TANGO!

[Asila]

*hugs Molly* Poor baby, I won't let her force you dance with the arrogant, irritating...sexy fox. *seems to have forgotten that she's supposed to be furious and just stares at Crevan*

Malevolos: *grabs her and gives her a violent shake* He insulted you, in case you have forgotten. Have some dignity.

Asila: Hmm? *continues to stare at the fox*

Malevolos: *scowls*...

Riiight. Anyway, as far as the whole clothing issue goes, I think I know the answer. Seven just wants to get Molly naked, which is why he isn't wearing a shirt in the picture with her. *smug to the tenth degree* It seems to be a personal fantasy. Then he has a shirt on with Saika, because that picture was supposed to be cute, not erotic. Which it would have been if Molly had been half-naked. Then, with Evening, Molly just wearing what I had implied he would have worn when I had created his avatar. I even mentioned him taking that jacket off after he tried to capture Evening, once he returned home after his failure and met Serena. Which explains the addition of the jacket. And in the last, I think Seven just wanted to make a really cute to cheer me up. And since I would rather see Molly look dignified and elegant than sexy, since he is a very real part of my mind and trying to think of him in an erotic fashion just wouldn't work for me. It would seem weird. So that's my explanation. I think the order is mostly coincidence. Seven just wanted to do the cute, romantic pictures first, then finished the picture with Evening since she was the only other female we know of that Molly had anything to do with. Then the idea of drawing Molly with me came to her later.

This is all speculation. I'm not entirely sure exactly what Seven was up to, but this is my best guess.

Now, to respond to Seven's long rant to my not quite as long rant.

I really do want to color those pictures, just because I think doing so would be fun, but I'm still shaken by my last failure. Which I now want to try and re-shade. But am afraid I will make it worse. *shifty eyes* Aaaanyway, it would be fun to shade them in since I love color so much and would love to just go wild with the dresses. But if I'm going to color in the picture of Molly and you together, you'll have to tell me what your favorite color/colors are so that I know what to do with your dress. Unless you want to color that picture yourself.

As for being afraid to tell me that I would be far more balanced if I cooperated with my dark side instead of trying to fight it, oh, come on! What are you worried about? I already know that my biggest problem is the fact that I am constantly trying to be something that I'm not so that I won't offend anyone. Which is dumb. Especially since even my dark side at it's blackest isn't as cruel as many of the people that I run into.

You know, I should never try to predict Molly. I never know what he's going to do next until I start to write and end up immersed in his thoughts by doing so. Some day, the two of you may get your dance. We'll just have to wait and see.

As for going to a milongero...I think you would have a hard time trying to keep me calm. If we go and I all of a sudden become obnoxiously cheerful, don't trust me. Chances are, I'm not feeling obnoxiously cheerful.

I keep thinking I need to write a better background for Molly, but I keep thinking that it wouldn't be complete. Still, I think it's time for an update since his history has become far more complex than it was when I first wrote it.

About pride. It may be a double-edged sword, but it kept me out of a lot of trouble. It made me who I am now, which means not like my mother, or sister, or my cousin Marc. It refused to let me give up on my dreams, because it couldn't stand the idea of letting the people who seemed intent on shooting them down when. And pride and procrastination worked together to keep me alive back when I used to comfort myself with the thought that I could always just kill myself if things continued to get worse. I wasn't completely trapped. I still had one way out. So pride is my friend. I just have to keep it in check, which isn't that hard, since my sense of logic is perfectly functional and I tend to try be fair toward everyone and everything.
I guess I could dance with a guy. I would just hope for his sake that he wasn't a jerk, because if he was, he would end up wishing that he'd been paired with a less aggressive girl. *grins*

I don't know if I would have been as cool as Molly if I were a guy, but I would have had even more in common with him. It's just easy to think that I would have been in trouble with the law all the time when Marc, my best friend as a child, met the same fate. The only thing that saved him was Jamie, who helped pay his tickets and keep him out of further trouble. I think that, if I had been a guy, Marc and I would have been closer. Just because the whole "hanging out with girls isn't cool" phase never would have had any effect, so I would have walked the same path he did. That, and since my mom was so freakin' weak, I would have tried to be the man of the house. Which I was already trying to do, in a sense, but I would have worked harder at it if I were a guy. Because I would have been more sympathetic toward my mother's weaknesses, since most guys grow up thinking/being taught that girls are weak and have to be protected. As a girl, I was not sympathetic toward my mom, because I thought that if I could be strong, she could be strong. I wasn't special. If I could do it, she could do it, and I was disdainful of her, on a level that I tried to ignore, for failing to do so even when I was as young as nine. But as a guy, I would have had the whole macho thing going on and I would have tried to be protect the family because that's what men do. But this means that I wouldn't be able to rebel against my mom at all. So I would take all of my anger out on society and I would end up walking the same path as my father. I would be in jail more often than I would be out.
Of course, like I said before, I may be underestimating myself. But it seems very likely to me that my life would have turned out very differently if I had been born male into a family whose leader was weak. I would have tried to take over, and I would have hated the influence of my mother's boyfriends that much more because they would have been a threat to both my power and my freedom.

