#oh and the drawing doesn't depict anyone particular

[atalienart]

Well... what can I say :|

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: Big Name Feelings

FANDOM AU! • Crowley is a BNF fic writer, and Aziraphale is a lurking artist who might be just a little parasocially in love with him. How they ever became friends is beyond him, but here they are: One month out from Prophet Con, and Crowley is asking him to be his boyfriend. Just for the weekend, of course.

Length: 103,997 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥🔥

Best for: Safe in Public, Human AU, Slow Burn, Fake Relationship, Pick-me-up

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by ghostrat

*Minor Spoilers* It's here! The finale of one of the most entertaining and immersive fanworks that I have ever experienced is finally upon us! I feel like most of you who follow me here are aware of this fanfic or have read it. However, for those who haven't or might come across this post later: I'm begging you to read this one. Buckle up; it's a long post today.

So, if you're not aware, this fanfic involves writer Crowley and fan artist Aziraphale. Crowley, being ace, seeks a boyfriend to shield him from unwanted attention during an upcoming convention. Aziraphale, smitten, agrees to be the fake boyfriend. This Arrangement is sure to work out exactly as planned!

Every one of the author's stories feels cinematic to me. The worlds are always so real and immersive, but this one, in particular, will have you feeling like you're actually watching the story unfold in real life. Some of that is achieved through embedded media like chats, artwork, and Tumblr posts, bringing a sense of reality to these conversations. The rest comes from really rich prose. You'll flow through it very easily, yet deeply.

The use of fandom and a convention as the backdrop for this fic was, to be honest, genius. I've seen attempts before, but none captured the spirit quite like this one. The fandom lore for The Nice and Accurate Prophecy (the in-universe fandom they're in) was rich enough for us to fully grasp the shape and feel of why they loved it so much, yet it never impedes the ongoing story. This story perfectly captured what it's like to be a fan: how friendships develop, how ideas and fan theories are freely discussed, the passion for a shared topic. The con, in particular, will fill anyone who has ever attended a fan convention with a strong dose of nostalgia and love. Oh, and having them in their 50s? Thank you! There is no age limit to fandom!

Having Aziraphale as the artist and Crowley the writer was not the most obvious choice, but it's one that worked amazingly well for the story! Crowley struggles with words and expressing his feelings in real life. However, in stories, he can build his own world and express whatever emotions are on his mind. Aziraphale, who does not wish to draw attention to himself in real life, expresses himself through his bold and beautiful artwork. His specialization in traditional, physical artwork is so fitting for him, though he's not unwilling to try new tech. There is a scene where they stumble upon some street art that Aziraphale had done. I teared up at that scene, and it's not even angsty! Just the casualness of it, how it's not Aziraphale but Crowley who boldly leads them to it, how Aziraphale doesn't sing his own praises. He's not self-deprecating, but he doesn't celebrate his work. He's still learning that he has value that's worth celebrating. At least now he has Crowley to teach him to be proud of himself.

They are both beautifully written characters. It's a real testament to the skill of the author to bring these characters into such a different reality and have them be unmistakably Aziraphale and Crowley. Sure, they're updated for the time and setting, but their souls are still the angel and demon we know and love. This setting is an amazing way to explore the different sides of their personalities. Crowley's asexuality, in particular, was one of the best depictions I've ever read. It brought a new level of understanding to me, and I'm sure many of you will feel a kinship with him. Really pay attention to what's being said here, there's some really deep and insightful passages that are worth analyzing. Like this moment, which may have been a subconscious thought, but again speaks to how deeply the author understands the characters.

This was such an amazing experience as a fan. I've never had a fic feel like this much of an event before. Every chapter drop was so exciting; I never knew what exactly to expect. And now, with the end being over 100k words?? Where did that word count come from! That's insane! I'm sad to leave this iteration, but I'm so excited for what's to come next. So please, if you haven't read this, give it a try. It's such a impressive work, so much time and effort was put into this and you can tell. It's not only a love letter to Good Omens, but one to fandom and fanspaces as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this journey

There are some explicit scenes towards the end, but they are all marked and skippable, so I'd say you're perfectly fine reading this in public.

Edit from after actually seeing the finale: no I’m not tearing up it’s just really dusty in this room. I’m being so normal rn 🥹🥹🥹

Read it here, fic by ghostrat

[respectthepetty]

Following your last post. Are you able to summarise or explain why you love Taiwan BL so much?

I ask because I too love Taiwanese BLs but……I can’t pin point why. Is it because the first ones I watched was top tier?! (Loooking at you fighting Mr2nd and History4) or is there a different frame work that draws us in?

I don’t know and can’t seem to explain it so I has rushed here after your post and express my need for you to someone explain or put into words, WHY WE LOVE TAIWANESE GAYS?!?

Anon, I've listed a few times why I love Taiwanese BLs (like here and here), but I love them soooooo much, I will gladly do it again!

Strangely enough, I have an ask sitting patiently in my inbox requesting I rank the HIStory franchise, but since I love Taiwanese BLs, it's hard for me to pick between my favorites, which I had to do for Taiwanese BLs in general when I was asked to rank my top five. However, HIStory 4: Close to You rules above ALL BLs regardless of country. I love it! It is the best. I will fight people and their pets for it.

But you know I cannot keep things short, so . . .

10 Reasons I Love Taiwanese BLs

*presented in no particular order*

The shows are visually pleasing.

The cinematography especially the color editing and the lighting are good quality. As a color demon, I've noticed the emphasis on colors even in Taiwanese non-BL series I've watched. I'm superficial. They're pretty!

The men are visually pleasing.

Beyond the production aesthetics, the actors themselves are easy on the eyes. Every single main character is unexpectedly hiding a body-ody-ody under his clothes which he reveals in the most natural ways. The camera doesn't linger on the body. The bodies are just bodies. But they are oh-so-very pretty bodies.

The attraction is obvious.

Taiwanese BLs are high heat. The characters will flirt. They will stare longingly at each other. They will playfully touch each other. They will have sex. The characters want each other, physically, and we see that. And it won't be saved until the final episode. The attraction develops in a way that feels natural, and if there is hesitation regarding sex, once they figure out the mechanics, the characters embody the "practice makes perfect" motto.

