now I know you need the dark just as much as the sun (part four)

(And continuing...from part three...)

[[Note from the Editrix pre-publishing--Em has totally lost the plot and has been sitting on these last two trying to find the pics, so she is now GIVING UP and providing two pics from Radio Free Darkmere's Christmas set at the Slippy Ship.]]



While pondering the sweater-dress selections at LeiMotiv, and listening to Sunday (1994) (Yes, that does seem to be the band's name.)



Pondering yet more winter candy sets from Simply Shelby, and listening to AURORA.

I look so irritated in these last two. Ah, well. Merry Crisis after all.



Might have maybe been getting overtired...



[[And have a couple extra pictures because I was so frustrated that I lost two entire links, I forgot what I was editing for.]]

All I know is, it's been a long, dark night, but hyperfocus--plus egg nog, Firefly episodes, fig-and-pecan topped Brie and coffee--saw us to the dawn. The sun has returned for another year. Happy Solstice.

now I know you need the dark just as much as the sun (part three)

(Continued from part two!)



[[Look it's almost four am in the morning on the 24th because I wanted to get these OUT already and your Editrix is FRIGGING TIRED and somehow your Editrix's non-working brain--that's not even self-deprecation at this point, it is BROKEN and I am having to work around SO MUCH just to stand upright--where the hell was I going with this...Damn it SEE that's what I'm talking about--I THINK this was LeiMotiv but it might have been Fancy Dancer and either way I'm missing BOTH store links AND the oh-so-precious soundtrack mention and AAAAGH! I will find it tomorrow, I swear, but this is Fancy Dancer...or LeiMotiv...or somewhere else GAAAAAAH--]]





While at Pearl Fashion, saw sparkly presents and forgot why I was there (SEEE??), and started running around crystal-hunting. ALYK was playing in the background.



Pondering pretty holiday dining chairs at LouChara while The Hellfreaks play in the background.



While at BlueMoon Enterprises, picking up a festive green silk tea gown, and listening to IMPERIAL AGE. (There are also two padded, painted fabric pumpkin trio freebies out, but I don't know how long they'll be there!)



And I was trying valiantly to restrain myself at LOVE, listening to Paris Paloma.

And we lurch onto part FOUR...because REASONS...

...but before we go, listen: I know I say I love the VaeV items I've blogged, and I do, but--and I'm saying this from the perspective of it being now, when I'm typing this bit, the 25ths, I have been wearing this thing for five days. I have literally changed to six or seven saved avatars, and a couple just piecemeal-making from folders, for five days. It's big, it's heavy, it doesn't work with everything...and I do not care. I love it. I love it so much.

So if you want one of your own? Skip on over to the Warehouse Sale and find the /Vae Victis\ booth.

NOW over to part four!

now I know you need the dark just as much as the sun (part two)

(Continuing from part one.)

So I learned something tonight--the sim Madame Noir is on disallows flight. Not a huge deal, just meant I couldn't take a pic next to Grim's runed monolith. (And yes, I don't care how often Blogger tells me I meant "ruined", no--I meant "runed".)



It was fine, though. I checked the position of the giant spider--thankfully, half a field away--so this was snapped after wandering the sales wall at Madame Noir and listening to CLAN OF XYMOX. (Didn't even know they were still together, but that's a new song! Or new to me, anyway.)



While debating between mirrors at Kiu, and listening to Grace Power.

[[Could not track down the shot I took at Kiu--no idea why. So I just shifted to the first "wintery" avatar I had saved.]]



While buying the string lights at Moon Amore, and listening to Tabitha Raines.

[[Note from Editrix, pre-publication: Could not track down, for the life of me, the picture I took from Moon Amore, either. Maybe I didn't? So, quick-change to something else, flip on the halo, and go. For all that it matters, I was listening to Sub Urban's "Cradles" and Madeline Goldstein's "1996 Expectations" while lining up the shot and then editing it into frame.

[[Oh! And I should also add--this image from Moon Amore features the HUD. I have zero idea if I've shown off all the combinations. There are seven options each for the disk (barely seen in most of these shots, behind my hair). the arch (I believe that's the main portion the blades and spires link to?), the quasi-Gothic architectural star, the spikes on the inner circle that rotate, and the blades (the flat daggers that are seen behind the trio of spires). Then the spires--the typical seven options of the rest, then eight additional jewel tones.

[[If I have any complaint, it's there--I'm not able to change all the parts to vibrant colors. But this is the most minor of quibbles--there are still a dizzying number of combinations!]]



