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Biddulphia was wandering farther afield than his norm. Looking for supplies to help survive the winter, he had traveled down out of the mountains and through the forest. Now that he was on the edge of the woods, a grassy plain lay before him.

A large scrap of cloth draped across Dulph's back would be perfect for carrying gathered grasses back to his cave for drying. Some would be put aside for food and some would be good bedding.

Most of his food supplies had already been taken care of, the forest was full of edible treasures. But dried grasses for bedding would make a great deal of difference when there was ice on the ground.

Biddulphia didn't notice the mare trotting across the plain, his eyes still adjusting from the dimmer light of the forest.

Biddulphia's eyes were beginning to pick out details against the bright field when he heard a whinny. Standing still, he looked, his eyes taking another moment to resolve the image of the pale mare against the green field.

As she approached, Dulph looked over the markings on the mare's rump and wondered if they were an indication of her personality. A slightly foreboding thought, he watched her mannerisms.

At the cheerful greeting, Dulph decided that the web of skulls was likely as misleading as his his own thick hide and glowing rune tracks. As she got closer, he noticed the blood red of her hooves and eyes, but filed it away instead of dwelling on it.

"Greetings." His voice was strangely metalic, an odd buzzing undertone in an otherwise monotone droning. "I apologize if I am intruding upon you." He tried to give the mare a pleasant smile, but his face didn't move correctly for that and the closest he could come was to have a slightly open mouth and wide eyes. Dulph hoped she understood his intention.

Biddulphia nodded slightly at the introduction, "I am Biddulphia, though Dulph is an acceptable shortening. It is good to meet you Synestra." His voice didn't vary as he spoke, but he tried to seem pleasant.

"My residence is of modeling distance from this local, though not greatly removed. I have little familiarity with the immediate area. Should I have some reference to indicate what you may find of interest, I would gladly direct you to any such confluences of which I am aware." Biddulphia wasn't very good with interpersonal interactions, though he was much improved from some of his previous attempts.

To him the questions were direct enough, but lacking of the specificity needed to allow for accurate responses. He did appreciate the directness, but the vague quality slowed the process of arriving at an acceptable answer. To his mind, Dulph was giving as direct an answer as was possible under the current parameters. It didn't occur to him that such a question was as much to gather information as to his interests as it was to get a specific response.

Biddulphia mulled over her first question for a moment, trying to process it and come up with a reasonable answer. Despite his amnesia, he had some idea what was and was not common elsewhere. Before he could articulate a response, she posed another question.

As he pondered nearby depleted food, he remembered something that might interest the mare. "There is, through the forest a bit, a gathering of rocks near the river that rather resembles a large sleeping mountain lion when looking upon it from upstream of the river. Also near there, along the river banks, are some blackberry bushes that, last time I was there, still held some berries. And between here and there are many pine trees with pine cones that also make for decent sustenance. Is this the information you seek?"

Dulph really wasn't trying to be obtuse, it came natural. But, in his own way, he was trying to answer her questions and be helpful.