The beds are used.

Domesticity is at the core of a Taiwanese BL. We see characters cooking in kitchens, often. We see them sleeping in beds without sex being involved. An entire scene can be focused around the characters doing household chores such as laundry, washing dishes, or mopping. The characters are building a home together as partners, and we constantly see that.

The families are caring.

For every shitty family member, there are three others who are determined to win a PFLAG award. We see characters' siblings, parents, and found family members being supportive of their relationship and fighting other family members who step out of line.

The secondary pairs deliver.

When the story isn't focusing on the main couple, I still care about the second (and sometimes third) pair. Their stories might not always be fully fleshed out, but they don't distract from the main couple nor make me want to skip over their parts. The secondary couples are also involved in the stories outside of their romance. They are connected to the overall story and help to push the narrative forward.

The couples are queer.

This seems like a given since we are dealing with BLs, but Taiwan has delivered very few high school and university BLs, and even when it does, they aren't presented as a coming-of-age story. Characters already know they are queer, or if they realize it, they don't panic. For example, in About Youth, both characters confessed they hadn't kissed anyone before, but it wasn't depicted as an "ah-I'm-gay" moment. Even in DNA Says Love You, the reveal wasn't cause for a crisis; it was a moment of relief. In my fave, HIStory 4, the main character realized he liked his friend, sat on that revelation, then licked his friend's mouth and told him he loved him. Very pro kissing-the-homies.

The couples are adults.

Because Taiwan hasn't produced many high school and university BLs, a majority of its shows are focused on adults, with jobs, and families, and baggage. As mentioned above, the main conflict is never a character understanding his queerness. It's usually him trying to balance his relationship with all the other issues life brings him like a work deadline, the mafia, or ghosts. You know, adult issues.

The couples are enemies-to-lovers, lite.

My favorite kind of couple dynamic is "I'll kill (for) him" and Taiwan knows how to deliver this. Even when couples move past the enemies stage, there are moments when they look at each other as if they could kill each other, and that warms my heart. The couples argue. They fight. They plot each other's murders. Then they eat dinner together and hold each other in bed. Love isn't all rainbows and sunshine in these BLs, and Taiwan shows that it's not just about who will fight with you, but who will fight for you that matters.

The country has marriage equality!

I'm going to get political - I don't even believe in the institution of marriage, but I'll throw hands for everyone's right to marriage equality. People deserve the right to get married, and Taiwan granted its people that right in 2019; then, this year, it made it legal for same-sex couples to jointly adopt a child. Taiwan has a tension-filled relationship with China due to disputes about Taiwan's independence, and we all know how China censors the homos. Therefore, I love Taiwanese BLs flexing its gay rights muscle all of the time. Other countries are fighting the good fight for their rights, but if it came down to my last little international dollar, I want to support the countries that support us and not those that are profiting off our community without investing in our community members' rights. So at the end of the day . . .

I love whatever Taiwan gives me.

So these are the reasons I know Kiseki: Dear to Me will be one of my favorites.

The show and the men are visually pleasing. It is giving us queer adult couples stacked on top of other queer adult couples then cameos of even more queer adult couples. We've gotten enemies-to-friendly roommates, where the attraction is obvious, so now we must wait for the lovers part even though they had already cooked, cleaned, and slept in the bed by the second episode. When we meet the families of these crazy little bastards, we are going to love them.

Oh, and there will be a proposal.

TAIWAN SUPREMACY!

[ramonaflow]

weekend wip game

Tagged by @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @mammameesh 💕

1. WIP List:

102 words

Summer days

Red panties

Beach sunset

Blue leather

Early relationship

Lift

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

102 words

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

If I ever finish it, 102 words

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

Summer Days I think has been the most fun

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Red panties. I'm just so stuck on how explicit it is. I think it might be too much lol

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

All of them. I'm always worried about how people will react to them

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I don't think I will for any of them

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

All of them 💀

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

Only one of them has an oc and he's hardly in it.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Panties I think. I hope.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

I don't really do angst. Apart from the occasional drabble.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

Oh I've no idea

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

😬

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

If you mean which one have I spent the most time staring at and not writing? Probably panties again.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I don't really have expectations

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

I don't think so but I only really remember scary dreams

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

I don’t think so

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Summer Days I think. Just because it's silly

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

No

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

I have no idea. I'm sorry to the people who tagged me because I'm just rubbish at these games 🤣

Tags and questions for artists/gifmakers under the cut!

Tagging: @flowertrigger @a-noble-dragon @smblmn @beaiola @carolrain @trickiwooao3 @characterassassination-at-9am @smallumbrella369 @jamilas-pen @demora00 @queenmabcreates and anyone else who wants to 🩷

Questions for artists/gifmakers

1. WIP List:

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

7. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of creator's block?

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

19. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

2, 9, 10, 26, 30

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even)

i think my default would be that their facing our left is slightly easier, could be a holdover from like, drawing more in pencil and being righthanded so that like, if they're facing left that Face would be the details i'm most concerned with, and then could move my hand to the right to draw the rest of the head lol. but i don't think it's a very big difference from drawing anyone facing right, and of course now i can digitally flip a canvas, but even then it varies a lot vs there being any clear pattern like, yep, i Always prefer people facing left. not forward though lol, the increased need for Symmetry is like, whew

9. What are your file name conventions

definitely like, a keyword or two & then perhaps a descriptive word or phrase more to distinguish it, i usually work on some wip drawing start to finish rather than picking something back up after long enough that i might have forgotten the particular thing i named it and/or it's not just in the [recently opened] display either, and certainly looking at some file names it's like, i'd never just think of that when going to look it up again lol, i'd just have to scroll to find it....lot of like, e.g. tayston [word / phrase] type names, maybe even the characters individually, but it's morely likely that when i'm naming the final like png file that i actually add more relevant keywords like tayston winston taylor billions kiss and then some particular remark to distinguish it, if only to make it all the easier to Not give files the same name, since yknow, the thumbnails are there....an excerpt from wip files specifically (some resulting in finalized versions, but these still being the sai files) like some not very clearly described via their names but Enough that it's distinct & in tandem with the visuals i can be like, right, that one