Lastly...I don't think three hundred would be too young for Molly, because he would have been raised differently. The dragon clan was easy going. They would have been content to let the young dragons in the clan come into power on their own. So lessons wouldn't have been very vigorous or frequent. But Molly was coached vigorously by his demon mother, constantly pushed to his limits and beyond, so he would have gained power a lot faster. So there's no problem with three hundred as an age. Even the lower three hundreds would work for him. I'll just have to pick a number that works for me. (since I've always thought that different numbers had different personalities, too. I always thought odd numbers were incredibly cool, the rebels of the numeric system. Partly because of their name and partly because dividing them could be such a bitch. *grins*)

[Seven]

*ehem* I'll respond to everything Asila said in my next post. Because now, I have a completely unrelated picture I want to show! Not the best of my abilities, but I drew it as a quick funny thing to do.

*sheepish grin* I hope I don't reawaken any bad memories for Asila, but I couldn't resist.
i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/KiataSeven/econfun-1.png

((EDIT: I fixed my embarrassing spelling/grammar mistakes on photoshop. *shrugs* I suppose I was sleepy when I was writing the dialogue or something...))

[Seven]

Crevan enters the room, giving Asila a more than favorable look. It widens to see that Malevolos cannot deter her from looking away. He decides it's an optimal time to taunt his old rival once more.

Crevan: There there Malevolos, there's no need to be so jealous. *Flashes a playful grin* But....*grin widens* So heaven help you though, if I should decide to set myself upon your quarry....I think you know who I mean.

------
*blushes furiously* Is not! I was just too lazy to draw a shirt! I swear! Lies! Slander! *paces around the room. Pauses to look up.* You failed to mention the fact that if I drew Molly without a shirt in Saika's picture, making it erotic, I'd probably make myself jealous---DAMNIT! I mean, nothing! Slander I tell you, lies and slander! *ehem, instantly calm, hands folded* Everything else you said is correct though. I do have to mention though, the means that I came up with the spoof tango picture. I was planning on adding another one to the set, one that was similar to the Evening one. It was going to be of Malevols and Lief, fighting with symbolic tango-like poses, though not necessarily touching (well, maybe; it depends on the pose I came up with.) Though as tempting as a battle-tango picture would have been between the two rivals, part of me was discouraged at trying to think of a decent pose (though I'm regaining confidence that I might be able to pull it off), and suddenly my mind remembered that tango is a dance between men and women, and how the prospect of dancing with Lief would infuriate Malevolos. *grins* So that's where the spoof came from!

Oh, do try! I mean, worse come to worse, you can just consider it practice or something. And I'd love to see your colorings. The first picture (serena/molly), I imagined them in the trademark colors of tango, black and red.

Well, I wasn't so much afraid, as I'm never good at expressing things. Besides, I had already mentioned to you before that 'maybe dark is good for you,' and even though you accepted that (and were happy actually) you still seemed to fight yourself. *shrugs* Sometimes pictures are just better at hitting a chord with someone.

YAH Dancing with Molly!

*jots note down* Asila...lies...about...how...she...feels....as prior noted....Check! *puts notebook away*

Well, there would be some +300 years you'd have to think of. I mean, it's not entirely necessary to know everything in his background, but it'd surely be very interesting (at least for me!)

I guess that's true. But like I said, Pride has ups and downs. I suppose it's just a matter of balancing it so you can reap the benefits without facing the negatives. I'm glad it worked out so well for you though. ;D

You know, it's not that big of a deal. You see, at dance...things, people CONSTANTLY switch partners. Even if you go with a partner, the people who are real dancers are constantly with someone new on the dance floor. So even if you got a jerk, you'd probably wouldn't have that much time to realize it, since you'd only be together for like, 5 minutes or so.

You know, that's a really interesting analysis of your life as a guy. I mean, I've thought about what being a guy would be like, but they've always been such fleeting thoughts that pertain only to my current 'present.' I've never thought about how it would have changed my history. I guess I'm one of those people who don't see guys and girls really so differently, so I tend to assume my life would have been the same, because I'd be the same person regardless of gender. Though now that I'm thinking of it, I probably would have had an entirely different group of friends. I might have had friends growing up, I probably wouldn't have met Aka, Pan, the rest of them, I certainly wouldn't have met Roomie (as I met her under the circumstances of us both being girls with a roommates who weren't re-invited back to IMSA), and I can only wonder about if I would have met you and Rojo. After all, if I hadn't had Aka and Pan and the lot to keep in touch with, I wouldn't have set up FF! As for you, I guess I'm glad you were a girl. I don't like the idea of you having ended up in jail.

