#object head moodring!!!

[vnmof]

has anyone actually thought of a mood ring object head? cuz i have 😎😎

anyways, heres more of Hadreir! without his mask and hood, he's nervous right now...

[bittybattybunny]

this was a curse for Eclipse suggested by @doodleimprovement!! “Moodring hair/eyes”

Fae curses are the one kinda Eclipse can be prey to but most fae don’t wanna risk the grim’s anger

doesn’t mean a few aren’t gonna try to hook her up with princey

Ficlet! (btw timeline; this is before he knows about the werewolf thing)

Eclipse whined as she looked at the mirror. She hadn’t imagined it. She pulled the long strands forward as the red hair slowly turned black the more stressed out she got. She reached and touched her right eye as she saw it mimic the same colors of her hair. She gave a deep sigh and knelt down gripping the sink. A little earth fairy smiled happily at her.

“Good! Good! Light fairies helped! Prisma heart!” it chirped and hugged her leg.

She sighed and patted its head, “no this is bad! Bad! You know I’m really weak to fae magic!” she groaned, “prisma heart….” she stood up and grabbed a hair tie. She stepped from the bathroom as Marcus floated around the living room, his books tied up with threads as he worked on mixing a potion together, a harpy sitting at the table with a splinted wing.

“Oh hello, Daughter of grim.” the bird-woman sang.

“Oh, Hello daughter of the air.” Eclipse gave a bow, her hair taking a light blue tone. Marcus stared for a moment, a quizzical look. He stopped as his potion smoked in his face and he gasped, coughing from the vapor.

“Ugh. even dead that’s such an ass.” he grumbled, “Hold on let me remix this, Anya.”

“No rush, I don’t have anywhere to be tonight. My wife’s busy at a sabbat.” she chuckled as he threw the ruined bottle towards the trash where it exploded in a blue puff.

Eclipse snickered as her hair and eye turned green, but then an orange. “Marcus the little ones cast Prisma heart on me.”

The earth fairy puffed its chest proudly.

“Is that what’s going on?” he grabbed some herbs and a bottle from the shelf, “that’s fun. Only lasts--- what a week?”

“Kiss! Kiss!” The earth fairy chirped happily, “Princey kiss!” it made a kissy face as Marcus stared. He snorted and laughed very loudly.

“I think they want you to kiss my brother.” he pointed out. He cackled watching her hair take a magenta tone as she flushed. He tilted his head and flew over, “Oh interesting, your black eye is doing it too.”

She frowned as her hair and eye turned icy blue and she gulped, “I-I don’t think they want me to do that. And of course, it will! It reflects magic!” she huffed. “Marcus get this spell off me!”

“I can’t.” he shrugged and returned to mixing.

Anya chuckled, “are you in love?” she asked teasingly.

The wolf’s hair turned magenta again. There was a knock at the door and she groaned. Snatcher opened the door with a huff, followed by Kaya who looked at her and got a wide grin across her face.

“Eclipse!” Snatcher grinned, “We came to pick you up!” 

“What great timing!” Marcus threw some water in the vial and shook it.

Kaya frowned, she removed a hand from her coat to point,  “that’s going to---”

Another cloud of smoke blew up in his face. She laughed at him and walked over as Snatcher climbed the stairs. Eclipse’s hair took an icy tone once more the closer Snatcher got. He paused and blinked. He reached to take a strand of her hair in his hand. He frowned as it took a magenta tone.

“What’s with your hair?” he asked as he looked at it.

“Princey kiss! Princey kiss!” the earth fae jumped onto the railing with a big grin, “Prisma Heart! Shine! Insides out!”

“What? Kiss? Prisma what?” Snatcher looked at the fairy confused as Eclipse tried to hide her face in shame.

“I-I got a fae curse cast on me,” she admitted with a heavy sigh.

“O-Oh.” He stared, “I thought you didn’t get cursed?”

“I-I can, fae curses work fairly well on me,” she mumbled and played with a lock of hair as it turned a lighter pink. “C-Cursed objects normally don’t…”

“I see.” he frowned, “why does it want me to kiss you?”

“I-I think it’s a joke. I was explaining to them how you messed with a sea heart and I used a kiss to fix it…”

He felt his face heat up, “S-So if I kiss you it should break?”

She felt her own cheeks grow very warm, her hair back to the embarrassing magenta shade. He placed a cold hand on her cheek with a small, apologetic grin.

