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sanctus-ingenium · 8 months

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i answer your asks vol... 6?

This one made me actually consider how they balance the humours beyond just a simply "they scour it out". Because sometimes a holy beast gets 'sick' and it's not necessarily related to any sort of tissue growth, it's more often a mechanical fault and because the beast is considered to be alive, he is then therefore 'sick'. So how do we deal with this? An enginesmith will make the necessary repairs, but sometimes the sickness is related to environmental conditions. The four humours are arranged on a scale like this:

A mechanical fault associated with being too hot and dry could be something like a lack of lubrication on moving machine parts. So this would be considered the reason for a production of yellow bile (excess of yellow bile, btw, was what Pantera was diagnosed with on his last outing). Whether or not the bile is literal or more symbolic depends on the case. Anyway this was the reason Pantera is associated with fire (originally, when I was designing them all) and Leun, diametrically opposite, is associated with phlegm, water, acid, etc.

But anyway, the way to fix these imbalances in hot/cold/wet/dry is to simply reduce whichever one is excessive. In practice, keeping holy beasts maintained even when they're not out on a crusade is a full time job for an army of workers, where the atmospheric conditions need to be as neutral as possible. Too wet and you've got rust, too dry and the metal fatigues, to hot and it might warp and break, too cold and the joints won't fit properly, etc etc. Although the enginesmiths view this through a lens of The Four Humours, it's also just good practice to try to keep things balanced.

Btw while they do cure an excess of blood by bleeding the holy beast, they don't make leeches big enough :'(

There are illustrated representations of dragons that are pretty traditionally dragony (typically a winged serpent with many tails representing the stinging tendrils). These are added to drawings and art as a catch-all symbol for a conscious and targeted Evil. The laity, which is very devout, is unlikely to associate dragons with resistance - dragons cause a lot of damage too, and those stinging barbs will kill you just from the trauma of the impalement before the venom even has a chance to (unless you just get grazed, in which case.. the venom will paralyse you. then kill you)

So active rebellions/civil wars/wars of succession have occurred many times. The subjugated Midaean nation/territory (depending on who you ask) rallies around their beloved Saint Lycaon, a wolf. Flags and signs depicting a wolf devouring a crocodile/a lion/whatever holy beast currently tops the hierarchy of the church would be more likely. Rebellion itself is rarely black and white and as neat as picking a symbol the church hates. It is more likely people would pick a symbol that they love. Outside of Midea, the Mezian empire might not be at its peak but it also has not given its own citizens and laity a reason to take up arms against it.

at the start of the story, at least

awesome questions thank you @curious-sootball !

So the nerve cords inside the vertebrae are artificial, but they still perform the same physiological function as a real spinal column. They interface with a knight's dialogue. This produces an incredible amount of heat - this is why the spines are often exposed, even though that might be a point of vulnerability. The spinous processes in particular are very effective heat sinks.

But the tail? In most cases we don't need the tail, really. The spinal column ends at the base of the pelvis. The tail is cropped for most beasts on purpose - we don't need this thing dangling around and becoming entangled, and it has no machinery around it to act as replacement muscles so it couldn't move even if they wanted it to. Krokodilos's tail is the exception and it's just extremely heavy for not much pay off. That's a lot of additional engines we gotta maintain.

So the tail tends to be abandoned. The bones are kept of course but not mounted on the chassis where they're not needed. With no nerve cord running through them they don't run hot either so they won't disperse heat all that well.

Now for replacing bones... they don't. The bones that exist in the chassis are the bare minimum needed to perform the required functions - basic movement. They don't have ribs, they often don't have phalanges. A skull is there to complete the nerve cord - but all you need of that skull is the occipital bone. Nothing more.

If they break a leg, it might be repaired using screw and plate fixation. The bone may deign to knit together (enginesmiths swear that they don't allow tissue growth ever.. but sometimes you need some periosteum. Don't tell the bishops). But if it gets crushed? That's the holy beast done, scrap heap time. The majority of all holy beasts that have ever existed have already broken down and been decommissioned at the start of this story - we only have seven left (eight if you count krokodilos). Krokodilos is an unusual case because he is not dead, so they can't just hold a state funeral and add his heart engine block to the big hall of old hearts in the cathedral. He's sleeping.

But he's the exception. Take Saint Guinefort - dead as a doornail. He had a full funeral, his heart was put in the hall and his body was [redacted] like they do with all dead holy beasts. And then he was [redacted] and now our pal "Sir Victory" with the metal arm uses him as Nosewyse. Circle of life.

I think sidecar motorcycle is a pretty apt way of looking at him lmao. You don't wanna know how many people he's cooked.

Hey there! So I know I've mentioned they are similar to pterosaurs but they are not related to them at all. In fact they are cetaceans :) Later art I did of them plays up the mammal traits a bit more. Check out these nipples

However it is a fact that they are not closely related to modern cetaceans - as in, they did not evolve from modern whales and dolphins, but belong to a side branch that diverged relatively early, around the same time dragons were leaving the water for the skies. That art is quite old too, from before I kind of nailed it all down, so if I drew them now I would remove the more derived traits (i.e the single blowhole, the tail flukes, etc) and tidy it up a little. They diverged from the lineage that would become modern whales before the pelvic limbs were lost. I originally depict them having the crowbar-like claws on their feet to lever skin parasites off the dragon, but i think they are more likely to not use their feet much at all, and are more likely to use their single huge beak-like tooth to do the job instead. They cannot walk on flat surfaces.

Only insects and, specifically, winged insects :) I know it would be really cool to have various other giant arthropods but milennia ago, when they crossed into Thera for the first time, insects were the only fliers. And there is no other way to get over the mountain range quickly enough for it not to kill you. The mountain range in which the endless city sits is completely and 100% devoid of life. A journey on foot for a tiny bug would be next to impossible - they are more likely to starve or simply turn around and go back to where the food is.

The winged insects, otoh, can cross the range in a day or less, if the breeze is flowing right. And they would find plants already there in Thera - also solely wind-dispersed species from the previous time the mountains arrived and linked the world with Earth. The insects didn't really come by choice, sometimes the wind just blows the wrong way, but they definitely got lucky.

There are wingless insects in Thera today but only because they lost that trait over time (like ants or larviform female beetles). They have managed to colonise every reasonable habitat, including the sea (though the sea is not very salty) and have developed into a lot of very strange forms which might be unrecognisable to us. But a lot of them just got bigger and smarter.

This time round, in the period of time the story is set (early 1900s on earth), the mountains appeared and new animals crossed over who were not insects. Birds have become invasive in Thera, happily taking advantage of the smaller insect species who are completely unprepared for this new threat. There are also some wind-dispersed spiders hanging out now.

EDIT: oh i forgor the parasites on the flying insects that first colonised thera... yes they would have mites and horsehair worms and things of that nature

#setting: mez #setting: thera #i wrote so much <3 read it

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pillow-anime-talk · 7 months

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:) you already know 😅 could you do prompt 50 with Kaneki or Urie with fem reader? Thank you, love! Your writing is always magnificent and can’t wait to read this one!

# tags: scenario; current marriage relationship; hot romance; also fluff (kaneki deserve it!); kid!fic, family!au; smut; nsfw

warnings: mention of sex and sexual activities, on the sofa, kaneki wants another baby (breeding), unprotected sex, lactation, sloppy kisses, body worship, bites, pet names

includes: female reader ft. ken kaneki {tokyo ghoul}

author’s note: hii! i wrote about urie for you, so i chose kaneki this time :) i hope you find the plot and tags interesting and you enjoy it. i am also sorry you waited so long :(

50. “S-Stop. Someone is looking at us.”

You breathed a sigh of relief when in the tiny bedroom with two cute beds you could only hear faint snoring and calm breathing. Your (almost) two-year-old daughter had her eyes closed in a white cradle with a pacifier in her mouth, and your five-year-old son was sleeping peacefully in a small bed, cuddled up to his beloved mascot in the shape of a yellow tiger. At the same moment, the very pleasant smell of freshly brewed coffee reached your nostrils, so you just kissed your children on their smol foreheads and then left the room, closing the wooden door behind you. After a while, you returned to the kitchen where your husband was waiting for you.

In his hands there was a black mug with the image of a white cat, and next to his person, on the counter, there was a white mug with the image of the same animal. With a smile, you thanked him for the life-giving caffeine, and a moment later you felt a light kiss on your left cheek. Leaning against the counter, you started a conversation with Ken about light-hearted topics, and somewhere between the first sip of the hot drink and drinking it to the last drop, you moved to the living room, wanting to turn on a movie from the plan to watch list on Netflix app. It was a simple horror movie with a predictable plot and comedy elements. However, the horror faded into the background the moment you started talking again; about your husband’s friend’s birthday party, about household chores, about wanting to go to the mountains, about Ken’s job... There were quite a lot of topics, and the quiet evening and the presence of a few lights hanging on the curtain rod added a pleasant atmosphere between the two of you.

You haven’t had an evening to yourself for a long time; you were busy raising your children and taking care of the house and your husband working hard and earning money for the four of you. Plus, there were many other, unforeseen situations that were often full of emotions, stress, happiness, or great physical and mental effort.

That’s why you needed each other more than usual on this particular night.

The light kiss you received from your partner was full of tenderness and longing. His cool hands touched your waist at one point, and you smiled because of caress, almost melting between the blond man’s fingers.

“... Aren’t you tired, butterfly?” He asked with a slightly raised eyebrow, wanting to respect your possible tiredness and desire to watch the movie to the very end. But you shook your head, giving him a quick smootch on the cheek. Ken took that as an answer and then moved slightly closer to you, while settling your body on the spread out sofa, full of soft pillows and beige blankets. His kisses changed their position in a short moment and now, instead of your lips, his teeth were lightly biting the skin of your neck. A few long seconds later, with his right hand, he pushed aside the nightgown you were wearing and also kissed your breasts, which were still very swollen from feeding the younger child with your own milk. “You’re very beautiful, you know, love?”