I've been super busy and haven't been able to do HMs for some of the themes I really enjoyed. So I'm going to try and catch up now! Long post is long ^_^ [b]Cheery Duckie (2021-07-19) [Free contest][/b] [spoiler][img]https://i.imgur.com/uuT2aOG.png[/img] I really like the balance of the colors here. Choosing to use the orange color from the scheme for the hair allows it to be seamlessly part of the avatar, while making the clothes focused more on the rest of the colors. Great cheerful expression, as well! [img]https://i.imgur.com/eQJtuAS.png[/img] I love the fresh feeling of this avatar. The movement is reflected well in the hair and the bold lines of the eyelashes, making the whole look feel in synchronous motion. I like the way they chose to express "cheerful," since it's a bit different from a lot of the avis-but still spot on. [img]https://i.imgur.com/Th8erlX.png[/img] I can just feel this avi's happy mood from here! The arm and leg poses chosen really support the facial expression they used to illustrate the character's cheer. Very clever use of limited blues in the avi so that the water of the sea could incorporate itself into the look without anything getting lost or muddled.[/spoiler] [b]Scheming Differently: Peritwinkle (2021-07-21) [GOLD contest][/b] [spoiler][img]https://i.imgur.com/rrujqXT.png[/img] I just love the color choice on this one! They've made a very cool symmetrical avatar on the horizontal axis by using the wide-bottom skirt and outward flowing hair. They used up a lot of the space well without straying from just the avi. Beautifully made. [img]https://i.imgur.com/wX1kAqc.png[/img] Gold, red, and black always work nicely together, and this avi has distributed their chosen theme around the avatar is a very pleasing manner. Using the gold horns at the top of the avi to balance the golden stream from the urn at the bottom works very well. [img]https://i.imgur.com/oFt7zk3.png[/img] I really enjoyed this one when it first came up during voting. The gold, greens, and white make such a nice color combination. The movement in the hair choice and the flowing robes reflect each other well, and the softness of the wings chosen really matches well with the softer stance. Lovely. [img]https://i.imgur.com/EaSpMLc.png[/img] Not only did they choose a color scheme, they chose a gradient. I like the juxtaposition of the skull and the small, intricate details scattered throughout the look. It's well framed, and recalls the background without using the same color. [img]https://i.imgur.com/4l8olTZ.png[/img] Deceptively simple, this one does a wonderful job using the entire space. The composition is wonderfully thought out, and I love that the curl and fall of the hair to the right mirrors the movement of the fabric to the left. The leg and arm poses force the avi into almost a complete diagonal, splitting the image on the mirror axis-incredibly well executed.[/spoiler] [b]Mystical Lands (2021-07-22) [GOLD contest][/b] [spoiler]Ok I want to just HM all of these. I loved this category so much-they were all so cool. [img]https://i.imgur.com/e5ry5so.png[/img] I'm really a fan of the colors they chose. I recognize a lot of the background tree/forest poses they used, and they did a great laying job. I like that they've used slightly different colors as you get toward the center of the scene, so that it looks like there's real depth to it. [img]https://i.imgur.com/wRs0SOo.png[/img] I absolutely loved the addition of the dragon/monster/serpent tail emerging from behind the rock. The glowing counterpoints of the spots on the tail, the owl's eyes, the mushrooms, and the light in the sky all work really well to bring your eye around the scene. [img]https://i.imgur.com/5otdoQI.png[/img] I actually really enjoyed the clean, simple feel of this scenic. It's not as other-worldly as some, but it's whimsical, colorful, and feels like fantasy. There are some really clean and smart layering choices going on in this look that proves that you don't need a million items to make a great scenic. [img]https://i.imgur.com/JJDXzEY.png[/img] This scenic took the colorful prompt and ran with it. I really do love that the rainbow looks like it is coming off of the water, or almost even like it is a waterfall itself. They've made it feel sparkly and shining without overburdening the image. [img]https://i.imgur.com/Q8PWEwB.png[/img] This is wonderful for so many reasons. First, because they've used a very effective framing device to make it feel like the viewer is entering their new word (both the with clouds and the hanging leaves). Second, they made sure the furthest back position was darkest. Third, they incorporated the colors of the world we are entering into the frame, as well. I just love it (and for nostalgic purposes it makes me feel like I might be going to care-a-lot. And I mean that in the best way). [img]https://i.imgur.com/8OytC94.png[/img] Ok I want to talk about this one because I have to give it so many kudos. Colorful? Yes. Whimsical? For sure. Otherworldly? Absolutely. It's just such a bizarre, and yet somehow cohesive, scene that I just can't stop looking at it. It's really clear what items they've used, and they've put them together in ways I've never thought about. It's just so trippy, I love it.[/spoiler] [b]EI Spotlight: The Case of Pietro (2021-07-23) [GOLD contest][/b] [spoiler][img]https://i.imgur.com/WYURYmV.png[/img] I'm not sure if it is what the creator intended, but every time I saw this one while voting, I couldn't help but think of Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles. He even looks like he is out on the moors. Whether intended as that specifically or not, this look has a great ambiance and I love the face they chose. [img]https://i.imgur.com/9t9kUzi.png[/img] This one did such a great job taking the pose (detective's shirt) and building an entire look around it. Given the kind of style the detective seems to have, they really hit the nail on the head. A great avi built into a really cohesive scene. [img]https://i.imgur.com/2bSw08g.png[/img] This was such a creative way to use the evidence locker. This scenic is really well put together, but has that wonderful aspect of still coming off slightly unexplained. Is it somewhere abandoned? Is it an aviary? It doesn't matter, because the ambiance created is so pleasing to look at. [img]https://i.imgur.com/bqN5bQJ.png[/img] This was another avatar that really embraced the pose they chose (Bartender's Apron) and built their look exclusively around it. Everything from the facial expression, to the word bubble, to the face/hair choice really sells this whole character. Really nicely put together. [img]https://i.imgur.com/Eo3D2hL.png[/img] Ah what a great use of the "snap" from Pietro's blazer. The simple and bold colors matched with the sharp shadows in this look really sell the personality of the character they've built. Great choice of facial expression, as well. [img]https://i.imgur.com/VoOMGIN.png[/img] I really just have to give this person credit. The bartender's uniform pose is such an awkward one to work with. However, they found the perfect solution...the wearer clearly must be dancing! I love that they leaned in to the silliness and made a fun and engaging avatar. Sparkles, dance moves, and all. [img]https://i.imgur.com/wAPRjwg.png[/img] If you're going to meme it: Meme it hard. I love when people have an idea and just run with it. I'm completely here for making runway a fun time. This is one of those looks, and I laughed every time it came up in the voting. My hats of to your meme game.[/spoiler] [b]Three Eyes (2021-07-24) [Free contest][/b] [spoiler][img]https://i.imgur.com/W4KtbO5.png[/img] Three eyes? Check. Adorable? Also check. I really like the fact that each eye is a different color, but the avatar itself is black and white. Mirroring the stripes on the hat to the leggings, and breaking up the straight lines with the flowing curves of long hair were both really clever moves. The birds were a nice touch to help it feel at home in the clouds. [img]https://i.imgur.com/pYJySuP.png[/img] Both creepy and lovely. Great color scheming and use of ambient lighting. The arm and leg mods work really well together, and by building up the mass of robes, fabric, and hair around the outside of the avi, it really draws focus to the exposed belly-eye. Well crafted. [img]https://i.imgur.com/uSihazw.png[/img] I really like the choice of coloration on this avatar. Using the gold lashes for the two primary (closed) eyes really helps it match with the third (forehead) eye, making it feel cohesive, and like the eyes belong on the same face. The setting was also a great choice to help maintain that mythic feeling. [img]https://i.imgur.com/W70GCHy.png[/img] Something feels familiar about this, like I should know it from something, but I can't put my finger on what or why. I love the framing with the bushes, and that you've brought the flowers onto the avatar itself. Cheerful and fun to look at. [img]https://i.imgur.com/7XDuBwu.png[/img] I have to say that I really like that this avi takes the, "No big deal" approach. The third eye feels natural rather than mysterious, and it's built so well into the avatar that I may not have noticed it right off the bat without the theme. I like that the headpiece ends up forming almost a frame for the eye as well. Lovely colors and beautiful avatar.[/spoiler]

