um i am not capable of giving a character a happy backstory im sorry anyway yes here it is heres pt 2 of my dtae for @krazy_animator's contest i was originally planning to do a bit more of a thematic and detailed piece rather than this more doodle-y sketch, but that would have taken way longer and i still wanted to have a piece to go with the part 2 some fun facts before we begin: -neri's name means "my lamp/my candle" in hebrew -i derived marie from marigold (the flower), which means passion, pain, and grief, among other things -i was listening to the oh hellos a lot while writing/drawing this so some other thematic song vibes ft. them: rose the first half of pale white horse -the flowers in the flower crown are daisies (innocence, purity, new beginnings), forget-me-nots (true love, "i will never forget you", fidelity) and marigolds -the red flowers are pheasant's eye, which express remembrance of a sorrowful event, death, and beauty -i tried to time the writing with the music in the project, iunno how well it worked though lol so uhhh here we go (cont in notes/credits)
WARNING FOR LOTSA MENTIONS OF BLOOD, CLICK AWAY IF UR NOT GOOD WITH THAT Neri’s ears rang. Something was blurring her vision- everything registered in hues of white and gold, too bright to see through. Her breath was coming in short, shuddered gasps that she tried to slow, to no avail. The ringing echoed away until all that was left was a wall of white noise. It was hardly any better, but Neri could vaguely hear someone’s voice from behind it. She became aware of the sensation of her eyes shut so tight it hurt, and clung onto that feeling as the flickers of bright light faded. “Neri? You alright?” Her eyes blinked open. She blinked a couple more times for good measure, getting rid of the last vestiges of light and white noise, and bringing into focus a worried face. “Uh-” She glanced up, taking in Marie’s scrunched brow, eyes searching her own, hands resting reassuringly on her shoulders. “What…?” Marie’s face broke into a relieved smile. “You were just… out for a minute? I don’t really know either.” She gave a soft laugh, the edges of which were still tinged with concern. “But you’re okay now, right?” “Uh… yeah… I think.” On second thought, Neri wasn’t sure how she’d gotten here or even where *here* was. She looked around again. They were sitting at the top of a hill in the middle of a field, long grass swaying in the wind. A tree’s rustling limbs shaded their spot, and Neri’s side rested against its bark. She turned so her back was against the tree and glanced up at Marie with a smile, before resting her head on Marie’s shoulder. Neri’s heart was still pounding and her breath was still faster than normal, but as Marie’s arm wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned into the touch, she felt a wave of calm wash over her, soft as the spring breeze. She barely went moments before a gold light swept her up again. It cleared quickly, though, and she found herself looking down on almost the exact same scene- field, hill, Marie and her under the tree. Neri saw herself laughing as Marie placed a flower crown over her head, woven with blue, gold, and white. She hardly had time to register the fact that watching herself in third person was *not normal* before the light returned. A series of gold-tinged images flashed before her eyes. A bouquet of flowers, the same ones in the flower crown. Neri curled up on the couch, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets and Marie’s embrace, holding a cup of hot chocolate close as snow whispered against the windows. Neri leading Marie by the hand through an antique shop, pointing out an old mirror. These were memories. Then began images she didn’t remember. A bouquet of flowers, this time blood red. Glass shards. Marie’s smile. This in itself wasn’t something new; Neri had seen her smile so many times and she counted herself lucky for that. But this was a smile that broke her heart, a smile framed by tear-stained cheeks, a smile that looked like it would flicker out any moment. And- Neri woke with a gasp. Her senses flooded back to her faster than ever, accompanied by a pounding headache. Her first awareness was of her cheek pressed against a cold stone floor and something wet. She sat up quickly, headache sharpening, and touched a hand to her cheek. It came away wet with blood. Heart pounding, Neri took in her surroundings. She was surrounded by stone walls and floor, one corner with a candle flickering on a rough wooden table. She faced a broken mirror, the ground in front of it littered with glass shards and blood red flower petals. She turned around and felt her heart jump into her throat. Something had clearly happened here. The ground was stained with slowly drying blood and those same red flowers were scattered everywhere, providing a bright contrast to the surroundings. There was so much blood Neri was beginning to get nauseous, and she almost covered her mouth with her shaking hands before realizing they were coated with blood as well. She stumbled back into the wall, breathing heavily, pulse pounding in her ears. The room, already small, felt like it was closing in on her. The ground swayed beneath her feet, and that headache returned more painful than ever. The last thing she heard was a rising laughter from somewhere nearby, then gold light overcame her vision once more. heehoo we're gonna end it there bc this was rushed and i need to finish it todaY art by me, design by all code in project by me short story by me music: mandatory evac/counting cars by the oh hellos aight ty for reading, good luck to the other entries~
