Monday, October 17, 2011
SPARK!
Musing on Spark's design! I can't take a lot of credit for this, the only thing different from the design Evie has come up with is the zig-zags on the chest and thighs, and the maroon on the boots. The comments are mostly notes on things I already liked about her costume, plus a few added ideas.
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19 comments:
Wow! You put SO much effort into this! Thank you so much! I really like it. I'm sorry you miss her hair. I just didn't think the purple undertones suited her. :( I think this is how I like Vahaadi with golden brown hair, but it's actually dark brown haha. THANK YOU THANK YOU for this! Omgosh. I feel like I just paid for a commission or something, only it's even better because it's from YOU. How did you work so fast? This was like Spark-level speed for you! :D
Now, for your ridiculous viewing pleasure, here's the stupid meme that pretty much IS how I reacted, internally at least.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z21/Eviemira/meme.jpg
I'm so relieved you like it you have no idea @_@ I already had the sketch for this and I've discovered a faster (if not hap-hazard) way to ink, and then colors were easy because I didn't have to make them up or shade ahaha >.> Oh. Well. But...Spark actually did have mahogany colored hair once! Vahaadi's hair has never had any gold in it. Although I guess that's my bad for not coloring him often enough, and he does WEAR a lot of gold. But anyway, I am appeased because Spark's hair actually is still that shade in some places were the red fades into the brown, and I know because I jacked your art and used the eye-dropper to steal the colors! (see, that's why it went so fast.) If anything the purplish undertones just make her hair richer and makes the yellow on her suit even more striking since they're complementary colors *art nerd moment* But yes--moving along--now that I see it, I HAVE seen that meme before. Trying to picture you making that last face is hilarious! XD
But GRAH now I know WHY Spark had mahogany hair. Originally Spark had brown hair. When it grew long once she got to Lunarious I included red shine, just to match her costume and because it suited her. Then the red began to dominate and then the purple tones started showing up and then before you know it she has long radiant shiny hair JUST LIKE STARFIRE.
everythingidrawgoesbacktoteentitans.
So I'm glad that she's returned to her normal hair shade. There was no reason for her to have that hair except that I thought it was beautiful and was a Starfire fan-girl. As much as I love Star, I'd like to remove that fan influence from Spark.
I'm actually in favor of Vahaadi's darker hair, I think, but I'm just having a hard time picturing it.
Is it like this?
http://images.wikia.com/charmed/images/1/15/400px-Dave_Navarro_2010.jpg
Oh. XD But didn't she have really long hair in your comic strips as well?
*blinks* I'm having a hard time getting over that man's eyeliner. I suppose it might be something like that? I think Vahaadi's hair is a little browner than that though, and just dark at the roots and tips. The way I think of it, if his hair was really long, you could see that it actually grows out in stripes like his fur, alternating between brown and and black-brown. And yet as a cat he probably is more golden-brown than dark brown, so maybe I should play with it a bit. As it happens, Vahaadi had a rather unsettling identity crisis yesterday and I spent my lunch break writing pages of notes trying to figure out what was wrong with him. It made me think of that very old pic you drew of yourself and Flint as counselor and patient. It was very discouraging because all of his problems are my fault. >.o I was five seconds from giving him a huge overhaul and making him a different character entirely for the purpose of this story, but I don't think Spark (and maybe you, to some extent) would ever forgive me for making him into a completely different person. And I mean CRAZY DIFFERENT. After spending all evening yesterday drawing Spark we both calmed down a little. Spark loves him, so there's hope for him yet. All that said, I definitely think there's room for a refresh for his design. He really wants new clothes, for instance. He likes what I usually draw him in, but he has informed me that it is definitely his "night-out" look and his usual garb is more traditional. HE ACTUALLY WEARS SLEEVED SHIRTS SOMETIMES. A consideration for lighter hair isn't out of the question either.
Actually, no, she had a short pony tail, like she will in this RP.
WHAT. If you change ANYTHING about Vahaadi Spark will scream and whine and cry and be MISERABLE and she will never speak to anyone ever again.