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

i still kind of treat clothing as a bit of a hassle and an afterthought lol, like In Theory i totally appreciate like, its adding character, being a fun way to add details / variation, even like the Fun in the challenges of giving it texture and weight and stuff but i'm just like, i have a terrible time as usual like Thinking Of An Outfit or things like that, and my approach is just like, i don't love to have to change much to put in the details of clothes or spend that much time on it lol. that can vary / could change, but for now i like to keep it simple, so perhaps the tee or a tank top as a default is most appreciated lmao. very handy that, say, a tee for winston is very appropriate. i think it could be fun to do different styles / outfits & there's a little bit of that that i've drawn to be sure, but it's also in part the way that like, the quanstache helps but removing the context of what he Usually Wears can just make it vaguer that it's winston at all, even though at this point i'm truly like assuming people expect it to be him. who knows. but i do enjoy that just Drawing A Tee approach. short sleeves, straightforward shape, (more) open neckline (than other shirts, potentially) so again shoutout to the alignment of winston wearing tees anyways and that being kind of distinct for him

26. What’s a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended

hmm nothing off the top of my head (which i'm so good at: anything at all off the top of my head lol) that i would say was Wildly different but sometimes people will comment something about probably winston art about him looking sad lol when it's v much depicting a particularly warm/happy mood, i was just also drawing his face, like going "oh damn i was too Subtle here i guess. this isn't rian comforting winston b/c he's sad, it's rian being like 'thanks for giving head (oral sex edition)'" with this one lol. and like sometimes when i Am drawing him expressly sad it doesn't quite seem to come across fully when like, i'm going "and around here one might then react to crying by (also, or already) being frustrated / annoyed, or like a combo of vaguely annoyed / slightly bummed and just trying to tamp Everything down" and then it's like, is it even clear that despite this, he's crying in this lil pic? sometimes perhaps not. other times i make it much more obvious in the first place lol

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated

i don't think any piece is like, particularly underrated, at least in that it can kinda always be that way b/c it's like, your enthusiasm for The Fave & your ingenious material for them, vs that being an especially specific / exclusive experience lmfaooo so it's like why doesn't this all get a zillion notes instantly....but truly my baseline expectations might be more of like, you know, Niche Visual Art with preestablished followers and getting those notes in the tens or twenties even if maybe five of them are self reblogs, that's solid / average. but at the same time i'll be like "hmm was this one underrated?" and it'll have like dozens / scores of notes and i just didn't particularly remember as much lmao like oh alright, and doesn't always seem that clear which ones get More Notes, though other times it does align like ooh yeah that one's especially good.

to seize this opportunity and list some specifics just based on vibes and fun though, rather than particularly seeming underrated by any consistent metric, Have You (collectively) Seen:

this tayston classic?? not that it's underrated but that it's like, well, inherently, not enough people have seen it lol. i Often think of the scene that's illustrated and the illustration itself, i did so just yesterday. love the coziness / relaxation and my wrangling the colors into that pale yellow / purple situation, i remember that was a challenge lol.

This tayston classic??? exact same "not enough people have seen it, inherently" kind of underratedness lol and my thinking of it often as well, V successful imo & i like it a bunch, the innovation of winston's tears as like, Negative Space in a [blush] field, and then also the fun of flowing to the sides since he's lying down. and how it juxtaposes nicely with the previous link; the obvious Contrast in goings on but the same personal affection & mutual wellbeing enhancement. can't go wrong or even struggle much w/coloring when i go for monochrome [vivid blue i like best]

feel like the Sequential Drawings from late 2019 even are underrated by me lol, what with not being any Single drawing really, i can kind of forget about them lol, but as i'm reexperiencing by tackling the Very Sequential Drawings whodunit wip, there's fun of Many Expressions included (also included when drawing like a collage of [emoting character] lol) and of course, like, A Scene playing out. here's the tayston one, who wants to be the hundredth note. very fond at the time and now of their parallel Really?s to go with the crucial one-two of trading [surprising the other] lol. shoutout to all the blushing throughout, love to make it vivacious blue thusly

and then the benston one, i also happen to enjoy seeing my own like artistique innovations in how i'm drawing xyz unfolding lol, true in any examples from anytime really, it's an ongoing process, but real Tbt moments here & with the tayston pic. very rare greyscale, i definitely don't remember their being any Particular reason for it, maybe just didn't wanna bother picking any other monochrome color at all lmao. and it's a charming and fond scene as well imo, so who can argue with that? unshoutout still to idk why months ago, definitely a While after actually posting it, i got an anon flippantly asking What This Post Was About, which: it's contextualized in its caption and then in the tags even further, and i feel like if someone just genuinely wanted to know, perhaps ask with a little more specificity than something that can be taken as a rhetorical "that was weird :/" message that idk why one would muster the motivation to send. when it's also like, what it's About is winston being autistic and that being relevant to all other components of one's identity, like his sexuality, and that here he's feeling vulnerable about sharing genuine / unfiltered Aspects of that even without saying "it's an autistic sensory thing for me" but also With an expectation that it might be flippantly dismissed and/or interpreted as offputtingly Weird. making it a bit more [art imitating life] when having gotten an anon flippantly going "weird." i wouldn't think there'd be an overlap b/w [people who'd wanna send an anon about something from like a year or more ago] and [people who haven't osmosis'd something about All Autistic Winston Billions All The Time around here] but then idk, people speak up at unexpected times. dunno why once there was a lively evening w/several people sending asks about stuff in the ocean

again might've been inadvertently too subtle with a riawin pic when not like nobody saw this one but it seems not nearly as many people had registered the reblog with a sparkle emoticon as having an embedded link and thus viewed the Shirtless Braletted Edition. and, you know, look at it again lol, it's fun. riawin [and they're both having fun] like, ingenious

