#ghostlydragonpainter

[honeydots]

"of course i’m here. where else would i be?" for Xanlow?

"Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?" 1k, xanlow from this ask game

“Laslow?”

Xander is sitting atop his horse, taking a short trip around the riding grounds. He couldn’t stand the sight of his chambers anymore, of an empty bed and an unfilled silence. He took to his horse, not for comfort or relief, but only to make himself move forward.

Xander hasn’t slept. Exhaustion stings the back of his eyes and aches through his jaw. He wasn’t sober in the nighttime, though he is now, and he figures he ought to stay this way. He’s never had the time or luxury for grief. He only wishes his body would cooperate.

Laslow left him yesterday. He always said he might, that he has a home which expects him—but that it’s also a one-way trek. And it’s never been Xander’s intention to keep Laslow captive, and he’s told himself it may be better this way. But still, the warmth of Laslow’s hands have long left Xander’s skin, and there is nothing but void to replace it.

He didn’t leave in so many words. But it was unmistakably a farewell, one still fresh in Xander's mind. It hasn’t yet been long enough for him to recognize any regrets, even. Though he’s begun to feel them take form, brewing coldly in the back of his thoughts.

And as such, when Xander ran into Laslow while he was riding, he thought he was mistaken. A cruel but hopeful trick his imagination played, already longing for what’s far out of reach. Xander almost simply rode past—but as Laslow’s figure became more clear in the dark, Xander slowed his horse to a stop.

And sure enough, when Laslow turns around to the sound of Xander’s voice, those wide brown eyes are unmistakably his.

“Oh,” Laslow says, sitting on one of the low stone walls that outline the riding grounds. He twists farther around, swinging his legs to the inward side. “Milord. I—um. I was just trying to work up the nerve to go inside. But I—well. I can’t shake these jelly knees.”

Xander climbs down from his horse, not letting himself feel any relief. He wouldn't be able bear the weight of getting his hopes up, not now. And even if something begins to work its way into his throat, he calmly swallows it away. “You’re still here?”

Laslow gives a weak grin, if you could even call it that. It's hardly an upwards twitch of his features. “Of course I’m here,” he says feebly. “Where else would I be?”

Xander, now closer, can see the red in Laslow’s eyes. Not still wet, but bearing clear evidence of tears. “You don’t fool me,” Xander says flatly with a frown. “That was a goodbye, yesterday. What are you doing?”

“Ah.” Guilt creeps up Laslow’s expression. He shuffles his feet awkwardly in the dirt and grips the top of the stony wall tightly. And as his silence persists, Xander goes on.

“Why… Are you back?” Xander asks. Laslow’s face tightens, and he slowly begins to stand.

“I should go, shouldn’t I. I’m sorry, I—”

Xander strides to him and plants his hands on Laslow’s shoulders, sitting him back down before he may even stretch his legs. “That isn’t what I’m asking for,” Xander says, and Laslow shrugs into himself under the pressure of Xander’s palms. “Tell me—why did you return here. What happened?

Laslow licks his lips. And he stares down at one of Xander’s hands, still holding him steady.

“I… Threw my way home into a lake,” he says, with only a slight waver in his voice. “So. Unless it begins to drain, you may be stuck with me.”

Xander stares. He loosens his grip on Laslow, moving his hands from his shoulders down to his arms. “What?”

“Odin and Selena left. We were supposed to go together,” Laslow continues. He scowls down at his feet. “We had magic to use, you understand. Crystals to travel with, one use only. But I—well, I hesitated right at the last moment.” He gnaws the inside of his cheek with an irritation, eyes still away. “But they left. And I—I panicked, and I got frustrated, I was alone and I didn’t think. So… I threw mine into the lake we were by. Because I’m stupid. And—it seems I have a pretty good arm.”

Laslow’s distress looms over him like a blanket. Xander releases his grip and goes to sit beside him instead. “…Oh.”

Laslow nods. “I hope it’s okay I’m here. I don’t know where else I’d go.” He folds his arms tightly, closing himself off further. “You don’t have to take me back.”

Xander wraps an arm around Laslow regardless. They sit, for a moment, in silence. Holding him now, it truly begins to register in Xander that Laslow is here again. “You said you hesitated?”

Something begins to spill, and tears bulge over Laslow’s eyes. He gulps, and an ache comes out in his voice. “I… I kept thinking, um. Of you,” he begins, pinching his arms. “I didn’t know if I—if I was going to be able to love someone like I love you. If the way I’d love them would be anything compared to how I loved you. Love you.”

