@krisrix I knew you were creating something special for pride and I was certain it would be spectacular but this … this has blown me away because it is art, and writing, and discovery, and acceptance, and so much more. It has rendered me first speechless and then exceptional weepy and had me so emotional by the last panels.
I will try to do this justice with my comments. First I want to tell you how absolutely brilliant the slow progression from near monochrome to full, brilliant colour was. The panels took us on a journey with Simon and the colour expanded and highlighted the progression of the story you were telling.
Simon started somewhat closed off, looking at his phone, not at Baz. Baz, on the other hand, was open and giving—bringing the tea, gauging Simon’s mood, gently digging deeper into the story but allowing Simon to express himself and validating his frustration. This Baz—his caring demeanour, the clarity and kindness of his words, the patience and gentleness of his explanations to Simon (he was completely on target with his Penny comments!) was so deftly presented.
The way we know Baz is effectively communicating when we see Simon’s tail wrap around his calf. His wing flaring to include Baz, wrap around him, bring him closer. The lovely moment the tension breaks and they share a laugh, so comfortable in each other’s proximity.
How Simon knows Baz has an outfit all picked out and the lovely last panels where they are together, where love wins, where they can proudly be who they are, loving each other and the colours swell into such rich, varied, brilliant hues. They’ve come into themselves. Their true colours. For each other and for those around them.
The details of the jeans tab. The edging of Baz’s shirt and shorts. The chest hair (😉).
And the hands at the end.
Truly a masterpiece. Powerful. Meaningful. The art and the words melding beautifully into a vignette that has such depth of feeling and understanding. And love.
Sorry for the rambling gush of words. And thank you for sharing this with us.
(Also it’s about damn time we saw Baz in some shorts and about time for Simon’s Wayward Son fantasy of Baz having his shirt unbuttoned to his navel to crop up in art again. It’s a good look 😉 especially with his mother’s blue scarf. ❤️)
gummygunk
theartofmadeline
vaporwave
stormborns