She pushed him away, her hair turning dark black. She gripped the strands and gripped her arms in her stressed state. A teal color on the tips as she looked at him nervously. Eyes wide and panicked.

He stared confused by her rejection. He got closer on the stairwell, “Eclipse… a-are you still mad I licked you when I was a leviathan?”

“N-No I’m not mad at all! F-Far from it!” she stammered as her hair quickly bounced between black, teal, and icy blue before even taking a dark pink color as she thought of it. She gulped, “I-I just don’t want to make you k-k-k-k-kiss me b-b-b-because you are f-f-forced is all! I-It’ll fade in a week! I-I’ll just---” She squeaked as he rolled his eyes and got closer to her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. Her heart pounded in her chest as he smiled at her.

“I don’t mind helping a friend,” he spoke softly. He looked at the fairy who was giggling like mad.

“Can I kiss her cheek and it works?”

She gave a small sigh of relief, hair taking a more deep blue tone.

“Mmmmm.” the fae thought about it, “Princey no want lip kiss?”

Snatcher turned bright red and scoffed. He looked at the floor sheepishly, gold eyes averted away.

“He wouldn’t want that! He only does that when he’s drunk!” Eclipse snickered. She gasped when the former prince whipped his head back around, gold eyes locking with hers. Her hair turned magenta once more as he got closer. He gulped and one hand moved to the back of her head.

She closed her eyes tightly as he pressed his lips to hers. But he quickly pulled away. He covered his mouth ashamed as the color in her hair slowly faded, returning to its natural silver state, her eye changing back to black with it.

The fairy giggled and jumped up, kissing Eclipse’s cheek before flying off.

She felt her face turning bright red and looked at the floor ashamed. He pulled away and rubbed his neck awkwardly until they heard another explosion and looked down to see Marcus covered in a glittery, shimmery, slimy, blue substance. Kaya’s four eyes open in shock as the same mixture coated her. She stuck her forked tongue out as she grimaced and sneezed, sending the blue gunk everywhere.

Anya couldn’t help laughing at all the children in the cabin.

[kensboytoy]

How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?

Title: How Much Is That Doggy In The Window? Fandom: Beetlejuice The Musical Pairings: Beetlejuice/Reader (Gender Neutral) Ratings: Explicit 

It had started innocent enough. The demon had stolen your phone to use all the silly camera filters you had flaunted when taking selfies to post on your social media accounts. He had gotten pouty and claimed how it wasn’t fair that you weren’t paying enough attention to him when you used that stupid thing, that he wanted to fill your phone of pictures of him. So, you rolled your eyes and handed him the device like a parent to a whining toddler.

Hours rolled by before you managed to wrench the phone away from him. He pissed and moaned about it for awhile but eventually forgot about it and got distracted by something else in another room of the house, leaving you to see the damage left on your poor SD card. You scrolled through your camera roll, impressed and horrified at the amount of pictures you had to flip through. Then something caught your eye.

All of them had been tests of every single filter. It started off with simple stars and funny faces. But then the consistency changed to one chosen filter. Over and over again.

Dozens of pictures were Beetlejuice using that tried-and-true dog filter. Floppy ears, big tongue sticking out. He even had made a small video of the added sound effects too. Cautiously, you opened the file. It was almost too cartoonish for your blood. He pretended to pant and whine like a little puppy, with a small ‘awoo!’ leaving his lips. Your eyes widened a bit at the humiliating blackmail you now had stored on your phone, your sides nearly splitting at how hard you first laughed.

But, you were intrigued.

[Continue Reading or Read on AO3!]

When you next went to the store to pick something up, you happened to pick up a gift for Beetlejuice along with his usual snack hoard: a nice black collar. You had stopped at the kiosk just outside the storefront where the cart return after something special caught your eye. It would be the perfect icing on the cake for your little scheme.

Coming home was met with the usual fanfare of “GIMME, GIMMIE, GIMMIE!” as he clamored to grab the bag of treats he’d been craving. He snarled like an annoyed raccoon and snatched the bag before you could say anything, his grubby hands rifling through as he debated on helping you unload the rest of the groceries. His fingertips touched something unfamiliar, something not a Zagnut bar or a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Curious, he pulled it out and instantly dropped the rest of the bag.

Before you could chastise him about cleaning up his mess, you paused and followed his gaze. You tried to hide your smirk as you saw his eyes scan over the object.

