#Lorien ✨🎻

[asheanon]

Just had this totally unhinged thought about the gang sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and whatnot...

Sal, smiling, mild as she most always is, casually roasts her respective marshmallow; it's ablaze, on the verge of going black as she brings it to her lips. She does not blow on it. She eats it, fire and all. 🔥

Lorien, Mina and Branson are just like...

#thought for the day ☕ #Lorien ✨🎻 #Mina 🦎🪘 #Branson 🐀🎸 #Sal 🌌🎹 #anyway #hi #filling the void 🌌 #with #unhinged thoughts #she would never do that #absolutely would not #but she -could- #and that's why I think about it... #hahaha! #I may or may not attempt some writing today #now that I have the time again! #(We'll see if I have the mind though...)

[asheanon]

Ever since I shared a sneaky peeky of this panel yesterday, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, so... gonna spend this Sunday evening being wholesome instead of sinning, like I usually am...! and getting a little more work done on it! 💕

#🌠 Ashe Anon | Art 🎨 #🌠 Ashe Anon | Starlight ✨ #Lorien ✨🎻 #Mina 🦎🪘 #Branson 🐀🎸 #Sal 🌌🎹 #filling the void 🌌 #with a #wholesome #WIP #Branson's always getting the short end of the stick #I'm so sorry #🫠 #I promise I'll share the version with his face in it as soon as I can! #🎨🐌💨

[asheanon]

🎵 Song Challenge

share at least 5 songs that you associate with or remind you of your muse.

Lorien

Viva La Vida - Coldplay (cover by David Garrett)

East Province (Riding) - Minako Adachi

Per Te - Josh Groban

Io Ti Penso Amore - David Garrett (feat. Nicole Scherzinger)

The Gravel Road - James Newton Howard

Sal

Interstellar - Main Theme - Hans Zimmer (cover by Patrick Pietschmann)

Paperdress - Leaf

The Walk - Imogen Heap

Believe - Tales Of The Forgotten

Telescope - Starset

Tagged by: @rcsetorn (Thank you for the tag! Wasn't sure who you'd like me to roll with here, so I provided some tunes for both Lorien and Sal!) 💕

Tagging: @vinjaryou, @oomerkabaoo, @daffodilzae, @moroaica-vamp, @danthekickingman (or any of your dudes if they haven't been tagged yet!) @psychobind (feel free to do Wagnas or Kuja!) and whoever else has a muse/OC of choice they may like to get a little musical with! 🎵💜

#in the meme-time 😎 #Lorien ✨🎻 #Sal 🌌🎹 #inspiration 🌈 #I still need to find more music for Mina and Branson #and Lorien too really #Sal's the easiest one #oldest and all that #most characters do have playlists dedicated to them though! #it's fun being able to share some of those playlist tunes here~ #💕

[asheanon]

That's about as much as I can manage to do for him this weekend, but... we're getting around to showing off some Lorien content, finally! 🎻✨

#🌠 Ashe Anon | Art 🎨 #🌠 Ashe Anon | Starlight ✨ #Lorien ✨🎻 #the man #the myth #the legend #he's actually real #still ironing out some details #things might change #as always #BUT... #he IS real #haha! #ff9 #ffix #final fantasy 9 #final fantasy ix #oc #violinist #violin #wip #work in progress

[asheanon]

One more thing for today... I'd like to take a moment to impart a little spot of Lorien lore too. Lore-ien, if you will, hahaaa. 🤠 Just a little tidbit of trivia that I love about him, simple as it may be. 💗

Lorien's natural hair color isn't blond. It's black. (Black brows, dark roots, doe eyes. It's a striking combo with the blond, but all of those features intentionally hint at the fact that the blond likely isn't natural!)

Everything about him is built off of that pursuit of stardom + him embracing the "golden child" motif (almost literally, in some ways.) Even his hair color. 🎻✨

#Lorien ✨🎻 #lore #lore-ien #I want to draw baby Lory one day #playing some tunes for a critter or two in the streets of Alexandria #something super humbling by comparison to who he is modern day #it'd just feel like a warm hug to see it #(for me) #🥹 #I'll need to make it happen eventually... #🎨🐌

[asheanon]

Also, I had this cute little realization when thinking about my dudes earlier...