*nods* This is true. I hadn't thought of it that way before. *grins* You make the dragons to be an unambitious lot, don't you? lol. I guess in that case, it would make more sense for him to be in his lower 300s. In fact, it would sort of make sense, I think (though the correct words to describe why I think this would be so are currently alluding me. *frowns* Curse you not being able to think straight-ness!) I do have to mention though, that with Molly being 300 or so, that makes Lief about twice his age.
*grins widely* You do that too? I've been doing that my whole life! And I've never met another person who has! I don't have quite the same notion of odds being 'odd,' (though it is cute), but I do have several strong impressions. Like how 4's are unsuitable for Molly, but 5's and 8's suit him perfectly.

[Asila]

Malevolos: *snarls* May all the demons in hell have mercy on you if you would be such a fool as to try.

Asila: *sighs dreamily and waves to the pretty kitsune*

Yeah, just keep telling yourself that you don't want to get him out of his clothes. Whatever makes you happy.
Ooo, a battle-tango picture with Lief and Molly sounds intense. I hope you don't give up on the idea, since I'm sure that whatever you come up with would be striking!

All right! Black and red it is.

I never thought in detail what being a guy would be like, either, until I really started trying to get into Molly's head. He's the first male character that I've ever seriously role-played. I mean, he's not my first male character, but I've put more time and effort into trying to understand him than I've invested in any other male charrie. It's really helped me get into the male mind-set. And then when I made that passing reference about what I would be like a guy, and really began to think about it, I realized that being male really wouldn't have been a good thing for me. Which is ironic, since I used to be such a tomboy when I was a kid. Marc even tells me that he never thought of me as a girl, though I know that isn't quite true. Mostly because of that one instance when he told me he couldn't hit me anymore, because I was a girl. And I had been strangely tempted to hit him just to prove that I wasn't about to hold back. But I wound up deciding that if he was going to play that game, then so was I. So I wouldn't hit him either. But I digress. The point is that such a small change really would make a huge difference. Society treats the two genders differently, so we wouldn't be quite the same if we were born male. It's an interesting thought.

Would it be a problem if Lief was over twice Molly's age? I guess they were supposed to grow up together, but somehow that seems unlikely anyway since Molly's mother is a demon. So I think we're going to have to rethink how they met. Perhaps Molly met Lief on one of his passes through Asia? Maybe Lief got to one of the girls Molly had set his heart on before Molly could win her over? I'll have to think about that.

Why does 8 remind you of Molly? I don't know what impression I get from 8. It doesn't seem like a wimpy number, the way 2 and 4 do, but I'm not getting a clear reading on this one.

[Seven]

Creven *merely grins, as if Molly were cute, in a petulant child sort of way* Aww, aren't you just precious? But what's this? Do you lack faith in your human 'hostage' to remain a good hostage?

*chuckles* You sure have an interesting way of winning the girls nowadays, don't you? *he raises an eyebrow, an expression that clearly says, "Shall I show you how's it's properly done?" With that, he turns his gaze to Asila, approaching her with a kindly smile*
Before I say anything of greetings, I beg you forgive me for not speaking to you sooner, for your countenance had left me feeling tongue-tied....*he meekens a little, a slight flush gracing his face* and shy...*his ears perk up slightly again* I do hope we become friends though...close friends...

*shifty eyes* ....Hey! Don't push me! FF is not NC-17! Don't tempt me to begin drawing erotica or something! I'm sure you wouldn't want to see it! *crosses arms petulantly*
As for Lief/Molly, yeah I hope I can make it work. I'm not quite sure how though...I might have to scan the internet for tango references pictures to make it.

And if you want to do the second picture (saika/molly), I imagined blues and lavenders....*grins*

It's funny, for so long I thought my life might have been better if I had been a boy. Or more fun, or something. I remember having these notions when Pan and Aka first put me up to playing male charries. Prior to then, I had only been indignant about sexism, but I had not really wondered if my life would have been better as a boy. Then, I really realized that I was more of a guy (not a tomboy though, since I didn't really have the physical aspect to be that. Tomgeek I suppose) in some ways. And that troubled me for a while....though I eventually got over it probably a bit before the time I met you on ADS. Now, I'm just happy to be myself...as deranged as I am. ;D

No, it wouldn't be a problem. I mean, I doubt they really grew up together anyways. I figured they would have met down the road when they had both gained power, and perhaps reputations. *grins* The girl idea sounds cute/fun/cool/sad. (It'd certainly explain their rivalry, XD!) What is even more sad is that Lief may have not even really been in love with that girl, but in the phase of his life where he needed to have sex as a form of energy-vampiricism. So Molly would have lost the girl to a guy who was really was just using her. *thinks* Though I'm not sure that Lief would use a relationship like that considering....bah, I'm getting into Kitsune folklore, and I out to stop.

8 for me is the seducer, charismatic, slightly devilish, sharp, silver-tongued....
...Essentially everything Molly becomes when he decides he's going to win over a girl XD.

