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Being an order that values good manners and having a need to ingratiate themselves in the well-bred and/or well-monied spheres of society, every Mourn Watcher learns how to dance. This isn't a huge deal: in a pre-modern society knowing a few popular dances isn't just helpful, it's a necessity. But the Watch takes it even further. A good Watcher doesn't just know the two or three dances that'll get them through a fancy shin-dig: they excel at them. They enjoy them. So you cannot tell me that Emmrich Volkarin - well-mannered man about catacombs, who would hate to see a single young gentle deprived of a dance and sitting neglected by the punch bowl, who will adapt his steps so that - yes, even elderly Archmage Wendelin - can have a go at a polka, would not be an AMAZING dancer. (Some period dances that aren't waltzes that I'd love to see him do:) Polka Mazurka - Early 19th century

Pavan(n)e - 16th/17th century (This one's actually pretty simple but man is it great for showing off your outfit and partner).

Allemande (which means 'German', so you know they're doing this one) 16th-18th centuries

Quadrille (late 18th-19th century)

Listen I just want a fic of him teaching Manfred how to dance and roping Rook or another companion in for (AHEM) purely demonstration purposes of course.

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Curating a list

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The Elves of Yarezel (Yarezel is called the Bluestone Desert by outsiders) are based on the most ancient of civilizations - the Sumerians, Babylonians, Ancient Egyptians and the Indus River Valley Civilization with a bit of Brutalism and Art Deco sprinkled in for good measure!

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La Mode nationale, no. 28, 11 juillet 1896, Paris. Costume de bains de mer. Bibliothèque nationale de France

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Memento Mori 💀✨

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WIP Wednesday

Working away at Part II of my Modern Goth Night at the Gay Bar Farce AU: A Night Like This. Which is the fun part, because Rook is there and Emmrich is off his tits on tequila:

“Ah-ah-ah!” Dorian tsked, intercepting the would-be loverboy’s deceptively firm bicep. “You won't take another step towards that legless queen if you know what’s good for you!”

The punk glared, gold piercing winking as his nostril jerked into a snarl, “And why’s that, Arschloch?”

“Because that tender mess of a man is going to survey the shape of your tonsils the moment you sit down.” 

Right. Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to dissuade him, because Chicken Little’s vapid doll eyes went wide as saucers. “Oh.”

“Yes, ‘Oh’. And then he’ll suck your brains out through your cock in the lav – but he’ll do it with a really unnerving Richard Siken sort of intensity, very overwhelming. And then you’ll abandon him, because you certainly didn’t agree to all that when he undid your zip with his teeth. And then I’ll have to deal with him crying all night about it,” Dorian explained wearily. It didn’t matter how many times he told Emmrich not to say ‘I love you’ after swallowing a load in a bathroom stall, it was like trying to get through a tequila-soaked brick wall.

Once again, the punk was appalled at such mainstream insinuations. “That’s horrible, I wouldn’t do that!”

“How awfully decent of you.”

“Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to get my dick wet. Didn’t even bother to bring it with me,” he shrugged, casting another wistful gaze at Emmrich.

Well, thought Dorian. With that implication tossed on the pile, the pastel-striped skull patch stitched over the punk’s breast pocket made a lot more sense. Hardly surprising though, the ‘Shop had been a hotbed for that sort since Maevaris started coming back in the aughts.

“Is that going to be a problem for your friend?” He asked with an affected bluster that Dorian recognized. Clearly this had been a stumbling block before.

And obnoxious little hellion or not, Dorian couldn’t let the fellow get the wrong idea, “Oh no, no, no – he’s a very obliging man. Takes metric and imperial. It can be a real headache sometimes.”

“A headache? Why?”

“Took him at least twice as long to sleep his way through the Humanities.” 

The Physics department hadn’t escaped unscathed either. Yet, despite the constant dipping into certain wells, Emmrich’s bridges remained impressively fire-retardant over the years, thanks to his gracious nature and steadfast abstinence from students.

Young rosey-cheeked twunks, on the other hand…

“Dorian, have you finished interrogating the poor dear yet? Terribly stingy, keeping that gorgeous darling to yourself when I’ve been waiting to cross-examine him all-” 

Balling his fists, Dorian wheeled around to bark at his companion. “Kaffas, Emm! What am I supposed to do? Allow complete strangers to barge in and… molest your clavicles?”

“Oh, it’s been far too long since my clavicles had a good seeing-to,” he replied with a cheeky, booze-slanted smile. After unbuttoning his shirt a measure, he added, “If you’re going to keep up this childish charade, then you at least need to tell me if he’s lovely! Because he looks lovely!”

The bar for loveliness might as well be in the ground after that many drinks. 

“Emm, he’s worn a henley to Goth Night, he’s obviously incapable of following directions!” 

“Sorry, my Joy Division shirt was in the wash. Didn’t know there was a uniform code,” the young man grumbled, reminding Dorian that he was – regrettably – still there.

I tag @officialnostradamus, @andthekitchensinkao3, and @redheadsramblings.

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Had to put Emmrich in some slutty little glasses. 😊

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🎞️

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I was tagged by @so-i-did-this-thing

describe yourself ONLY with pictures you have, you CANNOT search or download new pictures

I tag @acepalindrome, @by-ilmater, @baronvonchop, @howdyspacebuddy, and @macktheiceman

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most dysfunctional therapist/patient relationship everrr

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A magical meeting for the professor and his mysterious date ♥

This is the second piece of art I've made for @crowtoed's lovely fic A Night Like This which you can find here! Thank you for commissioning me and letting me work off your writing!

Commissions always open ♥

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Personal items belonging to a commoner from the River Realms

Lirran Eye pendant: fish and eyes are common iconography in the Lirran faith. The fish is often modeled off of river fish local to the origins of such items. The eye is the standard Eye of Lir - a symbol associated with both the Goddess Lir, the River itself and the first Archking of the River Realms.

Knife with carved bone handle: A brass (brass is a very common metal in the River Realms and neighbouring domains) with a bone handle carved to resemble a pointed ear hare - a common creature inhabiting the Midnight Valley.

Lirran Petals: Petals are the names for coins of smaller denominations used in the River Realms. These ones are made of copper (featuring Lirran religious iconography), brass (featuring the crest of the Archking), and silver (featuring a cameo of the Archking Lothair II).

A brass sickle: wooden handled brass sickle used for harvesting herbs and other plants.

Leather pouch with bone fastener: a simple leather pouch with a stamped decoration featuring the Eye of Lir fish icon. This sort of pouch would be attached to the waist with thick but soft string usually tied in complex knots (the knots usually have some meaning and religious significance to the wearer)

Wooden Flute and case: a simple wooden flute, a common instrument found in the River Realms. Flute based music is very popular in the common traditions of music as well as courtly music.

Feather from a Kingfisher-like bird: a wing feather from a bird that mostly eats fish, which it catches by swooping over a body of water and catching small unsuspecting fish.

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Taliesin in the Imogen shirt though for reasons.

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I got real concerned and then real sad because I realized that @deerancha's Whispers of the Grave isn't updating this week because that dork is on holiday in France... you know... like a NERD. (Hope you're having fun) At any rate, you should be reading this fic. Murder mysteries, slow burn, TRAUMA COMING OUT THE EYEBALLS, but also healing. And how complicated that can be. Also Emmrich is a coke-addled medium assisting a homicide investigation.

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Dance of Death, 15th century

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Some waxwing thumbnails