also this riawin pic that i think is just another of great success, there's many lol, but especially clapping and cheering for Any bg elements / props, basically lmao....a nice ode to rian "hardly knew ye" of the short hair and cluttered desk, idk why they got rid of the Stuff :( i guess the depicted quant convo is still a kinda implicitly canon deal, too bad we only saw so much of it and it doesn't seem to Speak to any genuine relationship, as is the problem with whatever positive / aligned moments they do seem to occasionally, implicitly, just out of frame Have....handy to have Known b/c it's billions that nothing good was guaranteed and so like, made sure to cover a variety of quant dynamic bases ahead of time, even though aus & what ifs are forever the way already, puts a nonzero damper to have to sigh over canon. i like that this one has this like Lively Atmosphere while it's a very mundane situation with their both having this grounded & chill vibe. just having a chat. i suppose everyone does love having coffee, and even talking to each other about it. cassandra again, the billions' writers following my art are wildly misinterpreting it....i still truly forget that i drew that one pic of winston & rian standing next to each other going :] w/rian slightly behind and to his left / our right w/arms crossed and right hand on her upper arm and how like. i drew that Before the s5 finale w/that shot Just Like That of them, rather than as fanart inspired specifically by it afterwards. they are standing there

and then idk on top of going back in one's own archives and going like oh it's fun to be surprised with something you haven't looked at in a while and it's so good / still pwns, it's also easy to be hype about the freshest / newest works lol. like have you seen the [astronaut winston removes opaque helmet for merperson taylor] drawing, it's novel and fun and stylish and i like it, sequential too even, dramatic And tender, babey. have you Seen the [quant head tayston], you can even see a greener blue than i usually use. or a bluer green perhaps. and while we're sexily here, extra delighted with this pic's vivacity as well, fun, a Tee, expressions and highlights, give winston a [Considering] mouth twist, extra success in the roundness of his head silhouette lol, taylor just entering the scene with some easily provided casual affection. and the bonus yet also, lbh, key context via caption of course lol

[avislux]

Lets talk about Bocchi the Rock!

Well it's been a long time since I've found something to absolutely love.

But first a shout out to Lycoris Recoil for also being a pretty good original anime. Good mix of action and slice of life. I liked it enough such that while I was on a trip to Japan I looked for the book that was coming out during the trip. I managed to get it. Still haven't read much of it though. Then I found the book in a local Kinokuniya in December. I also bought a manga, thinking it was new original content. No they actually adapted a manga from the anime. It's usually the other way around. Oh well. Merch.

Bocchi the Rock just connects with me on a way no other show has. I have never seen social anxiety depicted in a way that is so relatable and funny. They were not afraid to use a variety of different animation styles. From live action shots, to random 3D renders to crayon drawings that may have been drawn by actual children. Some of the animators even commented on twitter on some random scenes they did. (There's another tweet about the black hole simulation I can't at the moment)

I lived that life growing up without having close friends. Could barely say hi to people. Mostly kept to myself instead of socializing. Well I didn't exactly have 0 friends. But even now, I'm not sure if I can call anyone close. Never hung out much outside of school. No one ever invited me to any parties. Never celebrated any birthdays. I remember looking at the top right of Facebook hoping there was a new message. Didn't really occur to me to reach out to anyone.

I really connect to all the monologuing Bocchi does. I don't think any show has done it as much as Bocchi has. Many of the feelings she shows I've experienced myself.

Then there's the music, which is just really good. It's honestly way too good for typical high schoolers to compose, but we can let that slide. Each band member gets their own character song. Although Bocchi's (Loneliness, Guitar and Blue Planet) is sung by Kita. Bocchi gets to sing the AKFG cover at the end. And I absolutely adore it. It connects to me in particular since I have a deep connection with music having a dozen instruments in my room.

They released an entire album on Spotify consisting of all the music in the anime and then some more songs. And it won't surprise me if at the end of the year, Spotify Wrapped tells me they're my number one listened to.

I really can't think of any premise that can top this. Like I had a thing for Takagi when I discovered that. Somehow any other show that does a male and female pair romcom doesn't come close to it. Maybe it's due to the song covers and having additional content by Rie Takahashi to watch. But also no other anime is as pure is Takagi. Closest is probably Kubo-san.

Like what if a you took the same premise of Bocchi the Rock but made it all male characters? Would it be as popular? Don't think it will ever happen though.

Also all of the instruments and equipment in the show are based off real equipment. All the performances are animated accurately to what's being played. The drums are animated beautifully. Non-musicians wouldn't even notice it.

On Youtube, Aniplex has a series of Bocchi's voice actor Aoyama Yoshino learning guitar to play Seishun Complex, the OP. Bocchi's guitar is based off a Gibson Les Paul Custom. it's 7 grand. Epiphone gave her voice actor an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony (around $730), which looks pretty close to Bocchi's except the edge around the body is white. I went around looking at Les Pauls for a bit, then found the exact model Epiphone. After sitting on it for a bit, I bought it. The sales guy even gave me a deal setting me up with a service plan. Funnily enough after I didn't like how it felt after getting it set up the first time, I learned guitar set-up myself. It's not that bad. Although good tools cost money.

I did a search for the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony while the show was airing and saw a couple on Sweetwater. The next week they were gone.

Then I wanted Bocchi's new guitar, a Pacifica PAC611VFM. Not sure I really needed it since I already had enough guitars. I tried to mod my Squier Strat to look more like it. Unfortunately Squier pickups don't match Fender's. I managed to replace the pick guard and knobs although one of the pick guard screws was misaligned with the body. Probably bad manufacturing, but it mostly fits just without the one screw.

Pacificas in general have been on back order in Japan due to the anime. The PAC611VFM is surprisingly hard to find. The black color in particular. All the other finishes look kind of ugly. It showed up on Ebay one day and I got it. I love it. Hoping to mod it as well. This anime has made me spend more money than any other show has. I even bought a new pedal and might get some more.

I also bought all the Bocchi manga.

Still trying to learn all of the Bocchi songs. Haven't had as much time as I'd like.

Alright I think that's enough writing for now.

[bukojuiice]

the wedding booth  — eren jaeger

ೃ pairing: (eren jaeger x  fem! reader)

ೃ after being unwillingly dragged to plan and create a wedding booth for your first university festival, eren accompanies you to a bridal boutique. there, he contemplates about the future and all of the cheesy romantic stuff he wants to do with you.