[Asila]

Now, before I get around to replying to the previous post, I am going to post this unfinished tango picture. Because it's cute. Even if it's not finished.

Edit: All right. Now it's finished. *grins* Not quite perfect, though. There are a few things I want to smooth out before I take it to Jamie's and take a picture, since the scanner sucked all the warmth out of the reds. Just as I knew it would. (I fixed Molly's eyes with my cheap paint program, though, so they look slightly better.)



((Oh my gosh, Seven, I don't know what you wanted to name this picture, but if I put it on my deviant art account, I'm think I'm going to entitle it "Tonight...we dance." *grins* I totally ripped off the title of the Rise Against song, but that title just sounds like a good one.))

[Asila]

And this is the pic with Molly and me. I went crazy with color, but the scanner really sucked the life out of everything except the blues. In the original, the purples are more vibrant, the pinkish red of the dress seems to blaze, and you see that dull green color of the hats ribbon? It and the collar and flower-thingy on Molly's person are supposed to be a vibrant teal. It's just beautiful on the copy I shaded, but my scanner fails at life.



I was really excited when I finished this one, because this was the first time that I'd ever shaded clothing accurately. I was ecstatic all night. Until I tried to fall asleep. Then, for some reason, I couldn't stop myself from reminiscing over all the jerk things that Ron did while I lived in that hell hole. And I did this for an hour and a half. I think I'm obsessive.

Riiight, ignore that last comment. I was just rambling.

Anyhoo, it's the colors that really stand out in this picture, and since color is very symbolic to me...well, I chose each shade for a reason. And now I will tell you why.

Notice how I'm colored kind of like a sunset? With the same bright colors? Well, that's because I tend to associate myself with that hour of the day. That's right. I'm not so much of the night as of the vibrant skies that precede it. Not only do I think that shade of red (I'm calling it red. If anyone wants to insist it's pink, they just want to pick a fight with me. Pink is just red if it saw a ghost. Anything as vibrant as this color is clearly a red, and not a washed-out pastel. Don't argue with me! I'm stubborn.), or any bright shade of red, represents passion (which is something I seem to be becoming famous for) but the way the dress tapers into violet kind of heralds what lies beneath, or just beyond, that time of the day that I love so much. I just thought it fit perfectly. At my best, when I'm at ease, I really am cheerful, up-beat, and charming in my own, peculiar way. But just beneath that veneer is all of the darkness that I try to keep to myself. Sometimes I wonder if the reason people seem to remember me, or are drawn to me, is because I am all the more vibrant for all the darkness that lies just beneath the surface. Like the bright sunset that has the washed-out rays of day outclassed, even as darkness soon follows.

Yeah, I get weird.

Now, onto Molly's color scheme! The two main colors are the deep yet bright blue and bright teal. Which is also blue-green. Which is the color that my scanner decided to wreck. So, these colors kind of resemble my dark side perfected. Instead of the dark, lifeless blacks that I usually dress Molly in, I choose deep shades of blue that are as vibrant as they are dark. Like I've mentioned before, I tend to associate blue with depression, but even it can be beautiful. As it is when it's balanced with brightness, the way it is here. And the darkness within me was born of my depression, and since Molly is my dark side, it seemed fitting that I choose to use this symbolism here. But even this sorrow, now balanced, then perfected, reflects the light. So I have portrayed here what Seven has helped me discover. That my dark side is just as beautiful and vibrant as the 'bright' side that everyone seems to love. As for the teal, I used that color with the symbolism of green in mind. (The teal just looked very nice with the blue, which is the reason I chose that color instead of a pure green). Green represents growth and life, and it is only by embracing the darkness within me that I can partake in either of these things. So basically, Molly's colors are relaying this message. There is depth of thought in darkness and vitality to be gained if only I would accept all parts of who I am.

Sappy, sappy stuff. But I'm not done yet.

The dark shoes represent the dark, long-winding path that Molly and I had traveled in the past. And the white gloves symbolize the light, the inner peace and serenity that can only be found when we join forces and become willing allies.

And I believe I'm done gushing. I think that, if/when I take myself seriously as an artist, I'm going to be hugely into symbolism. *grins*

[Seven]

*wide grins* You might have to prevent me from jumping you, this pictures are so amazing. I can't express how much I love them. You're coloring just makes them look so beautiful, it's astonishing! I love how you color clothes, and hair, and everything! *squeals---oh what the hell, JUMPS!*

*ehem* Perhaps I should tackle the pictures one at a time, beginning with me/molly. *stares at it and doesn't know what to say* ....You're amazing, that's all i can really think of. And you made me look outrageously gorgeous! *looks in mirror and curses that she doesn't look that good* I really like the title you picked out for it though---it fits the mood perfectly! It sounds like something Molly is saying to Serena *grin*, in his dark, resonant voice *grin*, warm, yet commanding *grin*..... *swoons*
.....
*abruptly sits up excitedly* If we dance tonight, what are we doing tomorrow? ;D

Picture number two!
*wide grin* You've made my favorite even more of my favorite, if that's even possible! The color choices were genius! I love them! It almost makes me wish I hadn't said anything about the colors in picture one, just so I could see what you would have come up with! (I say almost because I love pic 1 too much at this point to imagine it in other colors...) And I didn't realize it was so symbolic, but now I see it! It's so cool, and the colors fit you both so perfectly! *grins* It's nice to see Molly in a little color outside his typical black and red, it makes him look so dashing! And you! You're so pretty! I love the redish/pinkish tones that become purple then blue--I wish I could see it in real life now, just because you say it's brighter!