“H-hey, uh, what is this?” he choked out, normal raspiness shot up just a pinch.

He had sucked in his lower lip and was biting it pensively, his eyes wide while the familiar green colours dripped off him and ebbed into a dark pink. Beetlejuice was like a goddamn moodring. You knew that this was getting to him.

Playing dumb, you peered over his shoulder and looked at the collar, reading the engraved nametag in the shape of a bone. Your eyebrow raised and your grin grew.

“Oh, that? Looks like it has your name and my contact information. Y’know, if my puppy gets lost.”

Beetlejuice yelped, jumping a foot in the air like someone had stabbed him with a hot poker. He gripped onto the collar for dear life and looked at you with utter shock. His eyes went from you to the collar, collar to you, until he finally stared long enough at the engraving to run his fingers over the letters.

“Yer what…?”

With one swift motion, you had plucked the strap out of his hand and secured it around his neck. He hadn’t resisted it but was watching your every move with wide-eyed disbelief. You watched him swallow dryly, his Adam’s apple bobbing against the collar. Eventually, you pulled away and watched him scamper into the bathroom to gaze into the mirror to see how it looked. You could see from your position that he was looking himself over, stroking the rough fabric of the collar as he turned his head from side to side.

Beetlejuice wore that thing every goddamn day after that.

So, you upped the ante. The next purchase was something you had to buy off the internet after some extensive research on your part. You knew the gross man would rifle through the package as soon as it hit your porch. This one was a bigger shocker than the last.

In the package came a set: a soft pair of floppy dog ears that could be attached to one’s hair with clips and an equally soft, curly tail attached to a plug. Now, Beetlejuice wasn’t a naive little virgin who went into Spencer’s gifts to giggle at dildos (he only laughed at the dick shaped foods, okay? Those are hilarious and nothing you say would change his mind on that.) He was a demon. A lustful one that you had caught masturbating in every corner of your goddamn house. You knew he wasn’t dumb when it came to what that tail implied.

His hands were shaking when he came to you, the two clips in hand with the tail left in the box. Beetlejuice extended his arms out and opened his fists up, batting his eyes at you.

“Hm?” you grunted softly, pretending to not know what he wanted.

“Could you… uh, put these in my hair? The metal always gets tangled if I try to put ‘em in.”

“Y’know, I would. If someone used their manners.”

You crossed your arms and looked expectantly at him. He bit his lower lip again and hunched slightly, eyes round and helpless as he looked at you.

“C’mon. Please?”

Satisfied, you smiled and took them from his hands. Getting them in that messy rat’s nest that was his hair was a pain at first but you finally pulled away to look at the sight of those perfect puppy ears flopped over. You commanded him to shake his head back and forth to ensure they wouldn’t slip out and he happily obliged.

He even let out a playful little pant.

The amusement ran through you just as much as the sudden arousal. Seeing him so playful and into this was enough to get to you. To say that was completely his fetish was a lie - you liked when Beetlejuice was a flirt. And now he was your pup! Your gaze soon fell to the box behind him.

“There’s supposed to be another piece to that set,” you said flatly, gesturing for him to bring it to you.

That made Beetlejuice pause. Nervously, he retrieved the tail and placed it in your hands, waiting for what would come next. Would you demand that he put it in himself? Or…

You could see the worry in his eyes and let one of your hands trail across his jawline. He melted into your touch and smiled softly. The collar jingled with his movement and he blushed at the noise. It wasn’t like the outspoken creature to act so shy. But it was cute. You could tell this was a new ballgame for him. Perhaps he had always had this kink but no one to play with. You’d have to ask sometime. Preferably a time that wasn’t when you were eagerly ready to shove a plug up your boyfriend’s ass.

You knew to go slow with this. Beetlejuice was apprehensive and you didn’t exactly have the previous experience of this to know if you’d be doing it right. Now he was sitting at the end of your bed, listening to you run the warm water to clean the object of his fancy. When you came back, you retrieved the lube from your nightstand and coated the toy generously.

Beetlejuice gulped before he began to peel off his clothing piece by piece. Dirty stripes hit your floor along with the clinking suspenders that fell off his form easily. You smiled at the sight of his plush body now exposed - well, exposed as much as one could be with the carpet of mossy hair that covered him from head to toe. Wanting to ease him into the situation more, you placed your hand on his belly and rubbed circles against his skin. You felt him shudder for a moment, his shoulders relaxed and his body stopped feeling so damn tense.

