Ellina and Lief

[Asila]

A sketch of Lief and Ellina that I've been gradually piecing together since Sunday.



I am now working on the outline, so I'll have a better version up in a few days. The improved picture now has a background (which consists mostly of the tree Ellina is now leaning against. As opposed to the wall I had originally intended out of pure laziness) and three tails for Lief. I would have tried to draw more, but the fanning effect that would have caused would have compromised the aesthetics I'm going for, so I didn't. It'll just have to work...

[Asila]

The new and improved penned in outline.



I decided to keep the hands simple, since I'm not great with hands under any circumstance and this drawing is relatively small. I was going to try and make them look more realistic anyway, but decided I'd only make things worse, so...*shrugs* I think I got the point across.

I'd like to explain the picture a little better in writing since, due to my insecurity issues, I generally don't express myself very efficiently while I'm talking. This picture is a bit symbolic, and it isn't so much portraying a future scene between Lief and Ellina as it is a future conversation. For example, I wanted it to look as though both Lief and Ellina were speaking. It wouldn't make sense to have both of them talking at the same time in an illustrated scene, but it does make sense to have both of them representing themselves in a conversation. Basically, I wanted to represent the words that would pass between them in a single drawing. So, the phoenix Ellina is holding up represents the being Phoenix who she now knows is herself re-incarnated. She is holding the bird out in front of herself and Lief. This is meant to look as though she is both holding it before her in contemplation and offering this manifestation of her past self to Lief. This last because she doubts her ability to become once again who she was in her former life, but is fond enough of Lief to want him to have the person who would make him happy. Her uncertain, sorrowful expression reflects that inner turmoil. The arm that she's wrapped around herself reflects her uncertainty and the way her back is against the tree is a show of how cornered she feels by the situation.

Lief I can't explain as well since he's not mine, but I know him well enough to make the educated guess I needed to portray him. Lief is standing a short way away from Ellina because he's giving her, or even both of them, the amount of space they'll need to figure this out. Doubts and uncertainties like the ones they would have take some time to work through, and something as rash as an embrace would cause Ellina to tense and feel that much more uncertain of Lief's understanding of who she is now. And Lief, clever creature that he is, would sense this.

Lief's expression is concerned, a bit sad, but contains elements of warm empathy. He's trying to comfort Ellina as he talks her out of her rash desire to give the whole Phoenix situation up entirely. I can't tell exactly what he would be thinking, but that would be close to how he'd react according to my best guess.

He is reaching toward Ellina, as though he intends to cup Ellina's hand and the glowing phoenix in his hands and press both back toward her.