While contemplating if Gearhaven needs a giant severed bunny head at NOMAD, and listening to Snow Wife.



While checking Moonlight Shadow's...uh...forest??..horns?? Those, um...don't look like tree roots...and listening to ILUKA.

And...that brings us to another five pictures, so off to part three!

now I know you need the dark just as much as the sun (part one)

There is a touch of sadness this Solstice. Casey Chaos has passed away at the age of 59.

I don't know if that's going to ring bells for anyone. I can tell you one of my favorite songs of his last band, AMEN, was "California's Bleeding". And wandering around YouTube after I heard, I found this lovely compilation video--not just Chaos fronting for SCUM, but also a clip of Kerrang's Hall of Fame awards celebration, which had Chaos introducing the recipient that year, Iggy Pop. Dear gods, that was seventeen years ago...

So, while I'm in the middle of figuring out how I want to blog six or seven previous /Vae Victis\ products, and realizing that since Grim made the "Krampusnacht" Caged bell for MadPea's Advent calendar (that was...day fourteen? I think?), he drops yet another thing coming up for the Warehouse Sale.



But hey, guess what I found at Belle Epoque for the Saturday Sale? Janire holding the Krampusnacht Bell from MadPea's Advent calendar. (I think they were day 14? That's another thing I haven't unpacked yet...)

To wit: The "Elohim" Bladed Halo.

So, what the hell, I took it shopping.



While listening to Sub Urban and pondering the sales wall at Candy Kitten.



While checking to see if I had the hairs on sale at Doe and listening to Jax.



While perusing the sales wall of .epoch.--dangerous, dangerous store--and listening to Lilith Max.



While trying to decide between the goth elf and the pine elf at Kiu, and listening [[I am wrong! Leaving the picture as is, but that was actually Atelier, not Kiu! I blame the hazy blur of Solstice-ing, but I do apologize.]]
>br /> And since I took a lot of pictures, we'll move on to part two!

my eyes are made of acid and my tongue is sharp with spite

Because here we friggin' go AGAIN--

[3:53 PM]Soph xD: Howdy!

Feckin' NO ONE is anonymized on this one, I'm so tired, but this is @soph_2.0 on Discord.

[3:53 PM]Soph xD: Curious to ask you smth?
[4:27 PM]Emilly: What's up?
[4:31 PM]Soph xD: Actually wanted tom ask if you are anyhow interested to have any artwork done for yourself it's just i' m a small artist looking for a commission. Don't wanna bother you just trying my luck. Here's some of my previous works..

I will say this, freely--she has some skill. These are great examples of what she can do for both full-body and chibi-body Vtuber art. Not discounting that in the least.

[4:43 PM]Emilly: thunks her head against the desk
[4:43 PM]Emilly: Hold a tic, I have something for this

Because yes, I've sent this reply out to so many people it's just become cut and paste. Void stars. Why me?

[4:44 PM]Emilly: So this I started sending out in February:

[1:26 PM]Emilly: Okay, I'm just going to grab the capsule reply I gave for the first three:

Riiiight....so, @akane.illust, meet @jerry09664 and @kelly_smith (aka @Emalia?) and talk amongst yourselves. There may be a world in which blind calling works; I do not live in that world, alas. But hey, feel free to come up with targeted DMs that may get other people--other, less impoverished people--good responses! I wish you all joy of it.
[1:24 PM]Emilly: And this was March's slightly updated one:

[1:33 PM]Emilly: Okay, I'm just going to grab the capsule reply I gave for the first three:

Riiiight....so, @akane.illust, meet @jerry09664 and @kelly_smith (aka @Emalia?) and talk amongst yourselves. There may be a world in which blind calling works; I do not live in that world, alas. But hey, feel free to come up with targeted DMs that may get other people--other, less impoverished people--good responses! I wish you all joy of it.

[1:28 PM]Emilly: And that was the reply I gave @Maya_denver08. Few more and all of you can start your own design company!
[1:26 PM]Emilly: That I sent to @kazks, I believe

Like I said, this has happened before. I don't know who thinks "PLEASE I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL THE MONIES FOR ART YOU WONDERFUL BEAN PLEASE NAO" is stamped on my forehead, but I'd bet it comes from the same corner of the internet that sends 40-year-old women who want to punch me in the face in SL, collar me so I can sniff their feet daily, and praise their nylon choices to the heavens.