Your both cheeks immediately turned red and your eyes sparkled a bit as you felt your panties being slowly pulled down. The long blue fabric stayed in it’s place, as did your husband’s pajama top. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a rather large bulge in Ken’s boxers, but you didn’t comment on it in any way. Too busy touching his body under the material of his clothes, you almost forgot about the condom you kept in several strategic places around the house. So you wanted to reach into the small, mahogany hiding place in the armrest, but your beloved grabbed your hand between his long fingers.

“Maybe you want to have sex without it?” He asked a little uncertainly and a little with hope in his voice; he also couldn’t hide the smile that involuntarily appeared on his lips.

“... Why?”

“Hmm. Wouldn’t you like another child?” He asked, pressing his cock harder against your damp pussy, and you bit your lip, feeling your body heat up even more. “You look very pretty when you’re pregnant, baby.” He added in a light whisper, nibbling on your left ear.

“Oh. Really?” You laughed, and then after a moment of thought, you nodded, retracting your hand and intertwining your fingers with your husband’s.

In a short moment of a few more kisses and sincere compliments about your future pregnancy, you could finally start enjoying your husband’s cock, perfectly fitted to your body, which was entering your wet as fuck pussy with the greatest gentleness. Young man touched specific parts of your body and face every now and then. He adored your breasts, your hips, your neck decorated with several red marks, as well as your deep eyes and lips swollen from pecks.

“Maybe this time we can have twins, huh?” He asked quietly, rolling up your shirt and pinching one of your nipples, and when some of the white fluid came out, he almost ejaculated right inside your hole, thinking about how good you would look with a big tummy and then with another two newborns. “What do you think, Y/N?”

“Mhm… Maybe.” You hummed, your eyes squeezed tightly shut. His fingers wandered through your partner’s soft hair and back, and he held your hips tightly as he bounced against your body. The tip of his cock touching the back of your uterus. You imagined your family growing even bigger and you almost groaned out loud.

However, instead of making any sound between your lips, you heard a slight creaking of the panels in the living room and you opened your eyes at once, looking towards the noise almost inaudible to the human ear.

“S-Stop. Someone is looking at us.” You whispered, your voice hoarse, and then you raised yourself slightly on your elbows, smiling at the five-year-old who was rubbing his eyes with his fists. “W-What happened, Kenji?” You asked your little boy, almost throwing off your husband, who quickly hid under the fabric of the blanket, and you invited the child closer to you.

“...I had a nightmare, mommy.”

“Oh, a bad nightmare? Well then, why don’t you stay here with us and we can talk about something pleasant?” You asked quietly as your son sat down next to you. The boy nodded tiredly and then snuggled closer to you.

You were embarrassed, but with full professionalism, you told a child’s story about dinosaurs and treasure hunting, every now and then sending a glance to your husband who didn’t even know how to react to the situation.

You two will definitely finish what you started, but first you had to take care of your duckling, who – in a short while – will fall asleep.

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rimicchan · 2 months

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Your Melody & hanakotoba (language of flowers)

during the voice drama watch party livestream, hyuga (rimicha's seiyuu) mentioned the meaning of the sunflowers in the pv and how they may relate to his feelings for kirimi-chan. knowing that (and that hanakotoba seems to have some differences here and there) i decided to go down the rabbit hole

disclaimer: i don't know anything about flowers and guessed for some of them, also most of the sources (listed at the bottom of the post) seem to be wikis of sorts run by either a single person or a small group of people

Rimicha

Sunflowers (ヒマワリ/himawari): As mentioned by Hyuga in the voice drama watch party livestream, they tend to mean "I'm looking at only you" and symbolise "longing".

Strelitzia reginae/bird of paradise flowers (極楽鳥花/gokuraku chouka): Pretty hard to translate, but according to my sources, it carries a negative connotation. The best it can probably be translated as is "a love which you are trying to show yourself bigger and better", according to my sources. (To be clear, what's being translated is 気取った愛, which the machine translation didn't give any clues for what it might mean, and a dictionary was somehow even more confusing.)

Oxalis corniculata/creeping woodsorrel (カタバミ/katabami): I honestly don't know if these are the right flowers, but they're the best guess I have for the small yellow flowers at the base of the bouquet. It seems to symbolise "a shining heart" and mean "to be with you".

Hallritt

Geraniums (ゼラニウム/zeraniumu): I can't tell what type of geraniums they could be, but that doesn't seem to matter in hanakotoba anyways. Red geraniums in particular can represent "friendship", "determination", and "solace", and can carry the meaning "happiness when you're there".

Merold

White roses (白いバラ/shiroi bara): Generally represents "purity" (in the "innocent" sense) and "heartfelt respect". It can have the meaning "I am suitable for you", but it seems it can also mean something like "beauty is your only appeal", which is... interesting.

Pink roses (ピンク色のバラ/pinku iro no bara): Seems to represent meanings like "kind heart", "satisfaction", "promising" (in the sense that one could have a "promising future"), and "elegance". It can also mean "first love" or "to be deeply moved".

White lilies (白いユリ/yuri): Again can represent "innocence", but can also represent "unmarked beauty" or "magnificence". It can also mean "a noble personality". (As a sidenote, I think people generally assume you mean a white lily if you just say "yuri".)

Pink lillies (ピンク色のユリ): Much easier than the above, but funnily enough can mean "insinuations" or "words or behaviour that hints at a deeper meaning", and "vanity".

Asters (アスター/asutaa): White asters tend to represent "change" or "reminiscing", and can also mean "a heart that has faith".

Lupinus (ルピナス/rupinasu): They seem to represent "the (power of) imagination" or "being greedy", which is an interesting difference. They can also mean "always content" or "you are my comfort". The last one's kanji can also mean "peace of mind" or "tranquility", so that's what "comfort" means there.

Calluna vulgaris/heather (カルーナ/karuuna): My best guess for the smaller, darker pink long flowers. This one doesn't have many sources for hanakotoba I can find, so the meanings are probably nonexistant, but a few sites I can find are claiming it can mean "self-reliance", "integrity", and "departure".

Loropetalum chinense (白いトキワマンサク/shiroi tokiwamansaku): The best guess I have at the little white flowers with slim petals. This is another one where I had to go digging for other sources for the hanakotoba, so it might just be all made up. Anyway, it can represent "inspiration" or "mysterious powers", or mean "good luck charm" or "I want to love you" (not entirely sure about the last one).

Gypsophilia/baby breath (かすみソウ/kasumi sou): The very small white flowers (notable at the bottom of the bouquet). This is a later edit because someone I know figured it out. Anyway, white baby breath represent "a calm heart" or "a pure heart".

Sources:

https://hanakotoba-note.com/

https://www.hana-navi.net/

http://www.hanakotoba.name/

Specific sources for calluna vulgaris:

https://lovegreen.net/languageofflower2/p282431/

https://hanasaku-gift.com/language-of-flower/caruna-floweringword

Specific source for loropetalum chinense:

https://hananoiwaya.jp/%E3%80%8C%E3%83%88%E3%82%AD%E3%83%AF%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B5%E3%82%AF%E3%83%99%E3%83%8B%E3%83%90%E3%83%8A%E3%83%88%E3%82%AD%E3%83%AF%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B5%E3%82%AF%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E8%8A%B1/

Other sources for translation help:

Literally just a Japanese person I know

#fragaria memories #picking apart fmm with my bare hands #i'm also interested in the fact that both EVER RED and your melody have a clock ticking in them #fmm talk #if you can't tell i enjoyed the livestream a lot

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spoiledleaff · 1 year

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✿ been thinking about mountain and his flower nicknames he gives everyone… my love for victorian flower language haunts me. anyways, buckle up. it’s another leaf hyperfixation :)

aether: “my little jonquil” which means ‘i desire a return of affection’, because mountain thinks that aether doesn’t bother him nearly enough or as much as the rest of the ghouls do and he wants to be bothered, damnit! also, the yellow hues complement aether’s eyes nicely, mountain thinks.

rain: “my little blue bell” (‘i will be constant’ in flower language), because mountain wants rain to know that even though he is one of the younger ghouls, their little pack would simply not be the same without him, no matter what his insecurities and awkwardness might try to tell him. this name in particular never fails to leave rain a perfectly blushing mess. also, the bulbs of this flower reminds mountain of rain’s nose.

swiss: “my sweet geranium” and “my little ivy” for geranium ivy. mountain likes to divide this nickname up, but make no mistake! it’s in reference to the same flower (meaning ‘your hand for the next dance’), and it references both swiss and mountain’s places next to each on stage and their sometimes shared shenanigans. also, the shape of this flower’s petals reminds mountain of swiss’ vape, as the slight curve and stretch of the petals remind mountain of how the fumes from swiss’ vape somehow always find him; always reaching for mountain’s lungs.

dewdrop: this one was a bit tricky, as mountain has tried numerous names in the past that dewdrop has immediately shut down, the dastardly fire ghoul somehow knowing a good deal of flower language, and the embarrassing softness behind mountain’s nicknames (perhaps from his time as a water ghoul? did he once have an interest in these things?). but, regardless, mountain has found two names that he’s been allowed to use repeatedly. “my scorched mulberry” (‘scorched’ is intended to take the place of ‘black’, so a black mulberry which means ‘i will not survive you’) and “my dear mignonette” (this one means ‘your qualities surpass your charms’), amongst some other names that dewdrop allows like “fire lily”. although that one doesn’t have much meaning besides the obvious. also, both the reaching structures of mulberry flowers and mignonette stalks remind mountain of dewdrop; always reaching towards the sun. whatever that might mean.