Laslow sucks in a breath, staring down at his knees. He sniffs, and some tears do begin to fall, dully wetting fabric and dotting his thighs.

“And I think—I’m more of a lover than anything else.”

Xander leans down and kisses him. Feels the warmth of his breath and the angular point of his chin as he presses back. Xander tries to savor every moment, in ways he never did before. And when he pulls away, Laslow lingers close.

“I’m sorry for saying goodbye,” Laslow says, just above a whisper. “Would it—would it be okay if I said hello, now?”

Xander gives a low and short hum. His kisses Laslow’s forehead, trying to relax into him, trying to take not a single moment of his presence for granted. He grazes his arm up Laslow’s back and rests on his neck, petting the hair on his nape.

“Hello,” Xander says, voice just as quiet. “Stay.”

#thank you for the ask!!! #this was fun c: #reqs are still very much open i just write sorta slow. i was impressed i got this done #'drabble' i said. *writes 1k* #oh well! i like how this turned out #thank you againnnn!!! #ghostlydragonpainter #dots writing games #dots answers asks

[elegyofthemoon]

FWIW I'm proud of you no matter what. You are working so hard and you deserve to choose a profession that brings you joy. I know it's hard to internalize that, though, but I promise it's true. I'm wishing you the best, friend 💜

i appreciate it ghostly, really.

its a weird dissonance bc i know i have to do whats better for me. but theres always going to be that voice that says i'm a disappointment if i choose to go elsewhere. but i'll keep trying to believe i deserve joy

#im sorry if this is a messy response im just trying to accept the kindness #answered #ghostlydragonpainter #im just trying to answer these before i go to sleep #its near 1 am rn and i still feel pretty shaky #i was just drawing and listening to music to calm down but my folks keep messaging me to try and change my mind so i just keep panicking #but ill be fine

[sylvainjosegaytier]

I haven't had the spoons to leave a proper comment on the newest installation of your merbert story yet but I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing all of it! I've really really enjoyed it and I especially love all of the world building you've done in it!

Aaaaaaah thank you!!!! I love love love world building for aus and this one ended up being such an interesting world to build!!! I get to explore Duscur and I get to explore mermaid culture and I get to explore how those things intersect in such a fun way!!!

I’m so glad you’re still enjoying it <3

#I’ve especially loved coming up with all the Duscur names #especially little Kasha!!! #asks #ghostlydragonpainter #wrye’s writing #merbert

[serenescribe]

✨, 💫, 🤲 for the fic writer asks?

Let’s Get ((REAL)) fic writer asks

(i've already answered ✨ and 💫!)

🤲 : what do YOU get out of writing?

tbh? for writing fanfiction, i get a sense of fulfillment and happiness. see, i've got a LOOOOT of ocs i could be writing. lots of original stories. i had a phase back when i was a teenager where i was deathly afraid of writing characters ooc and as such, decided to only write oc content because "i made them, they can't be ooc!" and then i got back into writing fic and oh.

like, i love my ocs and my original works a lot. but there's something about writing and sharing fic, and seeing how much people love what i've created, that makes me so indescribably happy. it's a loop where the more people interact, the happier i get and the more i wind up writing. and it's a pretty simple answer i guess, but that's what i get out of it :') (oh, and also everyone's tears from all the angst i keep writing~)

#ask box #ghostlydragonpainter #ty for the ask! :D i follow you on my main and i'm happy for all the fe content! #i know i mainly write twst now but i appreciate how much you enjoyed my fe engage ficlet!

[ramyeonguksu]

HAP BIRTH!!!!!

THANK YOUUU

#ramyeon ask #ghostlydragonpainter

[zorua-adorable]

Happy birthday!! 🎉

Thank you Ghostly! ☺️

#my asks #ghostlydragonpainter

[umbralstars]

Libra commission for @ghostlydragonpainter. Thank you so much for commissioning me! He was a joy to work on!

#fire emblem #fire emblem awakening #libra fire emblem #fe13 #fe awakening #art commission #he's always been a favorite of mine

[dotted-clouds]

Commission for @ghostlydragonpainter ! It's Nel from Fire Emblem Engage!

#my art #fire emblem #fire emblem engage #fire emblem engage fell xenologue #Nel #Nel Fire Emblem #commission post #tumblr isn't letting me tag??? im 😭 #EDIT: NVM IT DID TAG!!!! WOOHOO

[lemonbronze]

Libra full color sketch commission for @ghostlydragonpainter !!

Thank you SO MUCH for being the first person to EVER commission art from me—you absolutely made my weekend!

