Original artwork by Amaranth, go endlessly praise her and her work on her submission of this art! - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8872398/

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FOLLOW-UP IMAGE HERE: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8885277/

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Last fall, after the creation of the awe-inspiring and surprise-gift picture, 'The Constriction of Corruption' ( http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6452933/ ), given to me by Ama, the marvelous gazelle and I went on to think up a few other pairings for our characters. These included the beginning of the tale that would lead up to the aforementioned 'TCoC', wherein the serpent is lost in a world that's not his own and finds his way to.. well, you can guess ( http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6638368/ )!

Of course, we also went on to make 'In Dreams', a collaboration with a lengthy story and 9 images ( http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7450682/ ).. but before we did, there was this concept, this feeling of these two characters possibly becoming popular, in a way. That's not quite an apt description, though. It was as though we saw them as creators of content in a world beside our own, but also a world beside the ones in which they had these interactions. It was as if they were stars of these productions. At least, that's how I recall it coming about.

So, when we talked about this sort of idea (and I know it's not really a grandiose concept and that it's something of a wish-fulfillment fantasy), I shared a song that I felt potentially fit the scenario, at least insofar as the lyrics from the song that went as follows "let's go out, we'll take no prisoners -- we look like a million dollars, every time they look at us, we'll blow their minds -- let's go out, we'll take this town.. we'll wrestle this city to the ground!" That song is by my city's own Joel Plaskett, and it's called 'A Million Dollars' ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjD564Q52jc ).

After focusing more on 'In Dreams' last fall and this spring, Ama and I eventually came back to this idea, which was initially sketched out last fall, and finished it up slightly more than a year after 'TCoC' was created and posted. As you may have guessed, it's Amethystine and Nae as the stars of the various productions, as though things like 'Blade Under Mask' and 'The Constriction of Corruption' and 'In Dreams' were movies they made. (Well, Ame isn't in 'Blade Under Mask', but I like to think he offers support for that production.. both emotional and financial.) This particular shot would be from the gala film premiere of 'TCoC'.

In short, I hope this picture blows your minds, as it has mine. :}===<

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I should say that what _really_ blows my mind is how incredibly lucky I am to be friends with Ama, who is exceedingly nice, energetic and infectiously positive, and to somehow inspire her to work on things like this in her free time. I can only be amazed and offer her company and friendship and support in her other works, as well as give her English textual assistance from time to time, or possibly amuse her with written pieces like the poem found below. It's my feeble companion to this picture, and the first time I forced myself to do four-line stanzas wherein every line has a matching rhyme (this is harder than it looks, really!). I had another, more silly and less related piece that was a re-working of an existing song turned into a gigantic compliment to Amaranth, but she's too humble to allow me to post it right now.. we'll wait for something a bit more thematically similar to the song's origins, style or meaning.

~~~

Edit (Oct 15th, 2012), additional information:

The cane Ame is holding is meant to be something like this: http://www.edgesofreality.com/image.....19272_full.jpg , but due to Amaranth's lovely and dynamic composition, it is not fully featured in the frame of the 'photo'. :}

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Why put a snake in a suit?
How could this idea take root?
It's not a concept that can bear fruit.
How can you improve upon scale and upon scute?

Another problem about this tack:
A python cannot wear slacks,
nagas just don't have that knack,
it's the proper parts they lack.

Then there's the shirt and the vest,
they'll have no waistline in which they can rest!
A tightly cinched sash will have to weather that test,
which means we know what suit will work best.

A cummerbund means a tuxedo,
and those need a tie that's a bow.
This means the serpent has to go-
-with one who's hands doth know-

-how to tie those little cloth strips,
and who's claws won't cause them rips.
And it wouldn't hurt if she had hips
around which gloved hands could find intimate grips.

This companion could cause
some people some pause,
she has arms that are nothing but claws!
But in terms of fashion, there are other flaws.

How do you put a bug in a dress?
One body-part is the source of the stress
The abdomen! Couldn't you guess?
A tailor is needed to fix this mess.

To fit that bulbous derriere,
to let it flex and flit in air,
a snug slit is needed, back there.
Such a fit will draw many a stare.

With all these various elements in line,
the question remains, why dress them to the nine?
The answer is simply that they look damn fine!
Can _you_ imagine better partners to wine and to dine?


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Art & Nae © Amaranth
Poem & Amethystine © Me