“You remember the safeword, right? If you get too nervous?” you tenderly whispered into his ear as you laid him back.

“Brigadoon,” he whispered back, a scowl on his face.

That got a laugh from you, even as you helped him out of his pants. You could see how hard his cock was, reacting to all of this teasing. The head was already beaded with precum. But you wouldn’t relieve him until you got to play with your puppy. You rolled him gently onto his stomach and he instinctively pushed his ass into the air, resting on his knees as his ass spread enough for you. Crawling behind him, you admired the view of the waiting demon. Your hand rested on his plump cheek, spreading it wider for you to slip the plug in. His hands curled into the bedsheets and he let out a whorish moan.

“Good boy,” you commended, rubbing the tail before you slipped off the bed to stand in front of him.

Beetlejuice was already huffing and puffing, wagging the tail this way and that as he got used to the feeling of the toy inside of him. He let out a groan as he shifted, cock dribbling precum onto the sheets. As you stood before him, you tilted his head up with both hands cupping his face. Your thumbs rubbed at the stubble, admiring the sight of the normally cocky demon now a puddle beneath you.

“Who’s my good boy?”

A slow, croaky bark. You smiled and pet him lovingly to show the answer had pleased you. Another bark. This time it was confident and excited.

“Thassa good boy!” you cooed in that silly way humans babytalk animals.

Hands scratched behind his ‘ears’ before they rubbed at his chest playfully. He giggled before breaking out into heavier, excited panting. You were delighted to see him so into this. Knowing that you were fulfilling your boyfriend’s cute fetish was enough to make your heart swell. And continue to arouse you. However, tonight wasn’t about you. Tonight was making sure that Beetlejuice knew that you loved and accepted him for all his kinks. You would make sure that he’d cum.

So, you sat back down on the bed and let him snuffle and sniff you playfully before he rested his head in your lap. You played with his hair and swiftly moved down his backside, stopping at his tailbone before repeating each stroke. He loved it. The affection pleased him, certainly, but having you coo over him was enough to make that hardness press against the bed. You noticed that he was moving his hips enough to rub his stiff prick against the firmness of the mattress under his weight to get himself off.

That made you tsk.

“Awww, pup, are you feeling okay?” you mocked. “You seem to be whimpering so much! Are you sick?”

The colour burned on Beetlejuice’s face so much that it shifted the pink tint into a darker hue. He let out a whine and looked up at you. Those big ol’ eyes watched your every move as you pushed on his side to let you see what he needed. You saw how <>hard that swollen erection really was, one hand already tracing down his happy trail to reach it. He groaned in delight at your touch. He needed you to play with him. After all, puppies needed attention and love!

“Poor boy! Here, lemme help you…”

Your hand wrapped around his length and he whined. It was torture to go so slow. Beetlejuice always liked to jump right on you and hump you like a dog. And now that he was your little doggy, you were going to make sure he was just as satisfied as all those times before. You couldn’t help but tease him a bit more than usual. That plug would be enough stimulation to make up for it.

Slowly, you rubbed him. Let him buck into your hand as much as he wanted. All those noises were so goddamn cute that you had to let him work for this. You had gotten him everything he wanted and now you’d reap the benefits. It was a delightfully rewarding show as your demon fucked your hand like the needy dog he was. You watched the curly tail bob, his ears flopping slightly as he thrust.

“There we go, hm? You like that, pup?” You knew your teasing would spur him on. To move faster and faster. He was huffing again, tongue lolled out of his mouth as he pushed harder. “C’mon, be a dear. Be a good boy and get out all that frustration.”

Beetlejuice growled, eyes fluttering as he worked faster for his climax. He needed it. He fucking needed this! All this goddamn teasing. It had been a week since the collar. The tail in his ass made him feel humiliated and adored all at the same time. Just like the way you were watching him get off. He normally would have been a brat about having to do so much for this orgasm but you had been so nice to him about indulging this kink. While he didn’t like to gush about how thankful he was to have you in his life, it was moments like these that really showed it. The desperation in his eyes was flooded with adoration. How much he loved you and wanted to prove that he really was a good boy.

And you indulged him by stroking him harder. One hand jerked his cock eagerly while your free hand reached to grasp his sack. He shuddered and moaned whorishly at that. You made sure to massage his heavy, swinging balls to urge him to cum. It was almost your silent permission for him to.