ೃ genre and warnings: college au, lots and lots of fluff!

ೃ  my nav  →  my aot masterlist

ೃ 1k words

My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wedding Planner, Wedding Crashers... hell, even Mamma Mia.

If having to be forced to watch these romantic comedies about weddings doesn't give you the sudden urge to get hitched and run away to some tropical island, then you don't know what will.

For your very first uni fair at Shigashina University, your friends had proposed a Marriage booth. To be more specific, three of your friends did. Jean, Sasha, and Connie are the masterminds behind this stupid idea and it's all because of three things:

1. Jean is pining over Mikasa so so bad. So many years have passed and yet he still hasn't found a way to confess. And so, due to his pompous ass binge-watching stupid rom-coms recently, he thinks that if "fake dating" can bring two people together, then having a fake wedding with his unrequited crush of 12 years could finally make her fall for him too. He wants the booth to be as iconic as a wedding straight out of Las Vegas. Problem is, he's never been to Las Vegas, and his terribly unrealistic basis for wanting it to be as iconic as a "Las Vegas Wedding" is that one scene from The Hangover and that episode from Friends.

He was delusional and yet, he wanted to push through with this proposal no matter what. Nothing was going to stop him... not unless it was one of the three seniors whom you would be proposing this project to in the first place.

2. Sasha's goals are much normal. A bit odd, but still normal and not as desperate as Jean's. All she wants is to get Ymir, the captain of the school's soccer team to confess to Historia, the freshman Bio-Chemistry student who works part-time as a library assistant (and whom everyone secretly fawns over for. she's just that damn cute.) However, the real reason as to why she helped [rp[pse this stupid marriage booth to get them to finally confess to each other is anyone's guess.

3. Connie thinks he's gonna get clout from this. Rise up the university hierarchy perhaps? He's treating the entire festival like it's high school all over again. He prays that the marriage booth will become the hottest thing in the festival, then he'll instantly become that cool and bad-ass freshie whom everyone wants to be friends with. Either way, if the booth is going to be a success or not, you know for a fact he's never going to be a part of the "cool kids" (good lord, can you believe people still use that term in college?) and he's gonna be stuck with you and your other friends for the rest of the years to come.

It didn't take long before they finally finished their elaborate PowerPoint Presentation (despite Connie insisting that Powerpoint is boring) that they were going to pitch to three of the principal members of the student council. Namely, Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman, and Hange Zoe.

It was gonna be an automatic no for Levi, obviously. Nothing could ever get past that man. But if they can somehow convince Erwin and most especially Hange to get on board with their stupid scheme, then the booth was good to go.

Now, here you are, in a bridal boutique. Purchasing some simple wedding dresses that will serve as your rent-a-dress service for the Marriage booth.

It wasn't originally a part of the plan. Not at all.

However, Hange would only approve of the project IF the wedding booth was going to be made into something more elaborate and memorable. They didn't want something as simple as printing out fake marriage contracts, cheap tulle fabric wedding veils, fake plastic bouquets, and wedding pictures that came out of a polaroid camera.

Oh no no no. They wanted it to be extravagant. The cream of the crop. The absolute bomb. The best booth at the festival.

Hange saw potential in the idea and with an approved budget by the student council, you could make anyone's wedding dreams come true.

 Fast forward to a week before the event, you are currently on a shopping spree with Armin, Mikasa, and your boyfriend, Eren (because Sasha insisted he had the right proportions for the rental groom outfits. She totally did not ask him to come along so that he can see you try on wedding gowns.) to buy supplies, props, decorations, and everything else needed.

"(Y/N), we'll meet you and Eren at the bridal boutique, okay?" Armin proclaims, looking at the time on his wristwatch and struggling to balance the shopping bags on his other hand.  Mikasa notices how much he's been struggling and offers to hold the bags for him.

"Sure! Don't forget about the list that Jean sent!" You shout back, turning to Eren as his fingers interlace with yours, making your merry way to the boutique whilst Armin and Mikasa go off the other direction.

"Don't get too excited." You joke, nudging Eren on the arm. "I'll just be trying on these dresses for the booth."

There's a particular glimmer in Eren's emerald eyes, chuckling at your quip. "Sheesh. Did you really have to remind me? Of course I know that. Besides, we're too young to even think about marriage right now. What's important is that I'm spending the best years of my life with you."

"Eren Grisha Jaeger, it is too damn early for you to make me a blushing pile of mess with your flirty comebacks." You deadpan, the heat rising up your cheeks as you try to hide your embarrassment from him.

The both of you laugh it off, shuffling into the store. The chiming bells of the shop door echo around the area as you look in awe at the luxurious dresses occupying every available space. The wafting smell of a vanilla pinecone scent and the soft sound of a sewing machine doing its work. There was a homey and rustic feel to this boutique that made you feel like you were sent back in time.

From great flouncy pieces adorned in layers of lace that rolled like ocean waves to more humble designs, albeit of the finest cloth.

This plethora of finery- reminds you strongly of the many genteel ladies depicted in those books and historic romances you used to read and watch. Like that of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility.

Having the opportunity to enter a boutique such as this was a dream.

"Welcome! May I help you find anything?" A seamstress appears from the register. She looks at you from head to toe, as if trying to guess your measurements.

"W-we're looking for wedding dresses. Anything within the 200 to 300 dollar range? We don't need anything extra fancy, though! We'll just be needing them-"

Her eyes shift from you to Eren like she's suddenly a love coach, sizing the two of you up. "Yes, yes, young love! How sweet!" She chirps, breathing out a dreamy sigh. "Of course! For couples on a tight budget, we have-"

"We're looking for wedding dresses that can be used as costumes! Not too short and not too long either. W-we're not getting married or anything." You dismiss the seamstress with a wave of your hand. "I'm sorry if you thought of it that way..."

Although her shoulders visibly drop, the saleswoman still manages to smile. "Oh! I would like to apologize for assuming anything too!"

"Actually, mam, we do have plans sometime in the future." Eren grins cheekily, pulling you close to him. "Not today, of course, but we'll make sure to drop by in a few years!"