...that's what she said.
and honestly... I don't think she's joking. She loves him that much. Even if the new Vahaadi were bangup awesome he wouldn't be HER Vahaadi, and that's the only one she wants. ^_^
Personality wise, anyway. If he wants more clothes, fantastic! :D I would like to see him express his personality more in that respect. I don't know where I got the lighter hair idea, but don't feel forced to consider it. I think light brown to dark brown is great too! The ringed idea makes perfect sense, and I really like it. Spark would like the way that in the right light their hair would look the same color in some places, both being brown. <3
So... what brought on the crisis? o.O
Sorry about the dude. XD But the hair *cut* is correct, right?
ORLY? I suppose I haven't seen pre-Lunarious Spark in...many years. oO
Awwww!
*SIGH* Well, as I was trying to think up scenes from the project to get a feel for it, I found Vahaadi frequently going silent and just following along, too out of his element to know what to do with himself. And compared to Spark, he was just horribly boring. I started to worry, "maybe's he's not a good fit for this story?" So I tried to think of what it was that makes him fun, and unfortunately he is fun when he is flirting or causing trouble. I don't want him to be too flirty in this story because it will make it REALLY awkward that he sleeps in Spark's bedroom every night and I'd really rather not address his promiscuity. But if he's not being scandalous, he's not Vahaadi...He becomes more like Sahin, who is never ever happy. He's an endless pit of angst. That just wouldn't do, so next I tried desperately to think of how I can make Vahaadi be fun and slightly naughty without coming across as sleazy, and for reference I started analyzing what makes Jack Sparrow a successful and well-liked character, thinking that perhaps I could take a note or two from his book. Jack is selfish, foolish, silly, criminal and adventurous, and even when we know he's wrong, we still kind of want to see him succeed anyway because there's something compelling about this man who can be so COOL and deep one minute and so lame the next. But Vahaadi cannot be like Jack for one critical reason--Jack is never sorry for what he does. Vahaadi on the other hand, is never happy for what he does. He can fake it, but he doesn't even know how to be happy, and that's where I've failed him as a character designer. I've imbued him with an insatiable lust for things he can't have and apathy or refusal for what is good for him. With that realization I was just so discouraged I thought maybe I really ought to just leave him alone, and try a different kind of character that would fit better into a comic book - shoujo mash up story. However, I think once I start writing him in a world with Spark's complete attention and the absence of Lanthriel, Tryvnah or the memory of his sister to make him hate himself, I think he'll be alright. There will be times when he is broody, sneering or mean, but with Spark's unbridled affection and many adventures for the two of them to go on I do believe he'll sort himself out. I hope, anyway.
The cut? Mm, sort of. Since *I* designed him, naturally Vahaadi's face is always full of bangs. His haircut is really choppy and disheveled.
*raises hand* Teachers, teachers! I have a question! *acts like an adorable four-year-old with no idea what the grown-ups are talking about but still wanting to help*
Why does Vahaadi have to flirt with /Spark?/ Can't he flirt with somebody else?
[For real now]
Spark isn't the kind of person who's very receptive to flirtatious behavior, it seems. In that aspect, she is extremely childlike, or perhaps just has an avoidance issue. When two people meet for the first time, such as when Sammy finds his lamp, they don't have a fully developed relationship off the bat-- if Vahaadi's normal mode is flirtatious, wouldn't it be reasonable for him to try it on her and then give up when she doesn't respond? Or, if he's morally against flirting with his 'owner' (or just doesn't like skinny girls), he could skip that entirely and just go straight to flirting with other people. Even if he normally doesn't quit it when someone fails to respond well, he may have some personal rule (or there's some rule, period) where he has to respect the bounds of his 'owner's' personality.
Or Sammy can just say, "I wish you'd quit saying stuff like that," and he'd have no choice but to find some other way to act around her. xD
Spark and Vahaadi potential playlist?