The demon didn’t last long after that. Rope after thick rope of cum launched onto the sheets underneath him, making a mess of the bed. He tossed his head back and howled loudly. You watched his cock twitch, your hand milking him for every last drop before you pulled away and allowed him to collapse. Beetlejuice was panting softly before he rolled onto his back to look up at your adoring face.

“Th-thanks… I, uh, owe ya,” he groaned softly.

Your lips met the skin of his forehead in a tender gesture before you sidled up next to him and spooned the chubby demon.

“Don’t mention it, babe. I’m glad you like your presents,” came the giggle from you.

Playfully, he wrapped you up in a bear hug and let you lay on his chest. You knew that he’d be getting his revenge later, but you decided to savour this peaceful moment in your pup’s embrace.

[jamiebluewind]

My Sides

Note: I decided to make depression a disorder that impacts me and my sides to varying degrees depending on a variety of factors.

Apathy/Rue: Over sleep, disasociation (which can be handy during a crisis), laziness, relaxing, calming down, zoning out, and meh days. Favorite hobby is doing nothing. Doesn't care what pronouns you use for them. Depression causes them to be heightened to the point of causing emotional numbness and loss of all motivation.

Appearance: Perpetual bedhead. Short brown hair with two pale baby blue hair streaks due to fading. Wears an oversized baggy mens cotton tee with a few tiny holes in it and a chest pocket (for candy). They only wear pants when they have to. Otherwise, it's tiny cotton shorts that barely cover them. Owns one pair of flip flops (that they never wear). Fuck bras and shaving.

*

Restlessness/Max: Over obsessions, compulsions, anxiety, worry, fight/flight/friend/freeze, cognative distortions, and intrusive thoughts. Just a ball of nervousness and overthinking. Loves to research, fixate on topics, theorize, plan for "what if?" scenarios, and overshare about their latest thing. Bad with directions. Has a thing about symmetry. Constantly fidgeting or pacing. Does not do chill. The most likely to cause people to say "that's fucked up" when talking about something they thought of. Most likely to have a friend or freeze response in a dangerous situation. Will bolt when in danger if you trigger their flight response, even if where they end up puts them in more danger. Will act like a rabid animal and attack if you somehow trigger their fight response. They can make Logic harder to hear, but whatever gets through can help them balance out. Apathy can block their fight/flight/friend/freeze response. Depression causes their intrusive thoughts to become much darker.

Appearance: Somewhat messy short brown hair from constantly running their fingers through it. Glasses are a bright color (blue or purple?) so they are harder to misplacd and are either on their face or sitting on top of their head. Eyebags. Long soft scarf around their neck which provides comfort and something to mess with. Long sleeve shirt that's a solid muted or soft color as to not draw attention. A cami underneath just in case. Darker bluejeans (because they hide stains, are durable, and what if period!) with a small flashlight hooked on one of the loops. A hoodie tied around their waist. White sneakers. A wristlet purse with a few emergency items. A hidden necklace with emergency information.

*

Emotion/River: Over feelings, nostalgia, empathy, love, comforting others, gender identity, and sexuality. Aggressively cares about their friends. Would move heaven and earth to help others. Is a bit of a hoarder. Gender fluctuates between demigirl, bigender, and female. Loves art and fiction. Is both childish and profound. Loves moodrings. Depression either mutes all their emotions but sadness (and sometimes anger) or leaves her comatose.

Appearance: Short brown hair is soft and a little fluffy with two bright blue streaks at the front. Bright clothes with lots of colors. Jewelery that suits their mood. Has 2 colorful pronoun bracelets. Always wears at least one mood ring. Beautiful colorful tattoos without a unified theme (although many are cute or look like they came from a cartoon or comic). Several ear piercings and one sparkly nostril. Wears eyeliner and lip tint when she feels like dressing fem and occasionally uses eyeshadow. Clothes are usually androgynous. T-shirt has writing on it that made her smile. Shirt has a crew cut on "they days" and a v-neck on "she days". Reflective rainbow colored novelty purse. Sandals. Owns one floofy long skirt. The rest of their bottoms are shorts, capris, or pants. They usually wear capris.