So, there's four of them here, right? Naturally, you think about associating them with things that come in fours sometimes - like the seasons, for example! Sticking to just the seasons with these guys, though, you'd end up having two springs (Lorien and Sal) one summer (Mina) and one winter (Branson,) but... I kept think-thonking a little more on it... and realized how I could encapsulate all four seasons with them.~

I realized they were totally blends of them - and the blends suit them strangely well! The vibes, the colors, personality - everything. It all suddenly checked out when I thought of them as:

Lorien: Spring/Summer 🌄💐 Mina: Summer/Fall 🌻🍁 Branson: Fall/Winter 🍂❄️ Sal: Winter/Spring 🌌🌱

Anyway, there's that.~

#And a silly #thought for the day ☕ #as well #you can get all poetic with them too #(I stopped myself) #(you're welcome) #haha! #Lorien ✨🎻 #Mina 🦎🪘 #Branson 🐀🎸 #Sal 🌌🎹

[asheanon]

𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 ?

resounding truth

you have a goal in mind, and others brush it off right away… why does everyone always tell you to follow your dreams when it's actually their dreams that they want you to follow? your memory is weak, and your conviction is even weaker on days when you're reminded of how alone you really are. it's hard to go on without someone pushing you forward… is this what life is? a cycle of monotony, fueled only by the desire not to trouble anyone too much with your passing? it would be nice to have something, or someone, to spur you on. i hope you find them.

tagged by: @rcsetorn (thank you for the tag!) 💕

tagging: @vinjaryou, @oomerkabaoo, @daffodilzae, @tailoringtay and/or whoever hasn't done it yet and wants to do the thing with a muse or OC of choice! 🕺

#in the meme-time 😎 #Lorien ✨🎻 #I only have like #two pictures of his face #sorry! #That aside... #I did take this more than once #initially unsatisfied #but it kept bringing me back to this one #and the more I think about it #I suppose it kinda works! #Comes off as ambitious #self driven #vain #(secretly very fragile) #(secretly cares a lot) #(secretly needs love and support to keep him moving forward) #coddled #just a dandy who's rarely taken seriously #he overcompensates to hide the insecurity #he wouldn't be where he is today without the support he's received #Anyway... #sorry #😆 #just ramblin' #Trying to translate that into something more Lorien-like!

[asheanon]

Since the Stardew Valley brain worms have taken over once more, it came back to me just how much inspiration was taken from Elliott for Lorien's character and design... I think I even brought that up initially when developing him, though! How he was a bit like a personal Ashe-y FFIX-brand Elliott.

But, really. With Lorien's appearance finally settled and just looking at them, now...

They're like long lost brothers. Help.

#thought for the day ☕ #Lorien ✨🎻 #filling the void 🌌 #with #brothers #from different mothers #(or so it feels like) #wonder what would happen if you put them in the same room... #🤔🤔🤔

[asheanon]

It was a lovely evening. Simply sublime.

For those who may fancy themselves a night under the stars, it was perhaps the perfect night for camping... However, for those who didn't want to go through the motions of needlessly sleeping out in the wilderness when you could easily still enjoy the stars, then go into the comfort of a nice, warm, bug-free room at a nearby inn - complete with an actual bed and bathroom safe from the elements... It was a perfect night for that too!

In the fading light of day, around an oddly sizeable campfire, there sat four figures. At a glance, it would seem they were doing little more than most in a social gathering involving fire would do: just hanging out around it. The talkers would talk, the listeners would listen and those who wished to partake of the large, homemade puffs of fluffy confectionery could do so however they saw fit, which...

Really is just to say all four of them were roasting said sugary puffs and having a jolly good time while doing so!