cirrus: “my sweet heliotrope” (meaning ‘devotion’) because no matter the height difference, mountain will always be there to willingly drop to his knees and worship the earth with which cirrus simply breathes. just as she deserves. also, the sometimes complicated scent of the heliotrope flower reminds mountain of cirrus’ own scent; complex with floral smells, but also balsamic with sweet notes.

cumulus: a personal favorite nickname of mountain’s, he adores calling her “my lovely, lovely juniper” (meaning ‘asylum; shelter’ in flower language), and it’s in reference to how much of a motherly figure/safe space cumulus is — not only for mountain — but for the rest of their polycule as well. also, the soft blue/white colors of the juniper flower reminds mountain of how cumulus’ hair shimmers underneath the moonlight.

sunshine: mountain likes to alternate between “my sweet cedar” and “my darling little maiden’s blush” (meaning ‘i live for thee’ and ‘if you do love me, you shall find me out’, respectively)the last one is certainly a mouthful, and mountain typically saves it for some very special occasions. both nicknames are in reference to their elements connections, and how the earth quite literally needs the sun in order to victoriously flourish and thrive. also, the way sunshine’s hair is so curly and vibrant in color reminds mountain of the intricate curves and structure of the maiden’s blush rose. how sweet.

copia: mountain called him “my sweet cypress” (meaning ‘mourning’, and ‘despair’) when they first met, and it’s in reference to when his brothers had been killed. now, he calls copia “my little locust” (meaning ‘affection beyond the grave’) not just for his lost brothers, but to remind copia of his forever place in the ghoul polycule. also, the fact that the tree is called a black locust, and yet it blooms a white flower reminds mountain of him. specifically his papal paint.

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altair214 · 9 months

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The Endless Moths

I decided I should make a post for all the moths together so here it is:

Destiny of the Endless:

Destiny was based off of the Black Witch Moth, which I thought was fitting because it sort of looks like it has chains on it’s wings. Also, fun fact, they’re known to be omens of good or bad luck, depending on the culture you ask, which I thought that was rather fitting for Destiny.

Death of the Endless:

Death was based off of the Hemileuca Chinatiensis Moth, which I saw and immediately thought fit Death pretty well. It was a bit of a challenge to get her sigil right and even to decide where to place it, at first I was going to put it on the hindwings but then I realized that it would work better if I did a white imitation of her eyeliner on the hindwings, and drew her sigil on the forewings. I’m quite proud of this one in particular.

Dream of the Endless:

Dream was based off of the Polyphemus Moth, of course, I changed the coloring a bit to make sense for Dream. I originally got the idea for drawing these moths because I saw the spots on some moths’ hindwings and thought that it kind of looked like Dream’s sigil and it would be cool to draw it. So that’s what I did.

Destruction of the Endless:

For Destruction, I chose to use the Atlas Moth, one of the largest moths in the world, which I think fit him pretty well. It was a bit of a challenge to include the his sword, but I think I managed it okay. Now I didn’t want to only include his sigil because after all, he left for a reason. So I also made part of the thorax of the moth look like the red bundle that Destruction is often depicted of carrying a lot.

Desire of the Endless:

Desire I based off of the Indian Moon Moth, though a red/pink version instead of the typical green. I think it fits Desire pretty well, it has a slightly sinister vibe which fits them.

Despair of the Endless:

Despair is based off the One-Eyed Sphinx Moth, a slightly scary looking moth that fits her pretty well. The moth has spots on it’s hindwings that I thought looked a lot like her sigil and the slightly ragged state of its wings made me think of Despair. It took me forever to get the porportions of this on to look decent, but I’m pretty proud of how she turned out.

And last but not least

Delirium of the Endless:

Delirium is based off of the Purple-boardered Gold Moth. The moth has a sort of almost fluffy look to them that made me think of Delirium. I added a bit of color to the edges because I felt like that purple and yellow was not colorful enough for Delirium. I added the swirls to represent her sigil, and let me just say, swirls are harder to draw than they look.

So this concludes my Endless Moths series. I’m pretty proud of all of these and I think my drawing has improved a lot since I started it. I might draw some more moths based on Sandman characters (yes, I’m thinking of Orpheus, I already have a moth picked out as well as a design for him). Please tell me which one’s your favorite or if you have suggestions for more characters/moths to draw, I’d be very happy to hear anyone’s thoughts

#destiny of the endless #death of the endless #dream of the endless #destruction of the endless #desire of the endless #despair of the endless #delirium of the endless #the sandman #the endless moths #my art

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professors-polycule · 7 months

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Volcarona Variants

I have been closely working with a PHD student who has been raising a Volcarona for the last few years. Finally, his studies on this particular specimen are coming to an end, and we are preparing for the final steps.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about Volcarona Variants for a bit (for additional reading, i can provide a few papers if someone should be interested)

//obviously headcanon territory below

Standard Breed or Sun Breed: The variant that is probably most well-known and has been categorized as “standard” by the Unova Pokémon Activities Committee (Unova PAC). To avoid confusion, it’s usually also called that in scientific publications, because the International Pokédex decided for some reason to classify Volcarona as the “Sun Pokémon”. Actually, it is just this “standard breed” that is called the “sun variant”. All this is a little bit confusing.

The reason is that in times past, Volcarona tended to be larger and stronger than they are today, like many Bug Types in general. Because of their size, abilities and body shape, individual Volcarona were sometimes worshipped as deities of Sun, Light, Fire and similar concepts all over the world. The most notable case might be the ancient civilization of Unova. There are multiple archaeological findings from the region that support this theory, one of them being the Relic Castle near Nimbasa City, Unova.

Now, for actual information about the Pokémon: Sun-Volcarona are, as mentioned above, the most common type of Volcarona, even though the Pokémon themselves are quite rare all over the world. While most will probably know what they look like, a want to give a little description: Sun- or Standard-Breed Volcarona are a bug-pokémon that is easily recognizable by their six large, orange wings and the big abdomen which is often black with light blue or white accents. Volcarona are around 1.5-1.7m tall, though the wings often make it appear larger. The upper body is covered in a white fur while its black head is framed by two orange or red horns. Its legs are positioned within the fur of the upper body and most of the time, only the feet are visible sticking out. It rarely uses them to walk, it prefers to fly or hold on to walls.

Well, i could go on about Volcarona in general, but the international Pokédex should be a sufficient resource and i want to highlight a few Variants.

White Dwarf Breed: The white dwarf breed is a very fitting name for this variant of Volcarona and is also the reason why modern science has decided to name most Volcarona breeds after stellar objects. The white dwarf Volcarona is usually a lot smaller than the standard breed, about 2/3 the size. In addition, it’s body accents and fur are a lot darker. While the abdomen of standard breed volcarona has highlights in light blue and white, the white dwarf shows a reddish-brown colour. The fur is often gray, sometimes it can become almost black. Then, the most notable difference are its wings. They are white or just barely yellow and somewhat dull in the white dwarf breed as opposed to the vibrant orange of the sun variant. Another notable difference is that the horns that frame a Volcaronas head have a slightly different shape, they are more round, almost like a crescent moon. They are also white, just like the wings. One more notable difference between the standard breed and the white dwarf variant is, that the latter usually have much weaker fire type moves.

Supergiant Breed: The Supergiant breed is a human made breeding line and does not occur in the wild. These Volcarona are, like the name suggests, very large. They are often more than 2m tall and their wings are much larger in comparison to their body than in the standard breed. They sport a variety of vibrant colours, especially in their wings, but most common are a light blue or green. In addition, their fur is much longer and often covers their whole body, while their abdomen can sport a variety of patterns that are uncommon in the wild. This is of course done through selective breeding. Their horns are also often larger and elongated compared to the standard breed. These Volcarona often struggle with health issues, which includes a tendency to overheat. Their large bodies and long fur often make it difficult to expel excess heat through their wings. A majority of Supergiant Volcarona is also unable to properly stand on their feet due to their large size.

Black Hole Breed: The black hole breed is honestly just a very fancy name for a very trivial form of melanism in Volcarona. They are quite similar to the standard breed in size and ability, but as expected, they are entirely black in colour. The only exception is possibly its fur that is more “dark gray” than completely black.

Quasar Breed: While the most notable feature of the Quasar breed is, similarly to the Black Hole variant, their pigmentation, the Quasar breed is not just albinistic, though that is how their colour differs from the standard breed. Of course the Quasar Volcarona is almost completely white but can sometimes be a very light pink. A notable feature is that their eyes are black and their horns are vibrantly pink. In addition to the albinism, they are often larger than the average Volcarona (up to 2.2m body length) and have shorter fur. Very interesting is that these Volcarona are often stronger than the standard breed and can produce hotter fire and often have more power overall.

🍌

#professor musa #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #volcarona #headcanon #//the PAC is holding the contests in the anime and are international #//but i think it makes more sense if they had regional devisions

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allister-1903929 · 11 months

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Hi I love the NSR Welcome Home AU so much! Question: are there any fun facts related to the character designs? Thank you!

Hi sweetheart! It warms my heart so much to hear that you love it, thank you so much😭

I work on each design a lot and I’m very very very excited to share some more info about them!

For now, I’ve posted only three designs and I don’t want to spoiler other members of the crew just yet, but I’ll update this post or make extra for each of the next characters that will be introduced !

I have to state one important thing:

All the genres that the characters are presenting were popular or were even created either in the early or late 70s

Julie and Frank are representing the late 70s genres, but it’s a much more important fact for Frank

He became a NSR charter way earlier than Julie. Furthermore, Frank was one of the judges on Julie’s first NSR audition

If we’ll make parallels with our world’s music history, the fact that his genre appeared in the moment when it probably wouldn’t exist in the exact kind of way Frank presented it, is the exact reason why he refreshed peoples view on music so much

The gray strands of hair, white contours in his design and the yellow butterfly are a huge tribute to Andy Warhol, who was the founder of the group "The velvet underground". This group partly belongs to the New Wave direction, but it mainly inspired me with the philosophy and the viewpoint on art that Andy Warhol had

That’s the first version of his design, I didn‘t change it much but still it didn‘t feel right and i was very upset about that:

The one, THE ONLY, WITH WHOM I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO BECAUSE I HAD TOO MUCH IDEAS… I was very concerned about saving details from Julie’s original design because I wanted to keep the charm of the canonical character

Julie’s design has some details that are inspired by Donna Summer, who gave a start to the genre Julie performs.