And please feel free to gush away. *grins* Somehow I feel like its a compliment to me because I got to play a part in it. And that makes me happy!

Joy, now you get to respond to respond to my last rant AND this one. Good luck Asila!

[Asila]

*grins* I am pretty proud of myself. This is probably the first time I've ever finished a picture and didn't have a problem with it. Of course, your sketches are amazing, so I did have a head start.

First of all, I should probably warn you that if you keep telling me that my shading skills are amazing, it's going to go to my head. Second of all...*delicately clears her throat* OF COURSE I MADE YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL! How could I do anything else? If I portrayed you in any other way I would not be faithful to what I perceive. And that's a big no no from an artistic stand point. As for the title, I could just hear the words echo, spoken in Molly's voice, through my head the moment I thought of it. It almost make me wonder if it was my idea at all.

*in Molly's voice, just as Seven described it* Only time will tell, dearest...*you can almost see the devastatingly dark, seductive smile float upon the currents of air that carried the voice*

Glad you liked it! I am now going to use a similar color scheme on the Ao-chin picture. Hopefully I'll actually have it done by Christmas break so that you'll get to see what I mean. As for my color symbolism, most of it isn't blatantly obvious. In fact, very little is blatantly obvious. While choosing my colors, I was thinking about the harmony of the composition. I didn't want to be stubborn about a particular color and then have it clash with the picture. That's exactly how the green ended up being teal. It just didn't look as nice. But symbolism really did guide me when I began this picture, even though almost nothing looks out of place and unusual. For example, I didn't know what I was going to do with the glove I was wearing. Should I leave it white? Or should I color it red or purple, to match the dress? I was leaning toward purple when the symbolism of the color white, and what it would mean to have white show up where our hands met, struck me and I decided that white was the best choice, after all. I also thought a lot about the color of my shoes, since I gave myself the options of red, purple, or black. I tried out red first, but it was too bright. Then I pondered the problem for a while, and the symbolism of wearing black upon the appendages you use to tread the world came to me. I did consider coloring the shoes black, to better conform to my philosophy, but I thought purple would look better with the picture. So I chose a dark shade of purple and called it good. And I thought over many of the other colors in the same way. The picture looks so natural that you never would have thought I weighed each color so carefully, but I did. I think this picture took me six hours to shade, though a lot of that time was spent on the folds in the clothing. They were tricky. And did you know that every time you look at an item at this picture, you are looking at four colors? I layered colors like a mad man when I was working on these pictures. The one with you and Molly took me at least four, and the only reason I finished that one more quickly was that the clothing wasn't as complicated. Because Molly wasn't as fully dressed. *teasing grin*

*snorts* Do you know how I introduced this picture to my grandma? Once again I held it up, but this time I said "Hey, I finished the second picture! Isn't he sexy?" *grins* Sometimes I wonder if I just go out of my way to make people uncomfortable. Doesn't work on my grandma, though. She's used to me and my little tricks.

Of course you had a huge part in my success! I never would have worked so hard on an image if I wasn't inspired by it! I hardly ever finish a picture, hardly draw at all anymore, and it's because I lack inspiration. Or, rather, I lack the ability to draw well the things that most inspire me, like our humanoid characters. So if it weren't for you, these pretty pictures wouldn't exist. Take at least half the credit! You are entitled to it.

And now, *pulls out the old drumsticks and bounces them lightly and rapidly against the desk in a drum roll* we now return to the previously scheduled program!


Asila: Crevan's words seem to suspend her lightly above the ground, for her feet no longer seem to be touching it. Her whimsical smile fades, replaced by the dark, sultry intensity that had crept into her gaze. At this rate, it's soon going to be a question of who's trying to seduce who. Mmm, close...friends. Sounds like a wonderful association. But I'm sure you charm all the girls. *adds a teasing grin to her expression and prowls closer*

Malevolos: His eyes begin to light up in that first, tell-tale sign of fury as he watches Crevan try to seduce his human host and notices that his tactics are clearly working. Crevan. *his voice was low, but clearly projected and resonant with anger. A warning* Halt these tricks of yours. That girl's will is weak when I'm not backing it directly.