Chit-chatting away about some pleasant memories and experiences of yore, Mina seemed even more buoyant and bubbly than usual (never underestimate the power of giving lots of sugar to a tiny newt lady.) Lorien offered a similar caliber of enthusiasm whenever the opportunity presented itself as well. Quietly, Branson and Sal listened to the two, playing the part of captive audience with relative ease.

Despite all the scintillating stimulus that may meet the senses here, however, it was at that very moment that Sal felt an unfamiliar presence... the sound of leaves rustling in a nearby bush or something of the like seemed to follow.

". . ."

Branson seemed to pick up on the sound as well. The violinist and the newt seemed unaware of it. Neither of them said a word.

It wasn't until another soft, suspicious addition to the ambience of the night revealed itself that one of the two finally spoke up.

"There is room for one more, should you wish to join us."

Though she did not look in their direction, the invite was cast out for whoever lurked in the shadows...

Briefly, there was silence. Having missed out on the auditory cues, if Mina or Lorien didn't know any better, they would think this was the makings of a ghost story in the works! Who better to tell such a tale than the ghost-of-sorts among them, after all.

Unbeknownst to all four of these friendly fellows, however, it could be noted that there was a chance - and only a chance - that whatever phantasms may linger among the nearby brush were of a distinctly @royaldeceit and/or @danthekickingman design...

#🌠 Ashe Anon | RP 🌎 #🌱📗 #Lorien ✨🎻 #Mina 🦎🪘 #Branson 🐀🎸 #Sal 🌌🎹 #There #a campfire open to all~ #🔥🖤 #There may or may not be the presence of The Dans... #There may or may not be a chance there's an army of characters lying in wait for marshmallow-roasting goodness... #There may or may not be ANYONE out there... #we shall see what happens regardless~ #also #yes #sorry #I actually hate camping #but listen #you can still enjoy everything about the “camping” experience #without actually sleeping outside #which means #most importantly: #you can STILL ENJOY ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS #💕

[asheanon]

The more I work with Lorien, the more I realize this is him.

#thought for the day ☕ #inspiration 🌈 #Lorien ✨🎻 #filling the void 🌌 #with #a meme #Remind me to actually make this meme with him in it #one day #(god dang it he's like Nat) #(except not openly obnoxious and awful about it) #(thank goodness) #hahaha!

[asheanon]

How Must You Be Loved...?

Like lovers watching the sunset

Calm, focused, tender. You need to be loved in the way teenagers kiss in the rain and giggle behind hands. You need to be loved like a child, taken care of, watched over, focused on. You need to feel the warmth of the sun, you need to feel the love rushing through your veins. You need to be reminded that love is worth it, and it’s beautiful to experience. You need to be loved in a way that is refreshing, again and again.

Tagged by: @royaldeceit

Tagging: Once again, whoever may see this and feel froggy enough to jump in with a character of their choosing! 🐸 (Much like I've done here, you're welcome to give it another go if you have more characters you'd like to try this with, by the way! For those who may be curious about my previous character, they can be found here)

#in the meme-time 😎 #Lorien ✨🎻 #filling the void 🌌 #with even more memes #I figured I'd do one for another character #since I was actually tagged this time #I hope y'all don't mind! #💛 #I'd say this suits Lorien well enough #he's like... #my personal Elliott (from Stardew Valley) #romantic #sometimes a bit (very) over dramatic #and silly #but fun! #✨🎻

[asheanon]

So, uh, listen... I have nothing else to offer right now other than higher-res views of these guys' faces. 🫠

I'm still toiling away over more... like, I have most of the words ready for questions, I just need the art to accompany them! If anything, though, it's nice to start working on these so I can have them for future shenanigans. 🕺

Once again, thank you all for your interactions and patience. I appreciate y'all. 💙

#🌠 Ashe Anon | Art 🎨 #Lorien ✨🎻 #Mina 🦎🪘 #Branson 🐀🎸 #Sal 🌌🎹 #filling the void 🌌 #with #signs of life #since I've been so quiet #everywhere #not just here #🫠 #ff9 #ffix #final fantasy 9 #final fantasy ix #oc #ocs

[asheanon]

Some Lorien inspiration for the void today. 🎻✨

In time, I'm sure it'll become painfully obvious just how much inspiration for Lorien was derived from The Devil's Violinist and David Garrett as well.