The main thing is that without the jacket her top quite literally blooms like a flower, the jacket just hold it while she’s rollerskating

She takes off the jacket when she’s wandering or playing around her "castle"

I can’t help but also show the first drafts of her design. The skirt is my favourite even after I’ve made the final decision different bc the way how fluffy it is would be a little unpractical 😭

Aaand the last, but not the least is Wally!

Honestly, his design is not as complex as the others. Mainly his design is based of disco fashion trends in the 70s that were portrayed in magazines or movies, and it doesn’t say much about his character. It shouldn’t though, as even in Welcome home there isn’t much information about him, but still he makes an impression of a kind, even comforting person. But when he’ll appear in the story of this AU for the second time, I’ll probably make his design more complex (Not saying he’ll be completely redesigned, but I’ll definitely think of other options of how he would look)

Oh! And also the red jacket he is wearing is the only jacket of his that isn’t stained with paint. He wears this particular one only on special events or auditions, because his friends made it for him and he will actually be freaking out if anything happens with this jacket

I’m very sorry if I got slightly carried away while answering the question, but I’m very grateful for your interest in my au!

Have a nice day and be kind to yourselves!

Byeeeee~✨

#nsr x wh au #welcome home #welcome home neighbor #welcome home wally #wh wally #julie joyful #music au #no straight roads #frank frankly #wally darling #welcome home arg #nsr #welcome home au

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inhuman-obey-me · 11 months

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Flowers for a Devil

Because Asmo didn't get an official birthday event story this year, which we think is pretty unfair as the last in the brothers' cycle, we made our own birthday story and art 😤

Asmodeus has always loved surrounding himself with flowers, but this year, he's gotten really into flower language. So as a surprise for his birthday, everyone decides to throw a flower-themed party, and they all get him different flowers that they thought would suit him!

(story and flower explanations below the cut)

SOLOMON

As Asmo insists on ringing in his birthday, Solomon finds himself dragged out clubbing the night before

But seeing as they would be out together, he figures it would be a perfect opportunity to give his pact-mate his gift right at midnight

He offers Asmo a narcissus, which earns him a little bit of an eye-roll, though he laughs it off

"Well, yes, it does mean egotism of course. But it also means 'stay sweet as you are.' Happy birthday, Asmodeus. Never change."

MAMMON

Mammon was dragged out the night before as well, though a bit more willingly, as part of Team Party People

Not quite having thought it through as much but not wanting to be outdone, he gives Asmo his flower as soon as they get home at the end of the night

His is a lovely little yellow flower, called a coreopsis

"It means 'always cheerful.' Because ya always try so hard to make everyone happy. We notice, ya know. Happy birthday, Asmo!"

BEELZEBUB

Initially, Beel had planned to wait to give his flower along with everyone else at the party, but by morning, the sweet scent of it has him worried

Not wanting to accidentally eat it during the day, he gives it to Asmo first thing at breakfast

The Avatar of Lust squeals with delight at the amethyst tones of the forget-me-not

"Happy birthday, Asmo. You're a great big brother to me and Belphie. So this is to show that I really admire you."

DIAVOLO

The young prince is so excited to give his gift that he actually gets to the party early

Once he arrives, he seeks out Asmo right away, grinning widely

He proudly hands the stalk of white delphinium blossoms to the lustful demon, and gets a smile almost just as big in return

"These are for you, Asmodeus. According to human realm traditions, these represent a happy nature. I hope you'll continue to share yours with the entire Devildom! Happy birthday!"

BARBATOS

The prince's butler, of course, comes not far behind his liege

He smiles politely at the birthday demon and hands forth the blossom he brought as well

Upon seeing the daylily in his hands, Asmo immediately takes the "coquetry" flower as license to flirt shamelessly with his fellow pact-holder

"Ah, please don't misunderstand, I'm afraid this doesn't mean I share your particular inclinations. But the meaning of it certainly reminded me of you. Happy birthday, Asmodeus."

THIRTEEN

Though she's not especially close with Asmodeus, she still decided to drop by the party

Not one to show up empty-handed, she makes sure to have a flower for him too

To be on the safe side, she chose an orchid, which he's certainly happy enough to receive

"Love and beauty is basically, like, your thing, right? So this is for you! Happy birthday!"

MEPHISTOPHELES

At Diavolo's enthusiastic invitation, Mephisto deigns to join the party and its theme

However, since he's not very fond of the brothers, he settles on gifting a sprig of candytuft to indicate his indifference

Asmodeus, however, is only familiar with its more positive meanings -- sweetness, joy, and beauty -- so he's perfectly pleased by the selection, to Mephisto's confusion

"Don't tell me you're happy about a gift like this? You lot truly are bizarre. Anyway, I'm told it's your birthday, so happy birthday."

SIMEON

Simeon is next to approach the Avatar of Lust, with both other angels following along behind

He presents the flower simply, but Asmo is immediately fascinated by the odd pink petals at its base

Having known him for a long time, Simeon thinks the lady's slipper and its meaning of capricious beauty sounded just right for his friend

"We actually wanted to get some Celestial Realm flowers for you, but we didn't get a chance to go back. Still, I thought this one would suit you well. Happy birthday!"

RAPHAEL

Raphael, having also known Asmodeus a long time but on slightly less friendly terms, is a bit more awkward about his gift as he approaches

Nonetheless, he smiles as he gives his flower, reiterating Simeon's apology for not being able to get one from the Celestial Realm

He doesn't mention the meaning of the anemone, letting his bittersweet feelings towards the former angel go unspoken -- a forsaken affection, new beginnings, and protection from evil

"Here, this is for you. I hope you like it. Happy birthday, Asmodeus."

LUKE

Luke is quivering a bit behind Simeon, though more out of shyness now than the fear he used to have towards the demon

He thrusts the stalk of little flowers forward, and yelps audibly when Asmo starts petting his head in thanks

Shouting once again that he is not a dog, he mentally reaffirms the lesser-known secondary meaning he found for the gifted white hyacinth -- "I'll pray for you"

"Um, I heard they used to call you the Jewel of the Heavens...so I got you this flower that represents loveliness. Happy birthday, Asmo!"

BELPHEGOR

Belphie is less inclined towards the outright partying, so he waits until Asmo pauses to get a drink to give his gift

He has his brattiest grin as he hands the flower over, and although Asmo rolls his eyes and tells him to stop it, he very clearly actually thinks it's cute of his youngest brother

Despite that, Belphegor had chosen the white hydrangea for him means togetherness and sincere feelings, perfect for family -- though, fittingly, it also represents vanity

"Here, a flower for the most narcissistic member of our family. Just kidding. Happy birthday, Asmo."

LEVI

Sensing his chance, Levi also takes the opportunity to present his flower to Asmo

He tries not to be too jealous of the beautiful bouquet that his brother has gathered, though the Avatar of Envy can't help but think he could never be popular enough to receive all that

But after all, his envy is equally driven by admiration, and the variegated tulip precisely represented things he admires about his brother -- his beautiful, charming eyes and his popularity and fame

"Happy birthday, Asmo! I heard about this flower from the anime I was watching last week, I Accidentally Ate A Poisonous Flower and Now I've Been Reincarnated As A Demonic Princess?!, and thought it sounded just like you. I hope you like it!"

SATAN

It's at this point that Satan realizes that almost everyone else has given their flower, and he's determined to at least beat Lucifer to it

He had studied books on flower meanings for a solid month trying to select the perfect one, and is confident he's chosen the perfect one to describe Asmo

Though the citron flower he gives means "ill-natured" beauty, he hands it over with begrudging affection, which his brother immediately teases him for

"Argh, this kind of thing is exactly why I chose this! But it does mean beauty as well, just like you. Happy birthday, Asmo."

LUCIFER

As the party winds down, Asmo has a pretty sizeable bouquet in hand, and he's excited to show it off to his eldest brother before they head home

As he does so, he looks expectantly at Lucifer, who just smirks, because of course he has a flower ready too

He gives Asmo an alyssum, which the younger brother is familiar with but looks at with some confusion -- worth beyond beauty?

"It means exactly what you think it does, yes. Remember that in this next year. Happy birthday, Asmo."

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sashi-ya · 1 year

Text

ᴍɪɴɪ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ > ＣＯＴＴＯＮＣＡＮＤＹＣＬＯＵＤＳ˚۰

ＶＩＮＹＬ 💿 ＲＥＣＯＲＤＳｓｈｉｎｊｉｘｇｎ！ｒｅａｄｅｒ

request. Anonymous asked: Hope I'm early but can I request Shinji with vynil records ? It feels like that word is there for him (and my mind instantly came up with so many potentials) tw. none. sweet modern (or not?) au. wc. 1.3k masterlist.

“You should close the store; nobody still buys vinyl records” “I will…” but I don’t want to.

Is not that you were extremely attached to the past, but your family has been running that business since a long time and now it was in your hands. Sure, technology has managed to overcome the old vinyl discs, but you still had hope. There were some amateurs who would buy some, but, time passed, and the industry slowly decayed…

“You are in debt. Severe debt” your accountant tells you, straight to the point through the phone while you play with an old vinyl around your index. “There is a man that wants to buy the shop, he is willing to pay double the amount of your debt. They are planning on setting a bubble tea shop”

You sigh… another tea shop. It’s ok, your place is located in a good place where summer days are lively and the fairy lights shine with charm on winter busy nights.