*

Logic/Jo: Over intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, theorizing, the logical side of beliefs, and objectivity. Loves learning and reading non-fiction, but is fond of certain fictional works. Schedules, pay the bills, and self care. Open minded. Loves to research and has a massive library of knowledge, but due to the multi-dimensional nature of their room, information sometimes ends up stored in the wrong place. Fascinated by religions on an intellectual, historical, and cultural standpoint and uses what she learns to be mindful and respectful. Can counteract cognative distortions, but can also cause or amplify fixations on her quest for knowledge. Stubborn. Depression causes them to have difficulty functioning and sometimes become distorted until they find reasons to do dangerous or harmful things.

Appearance: Short brown hair is always professional. Simple glasses have dark blue, almost black frames. No piercings or tattoos. Cotton polo and slacks. Only jewelery is an elegant stirling necklace with a long chain and a large simple diamond shaped charm (one side says "She" while the other says "They"). Comfortable professional black loafers.

*

Creativity/Journey: Over inspiration, creativity, brainstorming, certain types of problem solving, ingenuity, out of the box thinking, writing, singing, photography, other creations, worldbuilding, jokes, puns, acting, and certain types of lying to others. Frequently goes on tangents. Run on sentences. Can be a little too energetic and random. Once inspired, they can't stop thinking about something until it's done or they run out of inspiration or drive. Has a wall of books for cataloguing ideas and unfinished projects (often taking from several old ones to build a new one), but the order has no rhythm or reason (even to them). Can be heightened or hindered by Restlessness. Apathy can help Creativity with daydreams and less fear, but make it difficult for them to take action. Depression makes them barely function, save acting and negative ideas.

Appearance: Dark purple hair with several bright blue hair steaks. Ear piercings and one sparkly dermal near their left eye. Purple eyeliner. Modified a pair of comfy overall shorts (aka shortalls) to be backless with a halter top fit (instead of the traditional tank top fit) so they would have lots of pockets to store stuff while having the most skin exposed to show off their extensive tattoos. Tends to wear a strapless binder or halter top underneath to avoid boob slips. Runs around in socks indoors, but has hiking boots for outside. Tattoos are artistic with heavy symbolism as well as quotes.

*

Ambiguity/Duo: Over morally gray areas, lying to others and oneself, telling the truth to others and oneself, spotting both deceit and honesty in others, superstitions, the illogical side of beliefs, seeing the good in the bad and visa versa, sarcasm, and occasional devil's advocate. Not quick to judge. Sees gender as a social construct, but also that some people require it. Sees religion as something that is not necessary for them to be happy, but knows it is important to others and will fight for those rights (as long as it doesn't hurt the individual, others, or society itself). Balances the line of what is and is not socially acceptable. Personal truths. Has a very "you do you" attatude. Probably enjoys yoga and certain fiction, especially ones that subvert expectations and/or tropes. Depression causes them to become skewed. Because of this, some things become amplified (lies to self and others, seeing the bad in good,...), some things become weakened (honesty, seeing the good in bad, spotting honesty,...), and some things become tainted (deceit is spotted when none is there, beliefs become tainted,...).

Appearance: Right half of face is white while the left half is black. A gray part in the middle where one color fades into the other that's about the width of their lips. Hair and clothing follow the same theme with the only color being their blue hazel eyes. Hair is held back with a metallic silver headband. Button up shirt with a sheer back (similar look to this). One glove on the left side. Bottoms are pinstripe palazzo pants or culottes. Ballet slippers. Has an ornimental tattoo on their back and one on each ankle.

----

Other facts...

My sides all have their individual jobs and functions, but they also work together on certain things.

My morality comes from Emotion, Logic, and Ambiguity. They work together despite their frequent disagreements.

Beliefs come from Logic and Ambiguity. Emotion can help by attaching a feeling to each belief.

If my ego is hurt, it effects Creativity, Emotions, and/or Logic depending on which was targeted. The same goes for the opposite (such as when praised).

Having my ego hurt make Restlessness freak out and overthink everything.

Despite Emotion having main control over gender identity (mine being femfluidflux), Logic has some input. Occasionally, Apathy or Ambiguity have a say.

Creativity literally created a new type of clothing for their needs. The halter shortalls currently do not exist to my knowledge.

All the sides have a varying level of fondness for cats. Apathy respects their chill. Restlessness finds them calming as well as a good way to release nervous energy. Emotion's heart just melt from the adorableness and wants all snuggles. Logic appreciates the proven medical benefits of having a pet. Creativity loves making cat toys, taking photos, and playing games with cats. Ambiguity admires their independence and controlled chaos. Their opinions on other animals varies.

