Hmm... maybe just narrowing it to the line 'Four for death'? I can't do a lot of the verses because of the limited number of black birds I can use.

i have no idea what you're talking about. i don't know a magpie sign. but if its about death, you're looking pretty interesting.

It's a nursery rhyme about magpies... Supposedly you count how many you see as an omen of the future. The version I've always heard is:

One for sorrow,
two for mirth,
three for a wedding,
four for death,
five for silver,
six for gold,
Seven's a secret never told.
Eight for heaven,
nine for hell,
Ten for the Devil's own self.

Wyrm, your avi is looking really gorgeous right now! Although, I wouldn't know it was a magpie at first guess. My first though was "angel of death."

Yeah... I was thinking 'well, there are 4 birds flying there, maybe...' I'm gonna sit on it a while before I decide whether to go with it or start over. I'm nervous because the first one I did was also mostly black and white... but this one is radically different.

But you have reasons to make this and your first avatar mostly black and white... it isn't just a dependency on it!
I also liked where your birdy magpie was going but this one is also quite nice. Definitely a hard call but at least it's still early in the week!

I might try Chexala's suggestions about layering skirts to make a tail for the birdy one... I'll see. I'm definitely sleeping on this one tonight, though.

:3 Sounds good!
Be careful about potentially over layering... I have a bad habit of it (and the judges have noticed ) so I'm not a great judge of exactly where that line is, but it's definitely something to be aware of.

@Wyrm, That was Shadami's suggestion. XD

I've got some variations on the avi I'm making. Can I get some thoughts/reactions?

It was Shadami's suggestion... obviously Wyrm should not be trying to think at this hour!

I think I'm partial to the one on the right... but the storm on the far left does make it look more ominous...

I feel similarly. I'm not sure if I want to make it outright ominous, because black cats aren't always a bad omen. Not sure if ambiguity on that point is a good idea though.

There are a few different versions of the black cat omen... but I definitely like that storm you used in the background. I'm with Wyrm with the right one looking killer but so much of the storm is hidden. I'd be nice to be able to see more of that effect in your background to set the mood

Yeah, I've been experimenting with various background items, trying to find the right balance. I tired the city from Classic Movie Night, and the farm house from Sunny Side Up, but neither of those seemed much better than these. I'll keep hunting.

...my cat is going CRAZY right now, by the way. She's slid (full speed) on the tile and slammed into a cabinet then ran around the house, jumped on all of the backs of the couches and ran across them. Now she has come to a dead stop and is watching the ceiling.

All this talk about cats, surely!

I was going to say that there is a version where a black cat on a rail road track would mean one of the railway workers would croak... perhaps the Mene Express item might be useful?

Originally Posted by Mythos

I was going to say that there is a version where a black cat on a rail road track would mean one of the railway workers would croak... perhaps the Mene Express item might be useful?

That's interesting, because my grandmother and her sisters believed that having a black cat around the house meant the girls would never get married... so when a black cat tried to adopt them, they tried to throw it onto a passing train... Could the two superstitions be related? :o

Lol, Mythos, your cat clearly knows something is up...

Wow, I've never heard those stories about black cats before.

@ Wyrm - That nursery rhyme needs to be in quotes, since it's not your own writing. Just a forewarning, since that can get you an infraction.

Also, I liked more what you were going for last time. I will be honest and say that I don't like your current avi for the contest, and don't really get that theme from it. I liked how the other one was going. You could possibly try a tailcoat. The male avis have them and they can look a bit like a tail if you played it right, probably.

I wish we had an item with blowing leaves. A few green leaves fluttering around the ground on my avi would be perfect.

We have the falling autumn leaves

Originally Posted by Suona

@ Wyrm - That nursery rhyme needs to be in quotes, since it's not your own writing. Just a forewarning, since that can get you an infraction.

Also, I liked more what you were going for last time. I will be honest and say that I don't like your current avi for the contest, and don't really get that theme from it. I liked how the other one was going. You could possibly try a tailcoat. The male avis have them and they can look a bit like a tail if you played it right, probably.

We don't infract for things like that, unless you are a serial non-quoter. And even then it's warnings and temporary infraction points. We're not monsters with banhammers.
But yes; lyrics, quotes, etc. pop em into quotes or [ brackets ]

Well, I've seen temp things given out for silly things and first time things.
I got an infraction when I was quite new here for thread necroing, which I had never heard of before. It's expired by now, though. But I didn't get a warning beforehand and I did read through the rules upon joining the site. Just didn't realize the thread was past date.

But I do believe in notifying users when they break the rules, because if nobody tells them then they will continue and that could lead to an infraction or slap on the hand.

Suona, what item are the leaves in?

But anyways, besides that, here are some interesting omens

This one could easily be made into an avi

If an Owl looks in your window or if you see one in the daylight bad luck and death awaits you.

And here is one that my brother and I use to do! I'll still do it sometimes out of habit, honestly. It was just for fun

You must hold your breath when you go past a cemetery or else you will breath in the soul of someone who has recently died.

Still do this one, too! "Knock on wood!"

You must knock on wood 3 times after mentioning good fortune or the evil spirits will ruin things for you.

Another one is when you open an umbrella indoors.

---------- Post added 04-14-2014 at 10:23 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Chexala

Suona, what item are the leaves in?

In the "YOLO! LULZ... mommy T_T" EI. The same one you're using the fog from It's the maple leaf. They're only fluttering down, though. But some skittering across the floor would definitely be awesome.

Originally Posted by Suona

Well, I've seen temp things given out for silly things and first time things.
I got an infraction when I was quite new here for thread necroing, which I had never heard of before. It's expired by now, though. But I didn't get a warning beforehand and I did read through the rules upon joining the site. Just didn't realize the thread was past date.

But I do believe in notifying users when they break the rules, because if nobody tells them then they will continue and that could lead to an infraction or slap on the hand.

Oh absolutely. We've become a lot looser on rules now. no more of that first-time infraction BS, unless is something serious like art scamming or off-line trading or porn.

And we give at least three warnings before a temp infraction is even given. But mostly, I feel, we give happy reminders and gentle nudges. No one wants to be the "mega-dick power hungry assholemod"

---------- Post added 04-15-2014 at 05:24 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Suona

In the "YOLO! LULZ... mommy T_T" EI. The same one you're using the fog from It's the maple leaf. They're only fluttering down, though. But some skittering across the floor would definitely be awesome.

OH A BIG PILE OF LEAVES!!! NOW I WANT THAT

That's certainly good to know

I mean, I've never gotten a single thing since then, but I keep close with the rules. xP
It's nice that infractions are not so easy to get, though. I'm quite glad. That made me really nervous on here when I first started and it really made me branch out significantly less.