“All right. Give me one more week and I’ll give you an answer”

Some tears form in the corner of your eyes. Everybody is right. You should use this last week to finally say goodbye. There is no way you can transform your business by yourself, and apparently nobody is willing to help either.

You spend longer than expected inside, well passed the closing time. You decided it was time to see which of the things you will take with you, and which ones you were willingly to sell on the internet.

Scrutinizing old boxes you have in the back, you find some particular one. A set of Jazz vinyls that catches your attention immediately. In the front cover a man, with blond almost yellow hair and straight bangs smiles.

“What a particular smile…” you mumble, inspecting the disc. “This looks extremely old, it’s probably been here since my grandfather opened the store” you think, while you turn on the turntable to try it.

As soon as you place the needle on the black surface of the disc, and after some white noise, a peculiar song starts playing. It has Spanish vibes, but it’s also jazzy.

You have no idea what the title means, but, apparently the band is called “Vizards” and the first song “Escalon”

And, for some reason, you enjoyed it way more than you thought you would… and it made that last week a little more bearable. Selecting what goes and what not, cleaning and selling the last stuff before closing was clearly breaking your heart, but, the weird songs of that old vinyl made it all better…

The seventh day had arrived. Being the day you have to finally give the buyer an answer, you walk through the same streets you had always walked to get to your shop.

There is something in the air that makes it difficult to breathe, like a high pressure over your shoulders. You try to dismiss it, it’s probably just anxiety.

Playing with your keys as you approach your store, you keep humming that “Escalon” song. The sky is clear today, so you let the sun kiss your cheeks with its morning yellow light.

But, even if your life was about to change, there was someone who was willing to change it to a totally different idea of what you had already imagined…

“Hey! Are you the owner of this shop?” A blonde guy, with straight bangs and fancy looking clothes startles you at the very entrance of your shop.

There is something about him, something that feels familiar…

“Not for so long… I’ll be right with you, sir” you tell him, while the keys slide on the lock.

“You have no idea how much I’ve been looking for a vinyl store! I’m new to Karakura town, so, I’m so glad you are open!” he says, smiling…

oh, that smile…

You turn around to take a look at him before opening the door, and while you do, and the little bell chimes you realize how similar he looks to the guy on the “Vizards” vinyl. What a strange coincidence.

You sigh, though. He is glad you are open, but he might be the only one after all. “Actually, today is the shop’s last day” you confess.

“What? Why?!” he asks, taking his beret off completely outraged.

It makes you kinda laugh, he might not realize he is the only person wanting to buy vinyl records.

“Because nobody else buys vinyls anymore, sir” you say, turning the turntable on to musicalize the shop, while you get ready to sell whatever is left to that smiling being in front of you.

The man takes his hands to his tiny waist. He seems annoyed at your statement; he is there to buy, so, nobody wouldn’t be the proper term.

However, even if he wanted to say something, the melody that starts playing makes him go silent. He comes closer to the music source, and tilts his head to the side so that he could read the title on the spinning vinyl.

“I can’t believe it… I want a copy now” he chimes, excited as if he had found something he’s been looking for so long.

“Unfortunately is the only one I have… you see I found it on an old box, probably my grandpa’s belongings from when he opened the store” you excuse yourself, realizing that the last disc you were probably selling cannot be sold.

“Then, I will come back here to listen to it every day” he says, giving you the sweetest, most big smile you’ve seen. It leaves you startled, out of words.

When he is about to leave you gain your voice back; “Sir this is the last day of the store, you can take the vinyl for free!” you tell him, after all he was kind enough to believe in you when the rest didn’t.

“Are you sure this is the last day? Maybe things are about to turn upside down for you. See you tomorrow!”

You stutter, what is he talking about? As he leaves you simply laugh, sure that that man is nothing but a crazy one…

“So, (Name), if you are finally willing to sell the shop, the buyer will visit you there at 3 pm. I will be there too so that we can sign the papers”

“Yes… I will. May I ask what’s the name of the buyer?” you inquire him, just to know the name of the person that will transform your family’s legacy into yet another cafeteria.

“Hirako Shinji, he is the owner of “Upside Down”. You know, the bubble tea chain from out the state”

“Upside Down, you say…?”

You smile to the phone… If that’s a coincidence, you don’t wanna know…

The weird Spanish like song of Escalon fills the shop with their notes, it’s almost 3 pm and the inevitable it’s about to happen. However, there is something inside you telling you to be at peace.

The first to arrive was your accountant. He is not a bad guy; in fact, he has been there since the beginning for your family and you when you had to take over the business.

“The man is lovely, you will see. He is a little bit weird, but you can trust” he says, while you smile.

And just as he says so, the chime on the door announces the arrival of the buyer.

“Hello, hello! I’m back! I forgot to tell you my name, I’m Hirako Shinji” he presents himself, shaking your hand with great enthusiasm. Making you smile so widely. “So, let’s give this beautiful Vinyl store a little bit of life. Do you think you can still work for me? I want people to have some tea while listening to your wonderful melodies”

You gawk… this man… “So, you don’t want to get rid of the vinyl records” you ask, with glimmering eyes.

“Of course not, I knew this was the perfect place the moment you had my grandpa’s band playing in your store. I love jazz, and I’m a collector myself. I want you to help me and I want to help you make this business bloom… what do you say, cutie?”

You laugh at the “cutie”… but how can you resist when he has just arrived to put your world upside down? 💖

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rugtopper · 6 months

Text

CONFESSIONS OF A FETISH BARBER

BY RUGTOPPER

Sam picked up the telephone after it rang the second time.

“Adonis Hair Replacement Salon, Sam speaking.”

“Sam? This is Troy. How are you?”

“Troy! I’m fine. Good to hear from you. Why are you calling? Your regular appointment is still three weeks away.”

“I have finally decided to take your advice and change pieces. Is there room on your schedule to see me at 2:00 this afternoon? I’ll be through at the station by then.”

“Sure, Troy. I have an appointment at 1:00, but he is my last for the day. My afternoon is yours. I’ll see you at 2:00.”

Sam hung up the phone in the waiting room and went back into the styling room. He picked up a broom and finished cleaning the hair clippings on the floor. Sam had a very traditional barbershop right down to the black and white linoleum tiles on the floor. In the center of the room taking its pride of place was an enormous chrome barber’s chair with fire-engine red leather on the seat and back. This was the chair that Sam’s dad had used for nearly fifty years. This was the chair where Sam had his first haircut. But Sam didn’t have time to dwell on that. He had to finish cleaning up, have a small lunch, take care of his 1:00 appointment, and prepare for Troy. Troy Duncan. What a great guy. Everyone loved Troy. Everyone thought they knew Troy. He had been a fixture at the local TV station for nearly twenty years. Now he strictly did the morning and noon-time broadcasts, but was still a well-known local celebrity. “I wonder what made him decide to switch from a toupee to a full wig,” thought Sam. Troy Duncan had worn a toupee for nearly twenty-seven years. In fact, Sam’s dad had actually done the first fitting on Troy when he was only twenty-two years old. “That was just before Dad retired to Florida,” Sam said out loud to no one in particular. After Sam finished sweeping, he checked his own hair in the mirror before he went back out to the waiting room. Every silvery hair was in place. Of course it was; it never moved. It was made and styled that way. Still, before he left the room, he did give his hair a quick mist with wig hairspray. He knew Howard, his 1:00 appointment would notice. Howard noticed things like that. Howard was a relatively new type of client for Sam. In the last ten years, Sam had had an increase in clients who wore toupees or wigs. Among those were several who were a somewhat unusual because they really wanted to wear a toupee or a wig. In other words, they had no physical lack of hair precipitating the need to cover it up. Howard was one of those men.

As Sam was finishing his lunch at the reception desk, Howard walked in to the salon. He was early.

“Hi, Sam,” Howard said as he closed the office door behind him.

“I know I’m early. I'll sit over here while you finish your lunch.”

“Thanks, Howard. That would be great. I’ll be done in just a bit.”

Howard walked over to the sofa, tugged up his pants legs, and sat down. When he did this, he crossed his right leg over his left knee flashing a short jet-black sock, and the clip of his garter. Howard loved to do this. Sam chose to ignore it. Howard Gunson. Howard was only thirty-one, but he did everything he could to look like a man over sixty. Howard had on his usual barbershop attire. He was wearing hideous pale yellow beltless slacks, a thin-knit white short-sleeved dress shirt, and white patent leather loafers with a gold bar. This would have been marginally okay except that Howard was wearing an athletic undershirt which was clearly visible through the top shirt. Other undergarments were noticeable as well. When he sat down, Sam observed the knee-length boxer shorts with the tiny multi-colored diamonds underneath the beltless slacks. Also, the short dark socks held aloft by garters were clearly, but unnaturally outlined through the pants. Sam had given up trying to figure out why Howard wanted to look like this.

“Okay, Howard, I’m ready if you are.”

Howard came into the styling room.

“Howard, before we get started, don’t you think you’d better undress so we don’t have an accident like the last time?”

“Sure, Sam.”

Howard went to bathroom and undressed. When he returned, he was wearing only his undergarments. His tiny dick was already trying to poke itself out of the oversized boxer shorts that were hiding it. Howard walked across the room and got into the chair. As Sam put the cape around Howard’s neck, he looked at Howard’s hair. It either had to be the worst looking thing Sam had ever done for a client, or the best job Sam had ever done in making something nice look cheap. Howard’s toupee was coal black with a sheen. It covered most of his head. There was a left-sided part, but it was only simulated. You couldn’t see the scalp at all. Sam called this type of part a “pillowed part” or a “carpet part.” Basically, it looked like where two pieces of carpet came together, like on a staircase. The base of the toupee was mostly mesh with just a strip around the circumference for tape. The front of the rug almost embarrassed Sam. There was no lace-front hairline or anything fancy. This was old-school front under venting. Even at 100 yards, you knew this thing wasn’t real. Howard was sheepishly proud of this.