(That's not even hyperbole, is the astonishing thing. It started out as 'hey wanna wrestle' IMs out of the blue, advanced to 'if you lose--which you will--I get to own you', and the last three added in they planned to collar me and have my nose perpetually near their perfect pearly toesies. Gosh thanks, ever so sorry I can't, I have to go floss the cat.)

[4:46 PM]Emilly: There might be someone else...
[5:03 PM]Emilly: There's also @stella06359, @steff_johhnson, @evalogan0088, @abby_art0, @janny_static (who helpfully included her portfolio), @aahoe17, @mia_world1, @lina_m_hodgson...I think that's everyone? There are a couple marked as "deleted_user[string of numbers]"

She hasn't replied yet. Maybe she won't. But I guaran-damn-tee you, I'm going to get more pushy little beans hopping in my inbox.

LET ME BE CRYSTAL CLEAR: I have nothing against any of these artists. I'm sure they've all done great things. I wish them joy and success in their endeavors.

Just not with me. In the past seven years, I haven't been able to even grab the coin together for a better mic, what makes them think I can afford art?

AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE MORE but this was still in drafts when ANOTHER artist dropped into my DMs:

[1:35 PM]Lauren4: Hey there?

That was sent on December 17th, I saw it a day later.

[7:18 PM]Emilly: Hi? I know you from where?
[11:24 AM]Lauren4: Oh thats great

Handy tip: A "Have we met" answered with "Oh that's great" is nearly always going to get my hackles up. It's giving classic "I'm not reading anything you're sending back because I want to pitch my project". I figured 80/20, either another goddamn artist or a sex worker. (Again, for clarity: I have nothing against either. But I also can't afford either.)

[11:24 AM]Lauren4: Well how are you doing?
[9:57 PM]Emilly: Okaaaay.
[9:58 PM]Emilly: I would ask again, do I know you? If I have to ask again I'll just block you.

Hostile? Yes. Really not fond of the whole "Emilly means a patron" I apparently have stamped on my virtual forehead. That was on December 19th.

[3:34 PM]Lauren4: Nope
[3:34 PM]Lauren4: Now i ask again how are you doing?

Now she's confirmed not paying attention and I'm sharpening the knives. Also on December 19th, as is the reply below.

[7:03 PM]Emilly:

[11:24 AM]Lauren4: Well how are you doing?
[9:57 PM]Emilly: Okaaaay.

Thought that would've covered it.

So, let's go for blunt, then: who are you and what do you want?

[11:28 AM]Lauren4: First of all thank you for Allowing me to talk the thing is I'm an artist by profession and seeking for a emergency commission , I would really love to show you my portfolio too and rn due to the upcoming event of "CHRISTMAS" I'm running some massive discounts and offers !
[6:19 PM]Emilly: *headdesk*
[6:19 PM]Emilly: Okay, hold a tic, I have a thing for this
[6:30 PM]Emilly: Riiiight....so, @akane.illust, meet @jerry09664, @Maya_denver08, @stella06359, @steff_johhnson, @evalogan0088, @abby_art0, @janny_static, @soph_2.0, @aahoe17, @mia_world1, @lina_m_hodgson, @kazks and @kelly_smith (aka @Emalia?) and talk amongst yourselves. There may be a world in which blind calling works; I do not live in that world, alas. But hey, feel free to come up with targeted DMs that may get other people--other, less impoverished people--good responses! I wish you all joy of it.
[6:31 PM]Emilly: Y'all really need to talk to each other and figure out what works and what doesn't. I can tell you what will 95% of the time absolutely NOT work: blindly sending "hello" to a disabled person with very limited income.

Now, note: I have paid for digital art before. Everyone in my household has. We are not against digital art. That is not the point. The point is I cannot afford a bust, half-body, or whole-body full-color with additional separate expressions/hand positions to use in Twitch streaming with camera capture tied in. UNTIL I AM AT THAT POINT I'm getting really sick of always being asked.

So! If anyone IS interested in Vtuber art (or in a case of a couple folks above, any digital art, possibly even mailed prints), AND you're on Discord, PLEASE feel free to contact any of them for further details. They're all working artists, hit them up.

Just please leave me out of it. I'm tired.
[[Note from the Editrix before publishing: there's some coding errors in this one, I'm being called out to the front room, I just want to get this out tonight because there's another LONG pause of no entries, and I'm playing with the blog template again. AAAAAGH. But here you go.]]>/i>