Asila: *turns her head and fixes Molly with a viscous stare that said something along the lines of "Mess this up for me, and you'll suffer for the next eight to ten years. Or however long I can hold a grudge." Turns back to Crevan and murmurs* Please...don't listen to him. He thinks too much of himself.

Malevolos: *releases an outraged snarl and lunges for the insulting female*



*mischevious grin* You can draw erotica?

Blues and lavenders, huh? That's pretty much what I was thinking. It's hard to think of Saika in anything but purple! I don't know exactly what to do with Molly, though. I think I'll choose something dark, but I won't know for sure until I finish Saika and decide on what fits based on her own color scheme.

I've never regretted being a girl, but that's probably because, for all intents and purposes, I pretty much was guy when I was a kid. I thought like one, I moved like one (which is just another reason why I would never trust myself in a short skirt, because I used to sit like a guy as well, and old habits die hard), I was friends with them. In fact, I was one of six older cousins, four of us girls and two of them boys. My sister would always hang out with Ashley and Casiee. I would always hang out with Cody and Marc. And not only did Cody have a girlier scream than I did, but he screamed more often, which amused me to no end and made me feel incredibly tough. He wasn't as fearless either, but then again, neither was Marc. I wasn't afraid of much, and I was always up for a new challenge. So I had my chance at being a guy. And I realized early on that parts of the guy mentality were just being stupid. Which made me glad I was a girl, because then I could either prove it wrong or refuse to be a part of it, depending on what action the situation called for. If the boys told me girls couldn't play baseball, I would leap into the game and show them that girls could play baseball. And if they were playing some idiotic guy game, like Bloody Knuckles, which involved punching a tin can until a sharp corner drew blood on someone, I would just role my eyes and walk away. I wanted to be tough, but only in my own eyes. I never felt obligated to prove myself to anyone else. And for the most part, that mentality is with me to this day. I am far more worried about what I think than I am about what other people think, though I worry about that, too.
Basically, while I've always liked the guy mentality over the girl mentality, there are things I really hate about it, so I made the unconscious decision that it was best to be of neither group, but located somewhere between them. To try and maintain only the best characteristics from both. My favorite people have always been the tomboys and the guys that aren't afraid to express their feminine side.

Oh, that idea sounds even better. We should have some mysterious girl from the past be the source of their rivalry, because it would explain everything. Lief's almost uppity attitude toward Molly, Molly's hatred and resentment of Lief. When I get the time to rewrite Molly's history, I'll have to include the reference. How long ago would this have occurred? I can't remember exactly how long Lief's been trapped in a human body...

Whoa, you have thought way more about numbers than I have. Not that this is really all that surprising, it's just kind of cool. Now you'll have to list what you think of some of the others. What do you think of 1 and 3? *just wants to know because she was born on that date*
*starts to giggle* Hey, I was born in 88! Though Molly definitely stole those characteristics from me. *shakes her fist* And my month is a 7. *grins* Love odd numbers!

[Seven]

You should be proud of yourself, the two you've completed have come out so beautifully! I'm so jealous of you! You're such a wonderful artist!

*flush* You're just flattering me! I'm not pretty! *wary look* Besides, how can you perceive me, considering I wasn't around to be perceived. We haven't seen each other since the summer. Surely your memory of me is distorted if you think that I am pretty. *ponders, then shrugs* The world may never know?
....*smiles idiotically again and swoons* ...*sits up after a while, eyes narrowed, though, like always, is still grinning....creating an odd expression* Damn you! Stop doing that to me!

*sighs dreamily* It's so pretty, so yes, it is hard to imagine that it's all symbolic. *blinks* They're really 4 layers of color? I guess I wish that the Molly/You picture could be viewed a little larger, so I could notice the color details. Actually, now that I'm looking at it again, I can see a couple. *grins* I'll just have to see it in person, since if this is amazing, then the original should be amazing^3348734. The idea of you both having clean white gloves is really cute though! It's the 'fresh start,' no? Well, that along with other things, I imagine.
*pouts* Hey! Sexy--I mean, Molly, is as dressed as he'll ever have to be around me *grimace*--I mean, he looked better that way *flush-grimace*--I mean...I.... BAH! *digs herself a hole*

*giggles* Sexy....heehee! *ehem* Yes, you probably are trying to make people feel awkward. But your grandma sounds cool.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lief just flushed a little more at Asila's intense gaze, his eyes not leaving hers as he looked at her with a sort of innocent, kindly expression. He was all but ignoring Malevolos at this point, and ready to respond to his new friend, when his ear twitches slightly and he sees the angry hybrid dragon lunge for her. The meek, innocent facade instantly vanishes as it is replaced by the emotionally removed, tactful gaze. With sudden swiftness, he instinctively moves in front of Asila protectively, since, worse comes to worse, he figures he could take the blow. But his strategist mind was already two steps ahead of itself, and he recognized any blow dealt by Malevolos to Asila would not be so powerful, since he wouldn't desire to kill her. Knowing this, that Malevolos wouldn't have lunged with such power, Lief called the grass beneath the dragon's feet to extend slightly and entangle themselves around Malevolos's ankles, his magic used only to elongate them and strengthen their bind. Malevolos, in turn, would have seen the fox raise his hand to cast magic, though it would have appeared he did nothing....until he'd trip.
Lief looked down at him, his gaze still mostly removed, though now pertaining some small hint of disdain, darkness in his golden eyes. "And you accuse me of trying to do this girl harm---I'd wish to know what you classify your own actions as." He glances over his shoulder to Asila, smiling kindly and sweetly once more. "Are you alright, Miss Asila?"