The saleslady's eyes lit up at Eren's vow. "Over here are some of our best-selling pieces! Ones that will certainly attract the eye of any groom!" She beckons you over to some mannequins lined up in the middle of the store, your gaze is drawn to the myriad of dresses on display as you walk throughout the space.

You turn back to Eren, studying him closely as he walks a few paces behind you, you thoughtfully wonder if the dresses you would pick out would match his taste.

She leads you to the back of the store to show the other garments and dresses embroidered with simplicity and yet elegance. You then pick two gowns up from their respective racks, satisfied with your purchase and making a beeline to the register to pay. However, the seamstress stops you from your tracks.

"How about this one, dear?"

You turn your attention to her, doe-eyed and curious as to what she was going to show you next.

"It is indeed a wedding dress, although not what you had asked for, the handsome young man did say something about your marriage plans. Perhaps this might help you visualize it? Give you an idea for the future, hm?" She hums wistfully, drawing your attention to the mannequin she placed in front of you. "It would be a shame if you left the boutique without trying anything on."

"(Y/N)?" You hear Eren's husky voice call out for you from the front of the store, "Armin just texted me. They can't find a specific prop in the crafts store so we might have to wait a bit longer for them."

"Okay! We can spare more time in the boutique, anyways." You answer back,  before turning your attention to the seamstress once more.

"Alright. I think I'll try it on then."

"Trying it on" turned out to be more than you had imagined. You thought you could just slip inside the dress and show it off. But nope. You needed a few adjustments to dress, adornments in your hair, and had to wear a wedding veil.

It was almost as if you were actually preparing to be wed.

"Good sir, your lovely missus is ready!" Yup, even the words of the seamstress made you feel like you were living in the 17th century right now. Did she really have to use such fancy words?

"Please, watch your step." The seamstress takes your hand and leads you out of the dressing room and right towards—

Eren who had been waiting in the shop proper.

"Doesn't she look beautiful?" She giggles, glancing at Eren for a response. "Well, I'll leave the two of you here first and bring the dresses you've chosen to the cash register first." In a wink, she's gone and had disappeared into the back almost before the words left her mouth.

The unfamiliar yet elegant garb makes you feel shy and the fact that Eren was gaping at you did not help at all. He was absolutely entranced by your beauty.

You unconsciously lower your head, tucking a strand of hair beneath your ear, unable to bear the thought.

"God, you're not just beautiful. Y-you look breathtaking."

He says in a barely audible whisper, pulling you to him once more.

Placing his hands on your waist, Eren plants a soft, tender kiss on your chest, the low-cut dress affording it easily. In a heartbeat, you feel your cheeks grow hot.

"Heh. Guess I got you again." He grins wolfishly, still admiring your beauty and tracing circles on the back of your hand. "I-I don't deserve you... I really don't."

"If you didn't deserve me, would you be here right now?" You say jokingly, raising your eyebrow.

"I mean it." He buries his face on the hem of your dress, his voice is muffled and soothing. "I can't believe you chose to love me." He looks up at you, eyes practically welling up with tears. "God, I honestly can't believe I'm crying right now, but, yeah... I am. That's how much I love you and how much I want to marry you right now."

You giggle at the expression your boyfriend has shown before you, stroking his hair and burying your fingers into his long brunette locks. "I love you too. But... why so sudden? You already told the saleswoman that we'll be back in a few years. She'd be surprised to hear you change your mind so easily."

"Well, if that's the case, then I better tell Jean to have us first on the list of the wedding booth then. We worked our asses off for this, might as well be the first to be blessed with the luck of that stupid booth."

You giggle once more as he continues to hold you so close. You feel his breath and his heartbeat. Each exhale and pulse brings you to the realization that Eren is the one. The man you want to be with for the rest of your life. The man who will help you through all your faults and mistakes, your burdens and troubles, through all the ups and downs... he will be there.

Just as you will be for him.

Guess those stupid movies centered around weddings weren’t so bad after all

.taglist: @crapimahuman​

[big-meows]

I am bringing my two cents to the earlier drama: first of all, I am on your side. Adult characters should be able to engange in whatever they want, especially if it is consensual, and as long as they are depicted as adults in that particular piece of media.

Now, what is and what isn’t within the moral and legal limits is up to debate and subject to local rules: there are government-operated televisions in Europe that produce TV shows aimed at kids and teenagers, where unapologetically underaged characters engage in activities not more risqué than what you posted earlier on (Norwegian SKAM, anyone?) The problem is that:

1) these rules vary wildly between states and countries,

2) the legal definitions vary wildly between countries and

3) different countries place different rights and responsibilities on content providers and consumers.

For example, many countries implement the principle that «as long as it migh be mistaken for a minor, it is not legal, regardless of circumstances». So, you literally cannot hire adult actors who might be mistaken for minors, as it would make you a criminal… Other countries penalize consumption just as production… In other words, if you combine the two, you end up in a situation, in which what you draw legally in the US might be illegal to view elsewhere, even when Twitter/Tumblr/whatever is available in that region.

So PLEASE, for the love of all your followers who don’t want to get prosecuted in their own shithole country, TAG YOUR ART PROPERLY, especially nsfw stuff and especially ALWAYS MENTION THAT CHARACTERS ARE 18+. ALWAYS.

Thanks and sorry for the rant.

I wasn't sure what to make of this ask, so I showed it to my European friends (a Norwegian, a German, and a Brit walk into a chatroom....) and they also weren't super sure what to make of it. They advised me not to respond to it at all, and I am ignoring their advice. I'm sure you see where this is going. (Spoiler alert: If I ignored my friends' advice, I'm probably going to ignoring a stranger's, too.)

Because I...disagree with your opening statement. I actually don't care if they're adults in their canon media (as evidenced by, oh, all of my ships), and I don't care if it's consensual, and I don't care if they're adults in the fanworks, either. The concept of grody things existing in art doesn't bother me. I don't bat an eye. I have squicks, sure, and I moderate my own experience as needed, but I believe fundamentally that sexuality in art shouldn't be censored.