Biddulphia nodded, "Of course. If you will follow me then. . ."

Turning back the way he came, Dulph lead the way. The forest trees started thinly, but quickly the great trunks took more and more space, the path he was following becoming more obvious. The light that filtered down through the branches would have been green only a month before, but now many of the branches were bare and others filled with flame colored leaves. Evergreens still stood sentry over a wood that was otherwise losing its vibrant life to the encroaching winter.

Biddulphia was mostly quiet for the first part of the journey, but as they approached a split in the trail, he again spoke, "You may note a lightning scorched trunk just a sort way to the right. That is the landmark for this path. We are making a right, so when you return, should you not wish a return guide, you will need to make a left here." He waited for her to get a good look around so she would be able to tell where she was if she came this way again.

A careful look would show there were recent, Dulph sized hoof prints on the trail they weren't taking.

Biddulphia nodded. "I will endeavor to point out all such markings. Wandering in the forest lost is not helpful at any time, but as winter approaches and food becomes more scarce, being lost becomes dangerous. There are unfriendly creatures who live in the woods and would enjoy a meal of an unwary Usdia. It is still early enough that they are unlikely to risk attacking us, but in a few months the same can not be said."

With that, Dulph again continued down the path, occasionally stopping to point out landmarks and trail markings. Then he stopped under a strand of pine trees. "Here you may find some pine cones still bearing nuts. Look for the ones that have not yet opened, with their tines still close to their core. Once they have opened, the squirrels raid the cones for their nuts and they are not longer worth taking the time to examine." Looking around for a moment, Biddulphia spotted a closed pine cone. "Here, this is a good example. You always want to turn it over to make sure it hasn't rotten on the bottom or bugs havn't gotten into it before you eat it. Once you are sure it is good, the apparently preferred method of eating is to crush it open under your hoof and pick out the nuts."

Biddulphia demonstrated as he spoke. Having turned the pine cone over, he then carefully stepped on it, breaking it open. Then, with extreme patience and care he moved the bits around with a hoof until he revealed a nut. "This is what you are looking for, each pine cone may have anywhere from ten to thirty of these nuts. You are welcome to try it if you like." Dulph took a polite step back so she could get at the pine cone and the exposed nut.