party

[Inumo]

Don't worry too much, Corgatha. Better late than never, and how you write comes out in those little 15-minute jaunts. Always interesting to read another's work!

[Arroyo Milori]

Whew. Okay. This is late. Months late. Beyond late. I'm so sorry for making you wait so long, Arroyo. But here, at long last, is my gift to you from Round 12. Hope it's liked, and I hope you have a happy holiday season!

I love it <3 Thank you soo much <3

[Inumo]

Sorry for the necro, but why did the game go dead? I'm still willing to play, not sure about others.

[Liatai]

I'd love to play again, too, now that I've repaid my debts from previous rounds.

[Lisky]

i too wish to participate 8D

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Sorry, I'm going to have to pass on this round.

[Gabi]

OK, 3 players so far. Who else wahts to participate?

[WhiteFox]

I would. My gift for last round isn't complete, but my giftee has seen the WIP and liked it. Not sure if that lets me join the next round or not.

Speaking of which, I'd like to hold off posting said gift till it's finished. Might be a little while.

[Merlin]

I've been chiseling away at improvements... but finals and holidays have killed my muse... here's your gift thus-far Merlin DX

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/EWork88/MerlinWIP.jpg

Haha, I totally understand. That holiday-muse-killer struck me too and i kinda forgot about this thread thanks to holidays anyway... It looks great so far, feel free to take your time!

If there's another round on, I'm totally in

[Gabi]

Yes, there's another round and Merlin is in (we could still use more people, though). Sorry, WhiteFox, but it's one gift at a time. If you haven't finished your previous gift yet, I'm not going to give you a new one to make.

[WhiteFox]

Sorry, WhiteFox, but it's one gift at a time. If you haven't finished your previous gift yet, I'm not going to give you a new one to make.[/color]

Quel dommage.

Next round, though... next round. Mark my words, you haven't herd the last of me. Bwa-ha-haa

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Sienna asked if she could post here, and Gabi asked me if I'd mind opening the thread. That works for me, so...


... no threadromancy here, honest.

[Sienna Maiu - M T]

Thank-you llearch


"If sign-ups are open now, I'd just love to give it a go. With summer break starting, the timing seems right."
Love the idea behind this Gabi! S'gonna be awesome~

~ Sienna Maiu - Moonshine Tallgrass, out.

[Merlin]

Haha... been a while since this thread was active. But I am still up for next round, hope more folks are interested and we can actually get it going ^^;

[Inumo]

I'm still down for more.