And like, I get what you're getting at, I do! I do tag my art, and my fic. The piece in question I tagged "suggestive" because I felt, ultimately, two topless boys gazing lovingly at each other who cannot be seen to even be touching each other, was at most suggestive, even if i did spend just a little too long rendering those nipples. That's not a cleverly cropped artwork of these characters fucking, the focus and whole point of the thing was the tender, loving look. They might be wearing underwear! You can't prove they're not! Because its just suggestive. But I have posted explicit work on my art account, used mosaics, put it under a read-more cut, AND tagged it as explicit and/or nsfw.

And I think this is where it gets muddy.

Everyone's definition of NSFW is going to vary. It seems to be a sliding scale, one that often unfairly targets queer art. I had to turn off Instagram comments on this post because I had people constantly calling me a pedophile and saying, I shit you not, that I had literally drawn actual children having actual sex. I got called a pedophile for this one too, on twitter, back when there was a huge wave of, I don't know, right-wing conservative twitter bots fishing the Luca tags accusing anyone shipping two teenage boys of being pedophiles (because queerness is inherently dirty and perverted, you see) and that whole thing was a hugely different beast than fandom antis who DO ship queer stuff but only if its Pure Enough. I'd love to get to the root of that, someday. Felt like a weird, media-fueled Pizzagate situation, didn't it? But I digress.

Yes, I'll tag my art according to my own standards. The threshold for what is and isn't appropriate is tenuous, at best. I'll be using my own metrics.

I won't do the characters are 18+ thing, because I don't care. I'm sorry. I can't promise they are 18+, and I won't lie if they're not. Maybe Luca is 17 in that drawing. I actually don't give a fuck, because there's nothing wrong with it. Maybe he wasn't before but he is now, because I'm a spiteful bitch like that. It's all made up. It's a drawing. And not even a very good one!! It's fake!! They would never be reasonably confused for minors because they are drawings and not human and don't have legal status and therefore aren't victims of CSA, they have no human rights and don't need to be protected. If you are viewing my mediocre spicy art in a region of the world where it could get you in trouble, and that concerns you? Stop doing that. Block me. My feelings wont be hurt and I promise you won't miss much. I can't reasonably be expected to cater to the needs of every region of the world because there are places where simply being queer and making queer art is enough to get me executed and I'm not interested in making any concessions on that front. Its. I'm so sorry anon but I refuse to acknowledge that depictions of young queer sexuality is something that needs to be buried or hidden or lied about. I won't do it.

Sorry if that makes me an inconsiderate asshole. But not sorry enough to change my mind.

[sanstropfremir]

ok this took way longer than i expected because i got sidetracked looking at paintings and reading poetry and just admiring the mv, but it's finally finished!! let's talk about

higher

✨

i'm going to draw your attention to a few things.

firstly, these verses from rime of the ancient mariner by samuel taylor coleridge, published 1834:

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,

So smoothly it was strewn!

And on the bay the moonlight lay,

And the shadow of the Moon.

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less,

That stands above the rock:

The moonlight steeped in silentness

The steady weathercock.

And the bay was white with silent light,

Till rising from the same,

Full many shapes, that shadows were,

In crimson colours came.

A little distance from the prow

Those crimson shadows were:

I turned my eyes upon the deck—

Oh, Christ! what saw I there!

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat,

And, by the holy rood!

A man all light, a seraph-man,

On every corse there stood.

This seraph-band, each waved his hand:

It was a heavenly sight!

They stood as signals to the land,

Each one a lovely light;

This seraph-band, each waved his hand,

No voice did they impart—

No voice; but oh! the silence sank

Like music on my heart.

secondly, this ivan aivazovsky painting, chaos (the creation), c. 1841:

and thirdly, the memorial of percy shelley, who drowned in a boating accident at age 29, in 1822:

there's a common conflation between the romantic and the pastoral in the general cultural consensus because the pastoral a) has been around as an art term longer than romantic, and b) romanticism does use some similar imagery. but there is a key difference: the pastoral is specfically an idealization of 'the simple shepherding life,' often for high class and urban audiences who have no conception of the details of this life includes. one of the more famous examples is christopher marlowe's a passionate shepherd to his love, published in 1599:

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,

Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,

By shallow Rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,

With Coral clasps and Amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May-morning:

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me, and be my love.

whereas romanticism is a more pointedly specific movement that was active from around 1800 to 1850, primarily focused on intense emotion and catharsis as the primary experiential output of an artwork. which most prominently manifested in a deep fascination and glorification of the natural environment and historical nostalgia. the movement sprung from the german sturm und drang (literally storm and drive/stress) period of the late 1760s to early 1780s, which was a direct reaction to rationalism and enlightenment. romanticism had similar impulses; it was also a revival of medievalism and a reaction against the looming urban sprawl and mechanization of the industrial revolution. a typical romantic poem from one of the originators of the english movment william wordsworth, composed upon westminster bridge, september 3, 1802, originally published 1807:

Earth has not any thing to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

this romantic fascination with nature was underpinned by the philosophy of the sublime, generally agreed to be first treatised by edmund burke in 1756, the theory was also written about by kant and hegel. in the simplest of terms, the sublime is a quality of greatness beyond calculation, imitation, and human comprehension. the sublime is twofold; the greatness of the ocean is beautiful, but its power is also terrifying, and the experience of the sublime is to feel those two at once. to be in awe and also to be horrified of its ability to sink ships and drown a life in a tempermental change of tide.