....NO! *flush* I mean, maybe. *flush* I could, I mean *flush* but...erm...No, yes, I DON'T KNOW! .....*flush* ....*puts hands over her eyes and closes eyes* LALALALA--I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF MAKING AN IDIOT OF MYSELF! *opens one eye to glare at Asila* You're an evil person. And no, I haven't drawn erotica (*ehem* And nudity doesn't count....*shifty eyes*), but I suppose I could.

Purple, lavender, close enough. I was honestly thinking of the violet tones for Saika, and the blues and violets for Molly. But do whatever you'd like. As I learned, when you come up with your own colors, it turns out extremely amazing.

*nods* I agree. I don't like stereotypical gender roles, and I think that anytime someone is truly being themselves, they're somewhere in the middle of 'male' and 'female.' But yeah, gender roles screw so many people up, to a point they don't recognize it themselves. Like how society doesn't advocate guys having feelings beyond happiness and anger (see the whole "crying is for GIRLS" deal). And then we wonder why frat boys are act so wildly stupid, and why men end up violent at times. I actually heard somewhere that in a male brain, the area of emotion is larger, meaning that women are actually supposed to be the cooler, collected ones, while men are supposed to be the emotional wrecks. *grins* Ironic how things must have flipped around, huh?

Well, Lief is 534 now, and he's been trapped as a human for the past 100 years. Since Molly's only going to be somewhere in in early-mid 300s, that means we have an additional 200 or so years to work with. It's hard for me to say exactly when it would have occurred without knowing much of Molly's timeline. As far as Lief goes, I know he spent some +100-ish years prior to his human-body imprisonment raising his magic and stealing magic artifacts.
I don't know how old you'd want Molly to be when he found this girl, but it could have been anytime in his first 100(ish) years. *sappy grin* aww, maybe it was his first love! *tear* Poor Molly! *serious again* It could work, since it would have once again scarred Molly from love, and it means that Molly would have met, and thus known of, Lief for a while. But I don't know, I'd like to have your input and ideas on the thing as well.

1 and 3? Well, let's see...
1 *abruptly wishes Asila had read the Mahabharata so she could just point at the character Bhishma and say "One."* One is like the ideal leader stripped of his right to rule before he had the chance. This makes him an outcast in a way, invisible to the others. This is sad, since 1 as a loner become quiet, silent, shifty, but as the head of something, 1 could be powerful, strong, yet still kind. 1, in my mind, is also a male number.

3 is also a male number. Three has those sort of impish, devilish qualities that will make you either adore 3 to no end... or find your self constantly annoyed by 3. And it doesn't help that if 3 finds out you're annoyed with him, he'll only find more amusement in this and carry on even more exaggeratedly. 3 is sly, a little conniving, but over all, good-spirited, happy, very lucky, a bit childish, a bit arrogant and smiles all the time. You could think of the Cheshire Cat for 3, or Peter Pan. Energetic comes to mind a lot with 3; 3 just pours out energy and life.

*grins* Curious about any other numbers?

[Seven]

*ehem* I now officially declare TANGO! to be the official Molly dump picture zone.
Here's the preliminary sketch of the art trade Asila and I have been planning since what feels like forever now.

i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/KiataSeven/sketch.png

Sorry it came out so lightly. I hope you can see it well. Just make sure to fullview it.

[Asila]

*squeals* Seven, you rock. You just rock! He looks so cool! So dark, mysterious, intense...and other words that have either escaped my over-excited mind or haven't been invented yet. This is definitely my favorite Molly pic so far! And that's saying a lot. Especially since I already love all of your other pictures to death.

Now, to flatter every individual aspect of the picture! First off, the sense of movement. I really love the sense of movement! He looks as though he's turning toward Serena. And not just turning, but pivoting on his foot in a swift, decisive movement. Which is what I had him doing wasn't it? He walked toward the window and then turned back to look at her/you...*is remembering now...or making this crap up. Can't tell anymore.* But I really like how the cloak seems to whip around him, to twist and leap like flame. It adds such power to the image.

As always, I love the expression. My favorite Molly expression of all time. And it will look even more intense once his eyes have color. Shading an image seems to add so much intensity...I just can't wait to see some fire in that gaze! I'll probably stop breathing for a moment.