“Okay Howard, let’s get started.”

Sam put both of his hands on the base of Howard’s neck. Just above the neckline he felt for the plastic strip and loosened the tape. Howard moaned just a bit. Sam knew what was happening and stopped for just a moment to give Howard a chance to catch his breath. He put his hands at the base of Howard’s toupee and slowly peeled the toupee forward. As the toupee was removed, Howard moaned again and shot a tiny wad onto the underside of the cape.

“You know, Howard, if you were married, your wife would be so disappointed. We haven’t even started, and you’re already finished.” Sam laughed as he said this. Howard only gave an evil little smirk.

“Don’t ask me to explain it, Sam, I can’t. Just trim what I have and put me back together. I have to be at the newsstand at the airport by 3:00 this afternoon. I’m working a later shift today. You know how much I love working at the airport. It is the best place for rug spotting.”

This was something else Howard loved to do: look for toupees, and be spotted as well. Sam got the hot-lathered foam and put it on Howard’s stubble. He observed the flawless, but man-made Norwood seven horseshoe pattern on Howard’s head. With several quick strokes, Howard’s faint shadow of hair was gone. Sam trimmed the fringe with a four guard as Howard always requested. After this, Sam picked up Howard’s toupee, and placed it at his forehead. He slowly rounded it back into place. He did his best to comb the synthetic hair over the real, but too-short hair. This look made it even easier for it to be spotted.

“By the way, Howard, I hope that at your next appointment we can finally start on your laser hair removal. It will make the mpb ring look more natural when you remove your toupee. Now, up, out of the chair. Get dressed. I have another client coming at 2:00, and I need you to be gone.”

Howard got dressed, paid with a huge tip, and left. Sam swept up and waited for Troy.

Straight up 2:00, in walked Troy Duncan. To the unknowing, one might think he and Howard were alike. They both wore toupees and had the same fetish for undergarments, but that was where it ended. Troy was 48, handsome, fit, well-read, and a genuinely interesting person.

“Get in here, Troy. I did not expect to see you for three weeks much less get a call from you today.” Sam said this as he sat down on the sofa. “Sit down,” Sam said as he patted the sofa. Troy sat down and crossed his left leg over his right knee. Unlike Howard, he did not flash his garter clip even though he was always tempted to do so.

“Now Troy, why have you decided to go with a full wig? I’ve only been trying to get you to wear one for over a year.”

“Well Sam, I remember when you told me that I was losing more hair, that I was slowly but eventually going to move from a six to a seven on the Norwood scale.”

“Yes, and at that point you really need a custom-made piece. Granted, the stock pieces I get for you are good, but they won’t cover the baldness when you get to a seven,” Sam intoned.

“I know,” agreed Troy, “but my reason has less to do with a custom piece and more with the custom price attached to it.”

“You know I’d cut a deal for you. You are one of my most loyal clients . . . and most famous, well, even if no one knows that you are a client.”

“Well, I don't know about people not knowing, but I’m going to make the transition because of work.”

“Work?” Sam asked.

“Yes, work. You remember a while back I sent an audition tape to San Diego for that network job? Well, I finally heard from them yesterday. They went with Justin McKay.”

“Justin McKay? Wasn’t he that kid who interned for you a few years ago?”

“Eight years ago to be exact. Justin McKay interned for me and then the station manager actually hired him to be a researcher before he went to Atlanta. Anyway, when I found out about losing the job in San Diego, I decided just to stay here.”

“What do you mean stay here?”

“The station manager has been wanting me to sign a ten-year contract for over a year. I haven’t because I kept thinking I would move up in the market to a larger network. This was the fourth time I have been passed over. That is one of the things I hate most about news broadcasting: always having to look for the next market job. Anyway, when I signed yesterday, I just decided that now was the time. I have a worn a toupee since I was 22 years old. I just want something that's a lot easier to take care of. I'm getting older. It is time to graduate, so to speak, to a full wig.”

“I remember Dad telling me how nervous you where when you came in for that first fitting.”

“I was a wreck, mainly because I didn’t know what I was getting into. I really wasn’t that interested in wearing a toupee at that time.”

“Really, Troy, I didn’t know that. You seem so comfortable wearing one.”

“Your dad, and later on you, really helped me get comfortable wearing a toupee. My advisor was the one who really guided me to get one. He told me that if I wanted to move from behind the radio microphone to being in front of a camera, I needed a full head of hair. I didn’t think I was that bald, but I was lying to myself. By the time I decided to deal with my hair loss, I think I was almost a four on the Norwood scale with a lot of fuzz. Your dad just shaved me clean so I had a smooth surface for my first toupee. I can tell you I walked out of here with my head held high for the first time in nearly two years. When I made that first appearance for the campus news, I felt like a million bucks. I realized that I had been hiding under a silly plaid riding cap. Anyway, after I lost the job in San Diego, I signed the ten-year contract with the station. It is the same pay, but with lots of bonuses. Also, on the bright side, a full wig every two years costs far less than a toupee every six months.”

“I want to hear more about this Justin what’s-his-name. You said he interned with you?”

“Yes, about eight years ago. I guess the people in San Diego wanted someone younger than me. They can have him and his overly-permed hair.”

“Oh, my! Did you say it was Justin McKay?”

“Yes, what about him?”

“Now, I remember him. Troy, that’s not a perm.”

“What! You mean that awful hair is natural?”

“Only part of it,” Sam hinted.

“You mean Justin McKay wears a rug?”

You got it, Troy. He was one of my first fetish clients,” Sam confessed.

“Fetish clients? What on earth is that? What do they do, suck their toes or something disgusting like that?”

“Well, not exactly that. Nearly ten years ago, I started getting phone calls from men who wanted to be fitted for a toupee. It was only a few, but when they would show up for the consultation, I would discover that they had a full head of hair.”

“You mean these guys were not bald? They weren’t losing their hair at all?”

“No. They just wanted to wear a toupee.”

“I can’t imagine someone who had hair wanting to wear a toupee. I understand being bald and wanting to cover it by wearing a toupee, but to make yourself bald on purpose just to put on a toupee is a little too farfetched for me.”

“You would be surprised, Troy, just how many men actually want to do just that. My last client, just before you came today, is one of them. He is 31 and has worn a toupee on purpose since he was 25. Justin is the same way.”

“Tell me more about Justin and this other guy.”

“Let’s move to the studio so I can start on your new wig while we talk.”

“Okay,” Troy said, but neither of them moved from the sofa.

“Less than a month after you told me Justin had been hired as a researcher,” Sam continued, “I got a call from him. He told me that you had recommended me. He told me he wanted to be fitted for a toupee. I asked him how bald he was. He told me that I would need to remove a lot of hair in order to have a proper fit.”

“How did he find out I came here? Did he follow me? I know he was always asking me where I got my hair done and then he would correct himself by saying, ‘I mean. . cut.’ That always bothered me. Well, keep going.”

“So the day of the appointment came and Justin arrived on time. He had all this unruly hair. He also had a very expensive toupee in a box. He told me that he wanted to wear a toupee and that he had always wanted to wear a toupee. I told him that I just couldn’t wave a magic wand and make him bald. He got hard as a rock when I said that. I told him it would be unethical to make someone bald on purpose. I told him that he was being silly, that he didn’t need a toupee. He was not moved. He just kept begging. Finally, I told him to leave. I told him that I would think about it. He called me the next day crying. He told me that his therapist had suggested that he get a toupee to face his fears of going bald. I told him he wasn’t going bald. He said that he was. I asked for the name of his therapist. He wouldn’t give it, of course, because there wasn’t one. The day after the phone call, he showed up here in a baseball cap crying. He had shaved the top of his head. He was crying and begging me to fit him with the toupee. So, I did.”

“My God! I knew he was a little off the beam, but nothing like this. So, you fitted him with the toupee?”

“I had to. I couldn’t let him leave looking worse than Larry from the Three Stooges. It was awful. He had basically taken a beard trimmer and mowed down the middle of his head. I told him to get in the chair.”

“How did the fitting go?”

“The fitting was routine once I got his scalp prepared. He had buzzed himself to a Norwood four, but the toupee was sized for a five. After I shaped it to a level five, I was ready to shave the stubble. I got the hot-foamed lather and quickly removed all the stubble. At this point he was totally into the whole process. The boy had a ton of hair. When I turned him toward the mirror with his curly toupee setting there on its stand, he made the strangest sound. He actually shot a load in his pants. I wouldn’t let him get up. I made him sit there in all that goo while I finished. I got the toupee off the stand, put tape on the underside, and attached it to his head. The next bit took forever, and I do mean forever, over two hours. I hate working with curly hair. He kept telling me to keep his fringe longer. It really wasn’t all that long, but I did as he asked. It looked well blended, but I knew that without the toupee he was going to look like a clown. He ended up coming back every four weeks for a trim before he got that job in Atlanta. When he moved, that was the last time I saw him. Well, that is the whole saga of my first fetish client. I am sorry you lost the job to him. You are a great reporter.”

“Thanks, Sam. Can we start on my wig now? You can tell me about that other guy then. What’s his name?”

“Yes, we can start. You had better undress. These wigs are long and loaded with tons of hair. They make them that way. They come fuller than necessary. Anyway, the guy’s name is Howard. I’ll tell you about him when you get back from the bathroom.”