None of my sides are entirely good or entirely bad. They also balance each other. (Apathy can help Emotion and Restlessness chill. Emotion can help Apathy when they get heightened. Restlessness can help spur the others into action as well as fixate to help Logic and Creativity. Emotion gives Logic and Creativity encouragement as well as helping make sure writing hits right in the feels. Logic helps the others with facts and helps break through negative thinking and spirals. Creativity helps connect thoughts in new and exciting ways and helps Restlessness find new ways to coop. Ambiguity helps the others make the hard decisions and keeps Logic from becoming too ridged.)

[sexypinkon]

Questions of cultural identity

Ebony G Patterson | Thomas J Price | Zadie Xa

31 March–6 May 2017 Preview: 30 March, 6–8:30pm #HalesGallery

Questions of cultural identity – feelings of belonging to a particular group – seem especially relevant in today’s troubled Western society, increasingly international and yet as riven as ever with conflict and fear of others. How are our perceptions of identity formed; which stereotypes, fictions or representations have informed them? How do the categories of class, gender, race and nationality intersect and overlap to create one’s sense of self (and other)?

For the three artists in this exhibition – Ebony G Patterson, Thomas J Price and Zadie Xa – visual and material forms of representation provide a potent strategy through which to pose these challenging and timely questions. Working in a diverse range of media, including sculpture, video, textiles and photography, these artists are united by their shared engagement with form, process and material. They each amalgamate different social and cultural references, fashions and art historical traditions to create new layered, hybrid mythologies that express the multi-faceted nature of identity in the 21st century. Through a simultaneous process of seduction and deconstruction, they powerfully challenge our conventional associations, assumptions and archetypes.

Ebony Patterson

Ebony G Patterson’s fantastically ornate images and installations explore the performance of identity among disenfranchised communities within post-colonial contexts. Patterson’s bold, seductive aesthetic reflects the artist’s desire to claim space and authority for subjects whom society so often deems unworthy of visibility, whilst refusing to shy away from the more complicated or contradictory elements of different identities.

Entourage (2010), the first piece from Patterson’s ‘Fambily’ series of photographic installations (2010–13), explores the role of the gang as a surrogate family – a complex structure whose positive elements are usually ignored in favour of lazy stigmatisation. A large-scale studio photograph printed on a nylon banner and installed dramatically on floral-wallpapered walls, makes an immediate claim for attention. The depicted subjects, too, are elaborately costumed and made-up, reflecting the flamboyant visual language of Jamaica’s popular Dancehall culture. The individuals in the photograph, however, are all models. Central to the work’s heightened sense of theatricality is the concept of identity as performative, shifting and contradictory, the hyper-masculinity of the gang patriarch expressed through a conventionally feminised aesthetic of tight, colourful clothing, jewellery, and even artificially whitened skin as a mode of erasure and illumination.

Thomas J Price makes figurative sculptures depicting imaginary black, male subjects, playing with material, scale and modes of display in order to explore the relationship between representation and perception. This exhibition presents Price’s most recent work, the Untitled (Icon) series: a new sequence of fictional portraits that are amalgamations of a range of sources, from classical sculpture to individuals observed in Price’s everyday life.

Constantly experimenting with materials and technologies, for the Untitled (Icon) series Price has adopted two techniques for the first time: gilding, and 3D modelling. The use of 24 carat gold leaf has a powerful cultural resonance, as a technique which dates back to ancient Egypt and continues to signify luxury, splendour and exultation. The subjects depicted in these gilded sculptures, placed upon marble plinths in a classical style, are cast as ‘icons’ of a modern age, despite their anonymous, ‘untitled’ identities. Price subtly subverts the viewer’s expectations, reframing the image and associations of black men in contemporary society and in art. This sense of subversion is heightened by the knowledge that these heads were sculpted using cutting-edge 3D modelling techniques before being cast in aluminium composite, a digital amalgamation of features with no rooting in reality. We are led to wonder whether the individual’s ‘true’ identity really exists, amidst or beneath the layers of constructed presentation and conditioned perception.

Zadie Xa’s work across media layers and samples pre-existing forms to create new images and objects which explores the construction and performance of identity, navigating her position within the Asian diaspora. Whether working in video or creating highly textural mixed media works, this process of layering combines racial tropes used to identify Asian bodies as ‘other’ (the commodified yin-yang symbol, ‘monolid’ eyes, sword blades) with diverse material from a range of personally relevant sources – music, digital technology, fashion and art, as well as Xa’s own research into her cultural heritage – in order to conjure an alternative narrative of Asian identity.