I love the window. I really, really love the window. It makes me think of stained glass, so I'm happy to hear that you're planning on having the sun set outside the window. Then it really will be as bright as stained glass. I love the geometric design you chose, too. Did you design that on your own? I really like how it looks. Especially the "gap" between the interlocking triangles on either side. I don't know why I think that looks so cool, but it does. And the sharpness of the triangles strikes me as vaguely symbolic. They look kind of like teeth in jaws that are just now snapping shut. Just call me Morbid.

It's just a remarkable picture, Seven! I could gush all day over it, but I think I'm on the verge of becoming incoherent, so I'll stop now before I babble "Cool. It's just so cool," over and over again.

[Seven]

Thank you, thank you! Much more of this and my ego might explode or something! I'm glad you like this picture so much! (As you're supposed to, since it's my gift to you!) I was actually fretting that this picture wouldn't be good enough, afraid that he was out of proportion or something (are you sure his head is proportional to his body?) Still, I'm so happy you think he looks that good!

*grins* I remember that library scene quite well. (I'm a loser. Whenever you don't update for a long time, I end up rereading posts, especially yours on Dust. ;D I like to try to catch things I didn't notice the first couple times around.) Yes, he did all those things. I also remember how you described his cloak, fluttering about him like wings. I figured his cloak must have been pretty clean-cut, well-tailored (etc), but I also liked the idea of a more ragged cloak, frayed at the ends. It means more somehow. Like, you can see at the top the cloak is nice, but it's been worn down. That, and with the cloak frayed, I could take more liberty with the ends. I'm sort of unsure of this, but you see how at the sides of the picture, they curl back around like tendrils? I was thinking that the cloak could also be an allusion to Malevolos's shadow/dark magic. Like, you're supposed to be unable to tell where the cloak ends and the shadows begin. But I'm unsure if it looks good, or just stupid. What do you think? Should the curling cloak ends stay, or go?

Yes, the design is my own. I didn't take reference from anything, I just tried to imagine a gothic like tall window pane from victorian times. But I wanted it to be angular...and I improvised from there. I'm glad you like it! hehehe, the ideas of jaws snapping shut are cool though. *grins* Dragon's Jaws, perhaps?

*giggles* No, I can't break you yet!
But honestly, I'm feeling a little nervous about coloring. I'm so afraid I'll screw something up!

[Asila]

Hey, you deserve every compliment I give you and then some! You are so talented! And I am so jealous. *grins*

I don't think his head is out of proportion to the rest of his body. It looks about right. His chest actually extends a bit farther into his space than the tip of his nose, even with his head tilted forward, and since his body looks the way it should, balanced between power and grace, his head looks like it's the right size. Of course, human anatomy isn't exactly my best thing, but even when I look really closely and critically at this picture I can't see anything wrong with it.

It's sad, but I completely forgot about my wing metaphor until you brought it up just now. I have trouble trying to remember what I write, and I wasn't very impressed by that metaphor. I thought it conjured a cool mental image, but I didn't think it was very creative.

As for your tendrils, you should definitely keep them. It's a really cool idea. Check out this picture. enferdehell.deviantart.com/art/Wing-of-Sorrow-72406674 or this one enferdehell.deviantart.com/art/Belphegor-100794822 by EnferDeHell. He's really good at the whole tattered cape thing. Don't be daunted, though! I just wanted to inspire you, not terrify you.

As for coloring...well, I'd comfort you, but coloring is always the scariest part for me, too. So I'd be a hypocrite if I told you not to worry, but I still think you shouldn't worry. Just be patient, and if you're frustrated with something, leave it alone for a few days. That's what I should have done immediately with Anger. I would have saved myself a lot of frustration if I hadn't expected so much so fast.

[Seven]

*hands up* really, there's no reason to be jealous of me. You can be jealous of me when one of my pictures is recognized as an all time favorite in the popular section of DA, XD.

I'm just worried about proportion because the first time I drew his body and visible arm, it WAS out of proportion. I caught it, but I wanted to make sure I got it. Maybe I'll run it by pan, though, to double check that the anatomy is good, as well.

Aww, but I like the wing metaphor! It was pretty, and it invoked a strong, easily see-able mental image! *grins* I would too, so that's why I reread things when I ought to be doing homework, lol.
Oooh, the pictures you found are cool! (I wish I could do that!) But I'm not sure how much I can do with the tattered cape thing because I don't have the bottom of the cape visible, just the top. And I think too much twirling upward would start to look dumb. *frowns* Now I wish I did have a full body though. Oh well. Maybe I can still work in something interesting with the cape.

...Coloring...bleh. I used to be good at it, but I haven't done it for so long...*is nervous* That's why I've been more pro-learning how to do digital coloring lately. That way, even if i screwed up, no permanent harm would come to the original sketch. But, I'm going to try. I even dug out my old colored pencils to make the attempt....