Troy got up and went to the bathroom to undress. He always did this whenever he had a new fitting. It was easier, cleaner, neater, and just more comfortable. As Troy walked across the room to the bathroom, he moved various items from his pants pockets to his suit-coat pockets. He also thought to himself, “How many times have I done this? How many toupees have I gotten since I was 21?” Today was something new for Troy. When he got into the bathroom, he removed his coat and hung it on one of the pegs inside the door. He closed the door and looked at himself in the full-length mirror. He loved how his tight athletic undershirt looked beneath his crisp white dress shirt. He removed his tie and hung it up. Off came the shirt and down came the pants. They slid off easily over his wing tips which he liked to keep on. Seeing himself in his tight undershirt tucked into his knee-length boxer shorts, thick-n-thin socks and garters, he gave himself a queer little smile. He said out loud to himself, “And now off goes the hair, old man.” Troy walked out of the bathroom, sat down in the barber’s chair. Sam put a fresh cape around his neck and slowly lifted the back of Troy’s toupee. Same removed it from front to back. The extent of Troy’s baldness was overwhelming to take in. Sam had been right. Troy was almost a full Norwood six. His peaks and his temples were completely gone.

“Are you sure you want to do this,” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“Sideburns as well,” Sam asked.

“Sideburns as well. There is too much gray in them, and I never really liked them anyway. Shave it all. It will be easier in the long run.”

Sam turned on the clippers and removed Troy’s sideburns and all of his fringe. Next, he got the hot-foamed lather and the razor and removed the stubble. Suddenly, there sat Troy Duncan - Channel 14’s lead anchorman totally bald and slowly getting a massive erection.

“Oh, God! I knew this day might come, but I wasn’t really prepared for it. I’m totally and completely bald. I don’t believe it. I am completely bald.”

“Okay, Troy. Get over it. You’ve been bald most all of your adult life. Now, it is just a greater level of baldness. Welcome to my world," Sam said as he laughed. Troy lied, as well.

Now Troy, I have two styles for you. There are four wigs, two in each style. One is a traditional left-sided part, just like the toupee you’ve been wearing for several years. The other style is slightly fuller with a casual, brushed-back look to it. I really think you should go with that. I think it looks better with your facial features. Also, with this youth-obsessed market, I think it will be more attractive. What do you think?”

“I think I need to go with the hipper, brushed-back look. I’m changing from a toupee to a wig. I might as well get a better looking style as well. I also want to stop talking about my hair so you can tell me about Howard and some of your other clients. Confession is good for the soul. Confess!”

Sam put the wig on Troy’s head and turned him toward the mirror.

“I’m not going to leave it like this of course. It will be over the ears and above the collar - very professional, but casual. Okay, now about Howard. I think you might know who he is. He has a newsstand at the airport. He runs an okay business, but with him, everything is about toupees. He loves spotting guys who wear them. He also loves being spotted. He really gets off if someone notices his rug. He actually gets sweaty palms if someone stares at his hairline while they are talking to him.”

“Really? I think I know who are talking about. Maybe I should chat him up sometime just to mess with him. He’s not dangerous, is he?”

“Howard! No, he’s harmless. If you do decide to chat with him, you might pull back your coat so he can see your undershirt. He has a real underwear fetish as well.”

“Should I flash him a glimpse of garter,” Troy asked as he kicked his gartered leg out from under the giant barber’s cape.

“No, Howard might soil himself right there in the airport,” Sam laughed.

“Okay, who else is there? Keep going.”

Same continued cutting and thinning and styling Troy's new wig as he proceeded to "confess" about more of his clients.

"Well, there is Larry, the used car salesman."

"Don't tell me. He's overweight and wears a lot of gaudy jewelry?"

"No. Larry hates jewelry. Plus he is somewhat trim, even if it isn't totally natural."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I happened to notice that he looked like he had lost weight, so I complimented him. He informed me that he got tired of dieting and had gotten one of those girdle shirts that flattens everything."

Troy laughed. "So what about his hair? Is he one of your fetish clients, too?"

"Yes. He had always wanted to wear a rug, so he started tweezing his hair out. However, he quickly discovered how tedious and painful that was. He had me laser his hair off so he could permanently wear a hairpiece."

"You mean you destroyed his hair? I didn't know you were licensed to do laser hair removal, Sam."

"I've been licensed to practice that for years. Anyway, Larry had found this blond synthetic hairpiece online that he really liked. His bio hair is almost white, and doesn't match the hairpiece at all. Still Larry loves it and the attention he gets. Anyway, I have had quite a few clients over the years who have had me do laser hair removal. One of my clients is a security guard at one of the casinos here in Vegas."

"You mean some guy had all his hair lasered off?"

"Yes. He said he was tired of shaving it all the time. He's huge and muscular. The look works for him.

"Okay, Troy. I need to rinse this wig, remove it, and begin on the other one."

Sam rotated the barber's chair and lowered it. He gingerly rinsed all the loose hair from Troy's new wig. He raised the chair and gently applied a towel to Troy's head. He took a blow dryer and began styling Troy's new wig. He knew Troy wanted a hipper version of his old style, but he knew Troy's conservative tastes. He styled it off the forehead, with an easy, brushed back look. He turned the chair toward the mirror.

"So, what do you think, Troy?"

"It's perfect, Sam. Just like what we have discussed a few times over the past year. There is just enough up-sweep which I like, but not a retro pompadour. Now, any more stories? The confessional is still open."

Sam removed Troy's wig and placed it on a stand in front of the mirror next to the other, uncut model. Suddenly Troy felt vulnerable, as he always did without his hair. He shouldn't, but he did. He had been bald for half his life, hiding it under a rug. He liked to think he was fooling most of the people all of the time, but deep down, he knew most people strongly suspected that he wore a hairpiece. Yes, this new wig was nice, but it was even more obvious than his toupee. He knew he would get tons of junk emails commenting on his new look. He didn't have any fringe in which to blend it, and now no sideburns. Sam had done a great job thinning out the wig, but the temples were obviously taped to his now totally hairless scalp. His fringe before had been thin and wispy. He knew this fuller wig would look a lot better. Sam put tape on the second wig and put it on Troy's totally bald head. He liked the tight grip of the tape on his scalp. Since that first day he had put on his new toupee in his dorm room, he had always enjoyed how it felt sitting on his bald head.

"Well, Troy," Sam said as he began cutting on Troy's spare wig.

"Well what, Sam? Are you going to continue with the confessions?"

"Let me make a quick phone call, and then I'll give you an exclusive confession that will snap your garters."

Sam quickly returned a few minutes later with a smile on his face.

"So, what makes this next confession so much better than the others you have shared?"

"Well, this one is about me, Troy."

"You? I thought you were naturally bald. When I first came here all those years ago, you were already wearing a toupee. If I remember correctly you're only four years older than me. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, Troy. I just turned 52. And, yes, I was wearing a toupee when we first met, but it was partly due to my desire to be like my dad."

"I don't understand, Sam."

"You knew my dad along with two other barbers in town kept all the male stars and celebrities looking their best when they would perform at the casinos. Whenever one of the barbers would order a new wig for a certain tipsy member of the Rat Pack, he would also order one for my dad. My dad really liked that full style. All the Hollywood stars had their own barbers or used Max Factor. Here in the desert, if a man was going bald, he either went without hair or went with second best. Anyway, I'm getting away from my story. When I started working here, sweeping up after school as a teenager, I noticed that a lot of my dad's customers were uncomfortable with me around because I had a full head of hair. One day after work I asked my dad if I embarrassed him because I didn't wear a hairpiece like he did. That really upset him because he said that I could never embarrass him. That's when I told him that I really wanted to wear a toupee like he did. He said that I was being silly. He said there was no way he would let me wear one when I didn't need to wear one. I asked him if he would let me wear one if I did need one. He said he would. So, I took the clippers and gave myself a tiny bald spot. He couldn't believe I did it. He made me wait until the next day to fit me with a little slider that he had in a drawer."

"A slider? What's that?"

"Oh, that is a little piece for the crown area. It can be worn with clips or glue."

"So, you're telling me that you had a toupee fetish just like some of your clients?"

"Yes, Troy, I am. I started wearing a rug when I was still in high school. By the time I graduated and went to beauty school, I was a full Norwood five."

"What did your friends at school think?"

"Those that knew, thought that my dad made me wear one for his business. I couldn't let people think my dad was that cruel. I told them that I was losing my hair and didn't want to be bald. Remember Troy, this is Los Vegas. Everyone cares about how they look. Half the girls in my graduating class wore extra padding in their bras!"

As Sam was finishing his confession to Troy, the chime on the front door rang.

"I thought I was your last client, Sam. I can't let anyone see me. The public may suspect that I wear a hairpiece, but I don't want them to have a face-to-face confirmation."

"He's not coming in here, Troy. Let me rinse and style this wig while I explain. Now, he is a long-time client, but he's not here for an appointment. You see, I have a second confession to make. You probably don't remember Sean Dugan. He was a professional bodybuilder and model, but after a car accident, he was working part-time as a security guard at your station when you were having all those issues with Justin. He found out that Justin was the one who kept sabotaging your network chances.

Sam turned Troy around in the chair, rinsed all the loose hair from the spare wig, and then began styling it like he had the first one.

"Troy, Sean, was the one who brought Justin here. He hated how Justin would talk about you behind your back at the station. Sean hated the snide comments Justin made about your toupee. Sean put a stop to it by convincing me to teach Justin a lesson with my laser. He didn't have to work very hard."

Troy got up out of the chair, took off the barber's cape, and walked into the lobby. He didn't say anything. He just walked up to Sean, softly put both hands on his face, and kissed him the way he had always dreamed of years ago when he would see him at the station.

After that long, passionate kiss Sean just looked down at Troy Duncan's old-fashioned undergarments and smiled. Troy just smiled as he glanced up at Sean's light cocoa colored toupee.

Later, the two of them went out to eat, but ended up back at Troy's condo for dessert and more.

(You can fill in the rest!)