let's take a quick detour to talk about

clothing

in the present day we have become much more lax thanks to the aesthetic movement in the late nineteenth century, but back in the early victorian period there are still highly structured rules about when and what clothing one can wear in public. and the clothing itself is also highly structured. anyone with a passing understanding of the victorian era knows about the whole flashing of the ankle thing and corsets galore, and it is true that the general day to day garments cover a lot of area. for men in particular, this manifests in no less than three layers in public at all times: shirt, waistcoat, and suit jacket, with a coat or mantle overtop in colder temperatures. this also includes a variation of a neck tie (depending on what year), hat, gloves, and any other decided upon accessories (this can also include a corset and other padded structural underpinnings). an important tangent to mention here is that this is the uniform of the upper classes, although the rules do apply to the lower classes if they wanted to appear 'sophisticated.' the working man's uniform was also shirt, waistcoat, trousers, but the difference here is in the textiles themselves; the colours tended to be much more drab, with less complicated patterns. obviously due to the price fabric itself, but also due to the labour of laundry. an indicator of class here is the white shirt itself and its pristine implications. (there is a longer conversation here about the invention of neckties and detachable collars and cuffs, but that's for another day). the silhouettes are very important to note here in the higher mv, as they are directly referential to the 'romantic poet' archetype of loose shirt and tight pants that we see in popular culture. but as i've just said, the reality is that men of the era were not dressed like this out in public. this look is essentially underwear; the implications are salacious. so where did this come from? well, we can blame it mostly on lord byron, who by all accounts was the first western 'rockstar.' notoriously called 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' by lady caroline lamb (a married women he publically had an affair with), byron was openly bisexual and deeply hedonistic with a lot of questionable habits, but his poetry was so popular that he was known to have women following him in the street and gathering in large quanities to see him at salons. and this was close to three decades before lizstomania. his close friends and contemporaries included percy and mary shelley, with whom he lived with abroad in italy for some time (this living arrangement resulted in the writing of both frankenstein and john polidori's the vampyre). byron's reputation was so eclipsing that the image of the lush poet lazing in his undergarments has become its own genre of romantic, slightly removed from the movement byron was writing in. it's also worth it to point out that there are no official portraits of byron dressed like this from the time. the visual assumption is somewhat apochryphal. now let's get into some specifics. a.c.e is not unfamiliar to this silhouette; as previously mentioned in this post i wrote about their styling, the boxy loose upper and fitted lower is their general mode for their styling because of its emphasis on legs. cactus was the most extreme example of this, and to prove my point, this specific silhouette is extremely common in classical ballet:

1. vaslav nijinsky, giselle, 1911 2. nehemiah kish, george balanchine's ballo della regina, 2011/12

higher fits very neatly into this same category: we have an emphasis on the legs through tightly fitted garments and also through light reflective textile, as well as a secondary emphasis on arm and shoulder movements with looser fit shirts. plus, the shirts are made from fabrics that have good drape and flow, and mimic the visual effects of water:

there are also several instances of scale patterning and wetlook hair styles, further elabourating on the siren theme. and the jewelry is the same, purposefully cut clear stones for oceanic sparkle or pearls, the gem directly born from water, as highlighting accents to specific parts of the body - namely eyes, hands, and torso:

the body jewelry also serves a double purpose in addition to being sparkly; it gives a semblance of shape to their torsos so their movements aren't totally lost in the shroud of their shirts, and it also invokes some of that salacious element that us as a modern audience doesn't necessarily perceive in the same way when we see a man wearing only a shirt. all of these points are especially prominent in the stage costuming. concerning the veils, these are an aesthetic choice following the theme of depicting water without actually using water. the song has a very breathless quality to it, and the lyrics directly make reference to water and breathlessness, so it only makes sense to have a physical manifestation of struggling to breathe.

now let's talk about

mise-en-scène

unlike most kpop mvs, I would argue that higher is not a spectacle in what we normally see spectacle to be. the overwhelming visual saturation of goblin (and the goblin remix) is more in line with what we expect, but how do you follow that, top it? the answer is that you don't. you aim for something with a completely different feel, which is exact what they did with higher.

the performing arts did not escape romanticism. the very start of the movement, sturm und drang, is actually named from a specific play written by friedrich maximilian klinger that premiered in 1777. the plays of the brief period are characterized by extreme and passionate emotions, and were siblings to one of the most famous genres of theatre, the melodrama. meant to appeal directly to the emotions of the audience using sensationalist plots and stock characters, the melodrama was the predominent form of entertainment in victorian england and gradually developed a specific form of its own. in this period we also start to see the development of 'stagecraft' into the recognizable form that it takes today. footlights, limelight/spotlighting, the separation of house and stage lighting, fly galleries, elevator platform mechanics, and the first (purported) western use of rear projection are all innovations of the late 18th and 19th centuries, as melodramas were known to have very intricate and spectacular stagings. and to go along with these stagecraft mechanics we see the rise in designated stage crews, which were predominantly off-duty sailors looking to make money. the rope systems that made up the fly galleries were very similar to that on ships, and much of the terminology and supersitions crossed over: this is the origin of the term 'rigging' being used for suspending set elements, and also the origin of the 'don't whistle in a theatre' superstition. as sailors communicated with whistle patterns on ships, the same system was adopted for changing scenery, and therefore whistling a random pattern could potentially drop a setpiece on an unsuspecting victim.

so with all this backstory out of the way, what is the very first full location we see? a stage, complete with forced perspective via the painted fabric legs (the side panels) and borders (the wavy upper panels). we even have a flat painted backdrop with a projection screen and hanging overhead lamps. there's also a second interior set, a desk in what looks to be a study of some kind. bit self explanatory on this one, taking the poet notion on the nose.

the locations have a bit of an obtuse arc, but it's there when you look for it. it starts interior spaces, where the ideas of sublime attempted to be recreated for the viewer. then it moves to transitory spaces; portions of nature isolated from a whole environment, interjections of human architecture into natural spaces:

(the white hut structure in the greenhouse is reminiscent of a skene (literally hut/tent), which is the structure at the back of the stage in ancient greek theatre used for the actors to change their masks and costumes. it was originally temporary, but slowly transformed into permanent stage architecture)

and then finally outdoors, into the sublime itself:

jwm turner, crossing the bridge, 1815

lastly,

lighting

there's a very clear lighting pattern here, primarily in light and dark. the base colour story is fairly simple complementary pairs; there's a lot of purple/red and green, and blue and yellow/amber, with everything relatively on the same tonal level. there are deliberate interjections of heavily saturated red for specific effect. there are also, most notably, a 'dark' version of all the sets. obviously as a reference to the eclipse that we see in the mv and in the concept photo series, but also as a reference to that darker undercurrent of the sublime, the upsetting, the uncanny, and the terrifying:

And the bay was white with silent light/Till rising from the same/Full many shapes, that shadows were/In crimson colours came.