By no means is he a carbon copy of that depiction of Paganini, but his performances are just as skillful and dramatic. Basically, he's this funny fop of a man who is relatively void of all seriousness until he picks up that violin. And he's a skilled composer!

He's the self proclaimed leader of the group, yes, but he kind of earns his place as a leader, given how he's often the one overseeing and bringing it all together. The true virtuoso among virtuosos. He essentially has the skill to write and compose music like Sal does in the Phantom Of The Opera AU that she lacks in canon - she's still very good and very passionate when it comes to music, don't get me wrong, but the major upgrade in technical skill is only present in that AU. It's all Lorien's in canon. Haha!

Anyway, before I get too carried away... 🥴 I did actually take a moment to finally update Lorien's bio as well! Truthfully, I had to take some time to get to know him a little better before I could, so... that's one reason there was some delay there. With him occupying some space in my mind today, I wanted to give him some room in the spotlight again. 💛

#filling the void 🌌 #with #Lorien ✨🎻 #vibes and inspiration #Youtube #midnight musings 🌃 #🌠 Ashe Anon | Starlight ✨ #inspiration 🌈

[asheanon]

Alllll righty then... 👏 Character Type Bingo Boards, let's gooo!

(Placing them under a cut since they take up so much space all together + most folks are here just for the art. You've been spared. Hahaha!)

Two for the price of one, grandma! 🕺

Please keep in mind that these don't necessarily have to be romantic or anything! More like bingo = possible vibe vs. possible pairing. If the characters vibe, they vibe. 💙

The blank template can be found here:

Also, tagging @vinjaryou because I said I would. 💕 Here's that "character type bingo board" thing, my dude. Feel free to have a go at making one or filling these out, if you wish to.~

#🌠 Ashe Anon | RP 🌎 #in the meme-time 😎 #Lorien ✨🎻 #Sal 🌌🎹 #filling the void 🌌 #with #bingo #today #I guess #anyway #have at them #if you wish to!

[asheanon]

Some Lorien and Sal duet inspiration for the void today. 🎼🌌

I feel like if it was those two performing, they'd have similar chemistry to Sal and Mina (which, I do have a little tidbit written about them doing a performance here, for those curious!) Lorien would take in as much of the spotlight as he could and Sal would just gladly let him have it. 😆

(Which, on that note... if y'all would ever like to send me more writing prompts, please feel free to! I haven't released them yet, but I do plan on finishing and posting prompts from the previous batch soon. 💕

I'd be SO down to write out another performance deal for any of these characters and any combination of them. These little prompts have helped to inspire me so much and rediscover the joy of writing. The joy of digital painting has peaced out for now, so I've been embracing the break and the joy of writing instead.) 📖

#🌠 Ashe Anon | Starlight ✨ #inspiration 🌈 #filling the void 🌌 #with #Lorien ✨🎻 #and #Sal 🌌🎹 #musical/performance inspo #words are coming #but until then #I gotta finish writing them #-moon walks back into the void-

[asheanon]

13. How do you speak about others when they’re not around? (For Lorien!)

From: *: ･ﾟ✧   90 loaded questions / interview the muse.

"Why, very highly!" The question is met by a dazzling smile, "If I regard them highly, that is."

A light (somewhat nervous) chuckle heralds a change of proximity; he leans a little closer, the volume of his voice lowering a small measure.

"There are those who are, as well all know, rather difficult to regard highly, of course." Though a smile still paints his lips, it serves to be more forced and just as much of a euphemism as his wording.

#🌠 Ashe Anon | RP 🌎 #that's a good question ❔ #Lorien ✨🎻 #silverymusings #For those who are #“difficult to regard highly” #don't ask what he has to say about them #those are very choice words #VERY choice!