Manips

[extrapenguin]

Yesterday:
ratbones: But what if Shen Wei really needs the glasses? The dewy Envoy eyes are all due to eye strain.
me: Obviously he needs a new pair of glasses to go over his mask
ratbones: i do want to see what glasses over mask would look like, though, lmao
me: I...might have to try my hand at that, tomorrow/your today evening

*fastforward through 9 hours of shut-eye and some fiddling with GIMP*



... I was expecting something colossally dorky but he just looks hot. Oh Shen Wei. You should definitely start wearing glasses over the mask!

Then I recalled that last year, I'd promised starandrea to edit a picture of Ye Zun to have realistic blue eyes (instead of the #0000ff surreality of the manip she'd dug out), so I did that as well:



Not quite as happy with this one, but it does look slightly more naturalistic than the original manip. And I got to stare at Ye Zun's face! That's always a bonus. (He does look better with his brown eyes, but I'm not sure how much of that is my insufficient skillz and how much is the fact that 99% of humanity looks better with dark eyes.)

Comments

[extrapenguin]

big sparkly dark doe eyes of uwu
BIG SPARKLY DARK DOE EYES OF UWU, yes! That is Ye Zun. He should've just busted himself out of the pillar with the power of eyesparkle. *sighs* He's so pretty. Though now I'm interested in what would've made pale eyes more menacing – cultural stuff where villains have paler eyes? Being able to see the boundary of iris and pupil, rather than having it be all one and thus bring to mind very dilated pupils, with all the candlelit dinner associations? Hmm.

All of this is proof that you can do almost anything to Zhu Yilong's face and he's still going to look good. Sigh.
Indeed! Like cover it in blood. :P

[ratbones]

He's a pretty, sparkly boy with very soft eyes. <3

Being able to see the boundary of iris and pupil, rather than having it be all one and thus bring to mind very dilated pupils, with all the candlelit dinner associations?
I think this is the root of it, probably? It's usually only blue eyes that get described as "piercing". And blue is associated with cold. And movie monsters often have light-colored eyes. So yeah, all of that. (FTR, I usually find blue eyes attractive, this is just the connotation that I feel like they carry in fiction.)

Indeed! Like cover it in blood.
A bit of bloodsplatter can be flattering on many people! :D

[extrapenguin]

He's a pretty, sparkly boy with very soft eyes. <3
I'm now imagining him manifesting in Haixing and being exposed as fake Shen Wei by the fact that he's sparkling in the sunlight, lol. Or perhaps he just sparkles nonstop due to one of his lunches? We deserve actually sparkly Ye Zun! Bishōnen sparkles for didi!

It's usually only blue eyes that get described as "piercing". And blue is associated with cold. And movie monsters often have light-colored eyes. So yeah, all of that.
Nodnod. Yeah, makes sense. I think my cultural reference sphere is different enough that light-colored eyes are just neutral (everyone has them). Yellow eyes like Zhang Shi's, OTOH...

[ratbones]

I'm down with Ye Zun having a bishie sparkle power, but also consider Ye Zun discovering the modern wonder that is body glitter.

I think my cultural reference sphere is different enough that light-colored eyes are just neutral (everyone has them).
Ah yeah I guess tropes involving natural eye colors are more of a thing in places with a lot of eye color diversity, haha. Yellow eyes aren't exactly menacing to me, more like crafty? The cat association is strong. Red eyes are "proceed with extreme caution" (hi Zhu Hong.)

[extrapenguin]

Ye Zun discovering the modern wonder that is body glitter.
OH NO. Instead of failing at impersonating Shen Wei's wardrobe, he turns up in trousers and body glitter, in an attempt to make Zhao Yunlan give him the Hallows because his brain has flowed out of his ears. Or Ye Zun misapplying it and dousing his mask, hair, and clothes in it so he sparkles in the sunlight.

I guess tropes involving natural eye colors are more of a thing in places with a lot of eye color diversity, haha.
I suppose so? The only local eye color trope I can think of is that brown/black/dark eyes are sexy and exotic.

[ratbones]

Yes to Ye Zun turning up bare-chested and glittery! Or clothed. His hair definitely needs some sparkle. Also, yes to Ye Zun shedding glitter all over the place and annoying everyone. (Post-fixit in which he is forbidden from ever using the stuff again and Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are picking bits of it off their clothes and skin and the furniture and carpet and Da Qing's fur for weeks.)

The only local eye color trope I can think of is that brown/black/dark eyes are sexy and exotic.
WHAT. Dark-eyed American feels jealous because her eye color is just considered boring.

[extrapenguin]

Yes to Ye Zun turning up bare-chested and glittery! Or clothed. His hair definitely needs some sparkle.
I had a vision of Ye Zun wearing silver lamé and sequins and all the glitter. Maximum "look at me only!!!"

Also, yes to Ye Zun shedding glitter all over the place and annoying everyone. (Post-fixit in which he is forbidden from ever using the stuff again and Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are picking bits of it off their clothes and skin and the furniture and carpet and Da Qing's fur for weeks.)
YES. Yes!!!! Ye Zun shedding glitter everywhere and Shen Wei trying to get it out of the textiles. And Da Qing's fur. (Ye Zun pouts and demands Shen Wei give him temporary glitter with a Dixing power.)

[ratbones]

I had a vision of Ye Zun wearing silver lamé and sequins and all the glitter. Maximum "look at me only!!!"
Oh, Ye Zun. Baby. "PAY ATTENTION TO MEEEE"

(Ye Zun pouts and demands Shen Wei give him temporary glitter with a Dixing power.)
"I don't know any power like that. Why would I have a power like that?"
"But someone must have one, and you could get it for me, and then there wouldn't be glitter on your ascots anymore. Gegeeee."
*the sigh of an older sibling who has already lost*

[extrapenguin]

Oh, Ye Zun. Baby. "PAY ATTENTION TO MEEEE"
He will impersonate a disco ball right under gege's nose!

And yes, Shen Wei has already lost. There are very few things he would not to do spoil his dear didi. Glitter powers? Sure. Especially if it gets the glitter off his ascots...