Here are some songs that might work. Since we have so many for Spark, I'm trying to find some for Vahaadi. I know he's not IN love with Spark, but I kinda like this one, given his past:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pof5FnlMLsY&feature=related
HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS SONG BEFORE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU&ob=av2e
Somehow this fits the two of them, I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCub4Vi-1KI
Aryn:
the problem I think we're having is that we're trying to maintain the relationship they already have developed in our non-canon RPs in which they are super cuddly often in very suspicious ways, so much so that it's hard to tell sometimes that it really is just platonic. They are each others' pets basically, but they only get to hang out once in awhile. However, in this story they actually LIVE together (because Vahaadi has nowhere else to go), and Spark is a 15 year-old schoolgirl and Vahaadi is 32 + 395726529256247643 (exaggeration) years of immortality. It kinda looks like pedophilia D:
The chorus of Airplanes is perfect and I really like the song Secrets :D
Hmmmmm... then I wish you luck. But I do have to ask-- what in the non-canon RPs led to them being that way?
Oh my goodness, AC. That is a question with a very long answer (at least I think to fully answer it, it would be very long.) I'll let Ink answer you first. Otherwise I have a huge compilation of excerpts from our RPs that would demonstrate how it came about (more or less) and what it looks like. I can't say that this RP looks like pedophilia, it just looks... confusing.
Um. Whoa. Let's see. Their very first interaction was Spark seeing Vahaadi teasing Van, which made him something of an idol to her XD (poor Van). Spark has no concept of personal space, and before she even knew his name she caught hold of his tail and started playing with it while she raved at how awesome he was to have de-helmeted Van. Then Vahaadi let her hold his sword, which elevated him to ever more critical levels of coolness in her book. At the time I think he just found her vaguely amusing and was mesmerized by her hair, but then Evie and I started out first LEGIT RP--he was blinded early on by a poison and basically spent most of the adventure (which we haven't even finished yet DX ) holding hands with her or being carried by her in his little cat form. He stole a kiss to surprise her and she reacted with delight, and from that moment on they were pretty much addicted to each other, much to the chagrin of all of Spark's posse. I think they're like this with each other because they don't have an outlet for it in ANYBODY else. I can't speak for why Spark is like this, but Vahaadi I think I can explain--having grown up as a twin in a small peasant hovel he has always been used to having people "in his bubble" so to speak. His culture also allows for it rather generously. And finally, Vahaadi is simply a very sensual person. When he meets new people he wants to know more than just what their voices sound like or what they look like, he also has a sort of gluttony for textures and scents and tastes. Spark is small and wiggly and affectionate and different from anything he's used to in his world, and he would feign refuse when she shares all of that with him so liberally.
The lyrics for the song "There's Nothing For Me Here" by Dope are really good for Vahaadi, but the sound of the song drives me up the wall @_@ Scream-o rock, not my fave!
Why is Spark like that? Good question. Well, I think a lot of it has to do with being an only child, and never really learning when 'enough is enough.' Being an only child also made her a little desperate, meaning that she takes friendships as far as they will go as fast as she can because she's not sure how long they'll last. As for why she's so... touchy, I suppose it's because she's a very physical person. She loves to experience things to the fullest, and that includes being all up in someone's grill if need be. Since Vahaadi openly reciprocates that affection, she douses him in it all the more, but most people just shove her away or tell her to settle down or ENVELOPE HER in a gigantic bear hug (ala Flint) which is not the type of attention that she wants. Vahaadi is so gloriously different in her eyes from anyone she's ever known, she has decided that her opinion of him will never be tarnished, no matter what. If nothing else, Spark is fiercely loyal to those whom she loves. (( Can we say Rainbow Dash? /)^3^(\ )) And she has decided that she loves Vahaadi more than anyone. But not romantically. We explored that, and in the end, it just didn't fit.
XD I love the phrase "all up in (your) grill."
That all explains a lot, about both of them. XD
The good news is, over the course of the last few days and with lots of chats with Evie and drawings I think I've got Vahaadi where he should be for the story. I need to do a bio/character sheet for him now...
@ Aryn: lol, yes it does XD Although there are times when I do wonder how Vahaadi can be so good natured around Spark. She is exhausting to be around, but he always just seems amused by everything she does. She exhausts even me. I feel old when I write for her. Vahaadi is the most PATIENT person Spark has ever met, and she adores him for that.
@ Ink: YES PLEASE!
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