Xa’s recent practice is represented in this exhibition with three interconnected works: video Moodrings, Crystals and Opal-coloured Stones (2016); Asian Gucci (2016), an over-sized fan; and SVN Stacks/Moon Marauder (2015), one of Xa’s self-described ‘magical garments’ existing on the border between costume and painting. The fabric surface of the garment is textured with a series of coded forms, notably the ‘monolid’ and the initial ‘G’, which refers to the Ganggangsullae,an ancient Korean women’s folk dance. Performance footage of the Ganggangsullae is incorporated into Moodrings, Crystals and Opal-coloured Stones, whose central narrative is based on Xa’s own journey retracing a different traditional Korean practice: the initiation rituals for female shamans, known as mudang, which Xa imaginatively re-enacts costumed in her self-made garment. One of the transformative mudang rituals known as the ‘riding of the blades’ is invoked also in the shiny silver knife blades that embellish the surface of Asian Gucci. Across these multi-layered works, the mysterious, performative and transformational nature of identity is expressed, and the concept of a fixed, authentic self is thrown into doubt.

Ebony G Patterson (b. 1981, Kingston, Jamaica) studied at Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts (2000–04) and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis (2004–06). Patterson’s work has been exhibited in numerous international solo and group exhibitions, including the Brooklyn Museum, New York (USA), the Ghetto Biennale, Port-au-Prince (Haiti), Museum of the Americas, Washington D.C. (USA), Bermuda National Gallery (Bermuda), Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas (USA), Perez Art Museum, Miami (USA), 12th Havana Biennial (Cuba), the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (USA), the 32nd Bienal de Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York (USA). Since 2006 Patterson’s work has been selected for inclusion in the Jamaica Biennial, winning the Aaron Matalon award for most outstanding contribution in 2014. Patterson is also the subject of a forthcoming solo exhibition at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (USA). Work by Patterson is included in a number of international collections including Studio Museum in Harlem (USA), the Nasher Museum, Duke University (USA), Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art (France)  and the National Gallery of Jamaica (Jamaica). She has taught at the University of Virginia and is currently an Associate Professor in Painting and Mixed Media at the University of Kentucky.

Thomas J Price

Thomas J Price (b. London, UK, 1981) studied at Chelsea College of Art (2001–04) and received an MA at the Royal College of Art, Sculpture School (2004–06). In 2009, Price was featured alongside Grayson Perry, Michael Landy, Sir Anthony Caro and Cornelia Parker on the BBC 4 television documentary, Where is Modern Art Now?, presented by Gus Casely-Hayford. In 2010, he featured on BBC 4's How to Get A Head in Sculpture, also featuring Marc Quinn and Sir Anthony Caro. In 2010, Price was an invited artist at the Royal Academy Summer Show. In 2013, during his second solo show with Hales Gallery, Price presented his first large scale sculpture Network. The work subsequently was placed on display at the prestigious Yorkshire Sculpture Park, coinciding with Price's solo display at the Park (2014), and was selected for the 2015 inauguration of London's art walk The Line. Selected solo exhibitions have been held at prestigious institutions including the National Portrait Gallery, London (UK), Royal Academy of Arts, London (UK), Mac Birmingham (UK), Royal College of Art, London (UK), Yorkshire Sculpture Park (UK), Harewood House (UK) and Hales London (UK). Price’s work has also been included in shows in the US and Europe. Price's work is included in a number of private and public collections including Derwent London (UK), Murderme (UK) and the Rennie Collection (Canada).  Price lives and works in London.

Zadie Xa

Zadie Xa (b. 1983, Vancouver, Canada) received an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 2014 and a BFA at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2007. Recent exhibitions, performances and screenings of Xa’s work have been held at a range of institutions, including the Serpentine Gallery, London (UK), Whitechapel Gallery, London (UK), Assembly Point, London (UK), CGP London (UK), Cafe OTO, London (UK), Castlefield Gallery, Manchester (UK), Sara Zanin Gallery, Rome (Italy) and Schwabinger Tor, Munich (Germany). Upcoming exhibitions and performances include Block Universe 2017, Pumphouse Gallery (solo) London (UK), and Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (Canada). Xa currently lives and works in London.