Libra is such a blast to draw, I love him💛

#bran draws #libra fire emblem #fire emblem awakening

[dazzle-art]

Oops I got carried away-

A N Y W A Y S congrats to @ghostlydragonpainter for being the second winner of the art giveaway! Here's your dedue(s) with some special guests!

Click for the full quality lol

#I struggled to make my handwriting legible lmao #razz doodles #fanart #traditional art #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #fe16 #dedue molinaro #dedue fire emblem #fe dedue

[indigowallbreaker]

(Another one from me because I also really love Awakening. Feel free to ignore it if you've gotten too many of these or just aren't feeling it!)

Who's your favorite of the second generation characters?

PLEASE keep asking Awakening questions, I always up for talking about my fave FE game.

Lucina, effortlessly. But aside from her--

Inigo! I like his recruitment chapter and character design, as well as his supports with his mother, Olivia. A lot of his supports with the second gen guys are great too. You get so many sides of his personality-- his flirting, how much he cares for his friends, how he's as shy as his mother. PLUS!!! He wants to be a dancer in Awakening and then Heroes gave him his dream!! We love to see it!

In my most recent game, I actually made my Robin have blue hair and married Olivia-- so Inigo was my blue haired son and Morgan was our pink haired daughter. Cotton candy family XD

Special shout out to Gerome though. I always forget how interesting he is (his recruitment chapter is suuuper annoying so that's usually the first thing I remember about him) until I have him and start using him. He's a solid fighter and his supports do a good job of selling his loner-with-a-heart attitude.

#fire emblem awakening #fea #indigo asks #inigo fire emblem #gerome fire emblem #ghostlydragonpainter #THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!

[elegyofthemoon]

1 and 24 for the song asks?

@springagainafter ty you two

makes me happy

"Day by Day" from Carole and Tuesday. It's kinda silly too because the song's apparently all about losing one's self with the loss of a relationship, but I always wind up smiling once the song starts playing, especially at the lyrics that are like "Now I'm feeling free to be myself". Maybe it's like the found freedom at the end.

24. i want to be my theme song

hrmm I think I'll say "Egoist" by School Food Punishment. I won't say the lyrics are on point as a theme song, but the vibes are right. Maybe it feels more like an ending song ?

#answered #“egoist” has been a longtime fave haha #im not rambling much i think im more exhausted about stuff than anything but i do appreciate the distraction! #ghostlydragonpainter #springagainafter

[wild-moss-art]

Dorio for @ghostlydragonpainter 💖

#dorio #cyberpunk #cyberpunk edgerunners #cyberpunk 2077 #edgerunners #tysm for your support buddy 🥺🙏 #myart #im love her. blorbo from my shows I haven’t seen(was kicked out of netflix bc sharing rule 😔) #I’ll get my hands on it

[shaymins]

zelkov/kagetsu commission done for @ghostlydragonpainter  !!! thank you so much again!!

#zelkov #kagetsu #zelgetsu #fire emblem #fire emblem engage #commission #THIS WAS VERY FUN i hadnt rlly had a chance to draw them before so the excuse to do this was nice #comms are still open!!! #my art #rainshinesart #fe #fe:e

[nerdnag]

I was tagged by @raymondshields!

Last song: Malware Injection (Hacknet Official Soundtrack), by Remi Gallego. (One of my fave video game composers) (Also waah I need to fix my computer so I can play Hacknet again...)

Favorite color: Not sure I have one? I do have a fave colour combination though, and it's basically the bisexual flag lol. It's a combination that can be found in many of my artworks over on @nerdnag-makes-art

Currently watching: Me and my partner have, like, half of the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel left to watch. Unfortunately, our TV has been acting up since last Summer and we decided I was the one who was going to contact the support about it............. You know how it goes

Spicy/savory/sweet: Probably savoury

Relationship status: Married

Current obsession: Dgsblr, i.e., the ace attorney roleplay community I'm part of and all the shenanigans it entails <3

Tagging: @alienducky @dazzlerazz @onyxedskies @ghostlydragonpainter @jacebeleren @mantis-a-shrimp @arrow44 @targentis

#thanks for the tag!! #....this post reminded me that I have to contact the support for the TV + get going on fixing my computer... why can't things just *work*

[krakenshaped]

Icon commission of Libra from Fire Emblem Awakening from @ghostlydragonpainter !! Thank you so much for the support!!

#libra fire emblem #libra #fea #fire emblem awakening #fire emblem #commissions #🙏 certified best boy