#cheap toupee #hair replacement for men #male transformation #toupee for men #voluntary bald fringe #men's tank tops #men in boxers #vintagemen #men's sock garters #men's wigs #a-shirt #boxer shorts #sock garters #traditional men #becoming traditional

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somediyprojects · 7 months

Text

Paper Icelandic Poppies

Project by Kate Alarcón:

There’s a particular kind of lady-slipper orchid that I have made and remade and adjusted and readjusted. I’ve probably made a hundred little green orchid slipper prototypes, and each try is more frustrating than the last. At this point, I suspect that the minute I finally do figure out this orchid, I’ll make it and then crumple it up, just to vent my irritation.

The Icelandic poppy is another flower that I feel like I’ve never completely nailed down. I’ve been tinkering with this version for over a year now. But unlike the lady-slipper, just about every attempt at this poppy has been really fun. I think it’s because poppies — with their wrinkled petals and hairy, spindly, crooked stems — are gloriously awkward. My practice poppies could carry off every little eccentricity I inflicted on them with rumpled panache.

I hope you’ll make your own awkwardly glorious bouquet of poppies and stick them in a vase and fuss with them as they tilt their blooms at weird angles, and lean all over the place, being disagreeable. And just when you’re about to throw up your hands, you’ll step back and realize that it’s all come together. You’ll want to make more.

The crinkle technique I describe below is adapted from Livia Cetti’s gorgeous and essential book, The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers.

Special thanks to the phenomenally talented Lynn Dolan (@lmdolan75 on Instagram) for her generous advice on this project! —Kate

Photography by Kate Alarcón

Supplies

-18 gauge cloth-covered floral wire -8mm wooden beads -white cosmetic wedge sponges for applying glue -sharp scissors –poppy templates

Crepe paper

This is what I used, but definitely feel free to mix it up and substitute.

From Castle in the Air:

-“Pale Yellow Green” heavy crepe for the frill at the top of the seed pod -“Lemon” heavy crepe for the stamen filaments -“Sunflower” fine crepe for the anthers at the end of the stamens -Fine crepe in “Red,” “Persian Pink,” “Pale Pink,” “Pink,” “Sunflower,” and “Vanilla” for the petals

From Paper Mart:

-“Moss Green” heavy crepe to cover the pod and wrap the stem, from Paper Mart

Optional:

Design Master Color Tool Spray in “Holiday Red,” “Perfect Pink,” “Coral,” “Orange,” and “Yellow”

PanPastel in “Permanent Red Tint 340.8,” “Permanent Red 340.5,” “Orange 280.5,” and “Hansa Yellow 220.5”

A note about grain:

The grain of the crepe paper runs parallel to the roll or fold. You will almost always cut petals with the grain, placing the template so that the tiny wrinkles in the paper run up and down the template, not across. Each template includes an arrow to show the direction the grain should run.

Constructing the seed pod at the center of the flower:

The first step is to create the little frill at the top of the seedpod. Use template A to cut a frill piece from the pale green heavy crepe. Stretch the wider end of the piece all the way out, flattening all the little crinkles in the upper half inch of the frill piece.

Twist the frill piece, beginning about ½” below the top edge. The part of the frill that you stretched will form a little funnel. As I twist, I like to place my fingertip inside this funnel so that it stays open.

If this feels cumbersome, it’s fine to just twist and then use one end of your floral wire to reopen the funnel.

Insert the twisted bottom part of the frill piece into your wooden bead.

Dip the tip of your wire in the glue and scrape off any extra so that you have a thin coat that isn’t dripping all over the place. Insert this wire tip into the bottom of the bead, next to the bottom of the fringe that you’ve just inserted.

You don’t need to push this all the way up into the bead. You’re mostly just trying to anchor the wire tip inside the bead. You’ll secure it in the next step.

Use template B to cut a rectangle from the medium green heavy crepe. Snip a very short fringe across the top of this rectangle (it’s fine to freehand this, but you can also use the lines drawn across the top of template B).

Use your sponge to swipe a thin layer of glue over this piece. Lay your bead on top of the rectangle, so that the top edge is slightly higher than the top of the bead. Stretch the rectangle around the bead and press either side together.

Trim the excess rectangle.

Use your fingers to press the fringes of the green crepe down onto the top of the bead. Scrunch the green paper beneath the bead around the wire.

This will secure the pod to the wire.

For the stamens:

Use template C to cut a rectangle from the pale yellow, heavy crepe. Stretch this rectangle all the way out. It should now be the same width as template D, but if it’s wider, trim any excess. The dotted line across template D shows how deep you should cut the fringe. (You’ll be cutting from the top). You can trace this line with a pencil or just fold along it and let the crease mark where your fringe should stop.

Without stressing out about it, cut the fringe as finely as you can.

Using the diagonal line on template D as a guide, cut away some of the excess paper beneath your fringe. This will create less of a bump where you’ve applied your stamens, and also smooth the transition from stem to blossom.

Use your wedge sponge to apply glue to the area beneath the dotted line. Place your bead on this fringe piece, so that the bottom of the bead sits just above the dotted line. Roll the fringe around the bead loosely.

Don’t worry about what’s happening below the bead; just focus on making sure that the fringe at the top is even all the way around.

Scrunch the bottom of the fringe around the wire all the way up to the base of the pod.

Gently pinch the filaments between your thumb and forefinger and bend them away from the center, all the way around, creating a tidy ring of stamens.

Now you’ve got your stamen filaments ready to go!

Cut a 3”x 9” rectangle from the orange fine crepe (the short sides will run parallel to the grain.) Fold it in half vertically and in half vertically again.

Cut a fine fringe through all these layers, turn it 90 degrees, and cut across your fringe to create a fine “confetti.” Gently sweep this confetti into a little pile.

Squirt some glue onto a paper plate or disposable dish, and dip the ends of the yellow fringe into the glue.

To keep my seedpod frill clear of the glue, I prefer to hold the stem at a 45 degree angle and dip one section of the fringe at a time, slowly twirling it to glue all the way around.

Dip your fringe into the pile of confetti. Now your filaments have anthers!

Adding color:

You can apply color before or after you cut your petals.

If I’m using the Color Tool spray, I prefer to color sheets of paper ahead of time. Though the odor fades after a couple of days, this stuff smells really intensely like bug spray when you first apply it, so I strongly recommend doing this outside, preferably with a mask on.

Shake the can well, and spray on a light coat. If you’d like more intense color, let the first coat dry a little bit and then spray on another light coat. I like to spray rows of color across the grain of my paper, spacing them a little bit farther apart than my petal height.

If I’m using PanPastels, I usually cut and then color my petals. Use your cosmetic sponge to swipe the pastel onto the petal, swiping with the grain of the paper.

I especially like to apply it so that the color is more intense toward the petal edges, fading toward the bottom, though you could also reverse that.

Clockwise from top: 1. “Vanilla” crepe with “Holiday Red” spray, 2. “Red” crepe with “Orange” PanPastel, 3. “Sunflower” crepe with “Holiday Red” spray, 4. “Vanilla” crepe with “Orange” spray, 5. “Light Pink” crepe with “Yellow” spray, 6. “Vanilla” fine crepe with “Perfect Pink” spray, 7. “Persian Pink” crepe with “Coral” spray, and “Persian Pink” crepe with “Holiday Red” spray.

For the petals:

Each poppy will have six petals: two from template E, two from template F, and two from template G. Templates E through F are actually half a petal, so you’ll need to fold your fine crepe parallel to the grain and place the dotted line along the fold.

Lay the petal on a smooth surface. Place your fingertips about an inch in from the edge of the petal closest to you. Place your thumbs right on the edge, behind your fingers. Use your thumbs to drag or inch the paper toward your fingers. When your thumbs and fingers touch, leave your thumb where it is, lift your fingertips and set them down about an inch forward. Repeat until you’ve gathered the whole petal into pleats.

Pick up your gathered petal and pinch up and down it to set the pleats.

Holding the pleats in place, twist the petal as though you were gently wringing water out of a rag. You’ll twist them pretty firmly, but I find it works better to use a lot of little twisting motions than to try to do everything all in one big twist. Untwist and gently spread the petal, taking care not to smooth the tiny pleats and wrinkles very much.

You can curl your petal at this point or after you glue your pleats.

Curling the petals is a lot like curling ribbon for giftwrap: you can scrape the petal with the blade of your scissors, a skewer, or just your fingers, moving from the base of the petal to the upper edge as you scrape.

Spread the bottom half inch of the template most of the way out and use your sponge to dab glue all the way across the bottom of the petal.

Pinch the bottom edge to gather it back up. Let the glue dry for a few minutes.

Snip off the excess bulk at the bottom of the petal.

Attaching the petals:

You’ll apply the petals in pairs. Start with the template E’s, and place them on opposite sides of the pod. Apply a little bit of glue to the base of the petal and press it right up under the bead.

The second set of petals, the F’s, come next. Working clockwise, place each F beside each E, so that each F overlaps each E by about 30 percent.

Finally, apply each template G petal beside your template F petals, again overlapping by about 30 percent.

Finishing your flower:

Cut a few ¼” x 8” strips across the grain of the medium green heavy crepe. Dab glue on the first two or three inches of the strip and tightly wrap the section of the stem just beneath the flower to secure the petals and hide the petal bottoms. Apply a small amount of glue to one side of the stem wire. (I usually glue four or five inches of the stem at a time so I don’t get as much glue on my hands.)

Hold the strip at a 45-degree angle to the stem and gently stretch the strip as you twirl the stem, spinning the strip all the way to the bottom. If your strip breaks or runs out, just begin with a new strip right above the place on the stem where your previous strip ended.

Once the glue is dry, take some time to straighten your stamens and arrange your petals. You might want to curl some a little bit more, or gently tug a petal’s edge to straighten out crumpled pleats, or press some of the petals down where the petal meets the center to separate the layers.

Sources for supplies:

Michaels: 18 gauge floral wire, Design Master spray, wooden beads, glue

Castle in the Air: Crepe paper, glue, wire

Paper Mart: Crepe paper

Blick: PanPastels

#diy #crafts #paper #x

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