#i feel like that post is unreadable ahaha

[chimeride]

how do you avoid making a creature that's too similar to another?

Excellant question, because it’s a perfect occasion for me to discuss about diversity, a central theme in this serie, and how to illustrate it !!

The first method is creature design in its purest form : what does my creature looks like ? And then breakdown every aspect of what makes a monster. For anatomy i see 2 main parameters :

architecture : how many limbs ? heads ? and where to put them ? For example you can see “gryphons” as a kind of structure, with 4 legs, 2 wings and a beak (roughly) and play around with this structure

proportions : the same chimera with different proportions makes very different monsters ! You can play with the head/body ratio, make some limbs vestigial, or big wingspan to make them impressive, etc. For chimeras, this is the main difference between drawing and taxidermy !

Another aspect for my case with chimeras is which species i’m using. Unless i have a precise idea in mind i always make some quick research :

for example if i need a flamingo i check all the different kinds of flamingoes on wikipedia ; sometimes i go back up the phylogenic trees to see similar animals but slightly different

if i’m illustrating a monster from a precise geographic location i try to look for local species too, to make it more consistent

sometimes the design is based around a particular specie of animal i find interesting

i guess it goes with species, but you can obviously change patterns (on fur, wings etc) or colors (not my problem tho).

For example, lately i’m drawing Lemures where i combine bodies of lemurs with heads of larvae : the architecture is always the same but the possibilities are endless !

Second method is more concept-driven :

it’s how can i challenge definitions and concepts (whats is a dragon ?? seriously ???), try to explore it and cover all the range of the definitions and push them at their limits (ok now i have no idea what a dragon is anymore)

it can also start with a theme (what if i combine all the animals behind the symbols of the Seven Deadly Sins to make a chimeric representation?? what if that beach i went once 2 years ago were full of creatures ???), and it could be something very abstract (what if that music is actually about a monster ??)

you can also mix concepts together (metachimeras) !!

I also start from prompts (through asks, challenges and shittycryptids, mostly), because there are many ways to interprete them : sometimes i try to channel different inspirations by previous interpretations into one design, sometimes i just give what people wanted to see, but i have more fun when i respond exactly to the prompt in the most unpredictable way.

All of these methods bring a lot of diversity, and i will never run out of ideas ! The possibilities for chimeras are endless, and these are some methods i’ve got to find them. If you have other methods please share them !! And if you are interested by the methodologic aspect, i’ve done a masterpost that explain the tags for different categories and links to check the chimeras behind.

And also, most importantly maybe, but i try to leave some space for intuition : if something works or comes in my mind and it looks good i just go with it ! I always have a sketchbook for when i’ve got random ideas coming to me. Intellectualizing the process is fun, but creation isnt only about methodology.

#and this is only about design i havent talked about artstyle #i feel like that post is unreadable ahaha #ars chimera #ask #themarshmush #chimera #monster #creature design #bestiary

[shatterthefragments]

10, 16, 53, 95 for the 101 asks!

Alright here we go!!! *cracks knuckles*

Thank you for sending these!!! 🥰💖

Apparently I had a LOT to say and am feeling chatty and lovely so:

10. What’s your boring hobby (that you still enjoy anyway)?

One thing about me is I Will Enjoy It Anyway. Even if it’s “cringe” (cringe is dead let us live) or I have to do it alone (which I PREFER a lot too)

…well. One could argue that most of my hobbies are boring, truly? (Or at least Certain People in my life do anyway :P) (I suppose I’ve picked up some more interesting hobbies in more recent years though ahaha)

A lot of art I do (or at least do in theory) is slow and tedious. Printmaking, painting, drawing, calligraphy, bookbinding, cross stitch bookmarks (I have never used a pattern and idk if I ever will I just like doing bookmark designs but it’s been A While), sort of learning to sew?, I intend to start quilting and maybe making paper and a few other things. I used to do origami. And I can still fold a crane from memory as well!?! I discovered a month or so ago when I thought I’d try making one while in a meeting bored!

Does Floor Time count as a hobby? Idk. But I need some Floor Time sometimes. Like. There was a post at one point where it’s like Angry at Everything? Treat Yourself Like A Toddler! Have some food and water and have some tummy time and maybe you’ll feel better? And I try to incorporate that into my life. So I have a yoga mat (that *should* be used for stretching at least) that I sometimes lay on. Sometimes it even helps. Or at least helps me feel a bit more grounded when I’m floating away.

Ah. I recently picked up Candles? And I enjoy candlelit showers very much :)

Reading? (Though I haven’t read any new unread books in a long time… atm I mostly just reread Martin Wilson’s What They Always Tell Us when the Desperation truly takes hold to give me a little hope :))

I… don’t think cooking is a boring hobby.

Boring is such a subjective opinion anyway 😁

Laying in bed snuggling my stuffies! As I am doing rn as I try to format this from where I pasted it in from my notes!

16. Romantically, do you prefer men, women, both, any/don’t care, or are you aromantic?

~ everyone ~

I mean. Sometimes I prefer men or women over the other or like a certain area of the spectrum? Anybody (especially those of a similar gender fuckery/nonbinary/etc to me or varying wildly from me…) is pretty much always like 10000/10 for me though like? Being able to be who you are 😘 idk how to phrase it right now I need to get ready for bed like sometimes I just. Fixate on certain genders more than others??. But like:

Generally though just. Anyone/don’t care 🥰💖😘

There are some other tangled thoughts I have about how previously I thought I could love anyone and everyone (I still have a crush on at least one of a trio of siblings I used to work with (I used to have a crush on all of them) tbh but it’s been years since I’ve seen any of them in person) (and let’s not talk about proximity crushes and how they always die for me) however nowadays I… well. One. I know now that I do in fact have a few standards/requirements. And like there’s a phenomenon where the closer I am to you and the more I love you the more I do not want to fall in love with you? Like I had a crush on several of my friends and also a sailor friend and like a couple coworkers I guess bc of the proximity? And previously I thought “I could love you. I would do everything I could to be perfect for you if you wanted me”? but now it’s like. Yeah no I don’t think we’d be good together and I don’t want to date you and I love you so much but I am not in love with you. Or maybe it’s just growing up? Or maybe something is just wrong with me and it manifests this way where I don’t want them to discover that I’m misaligned? ANYWAYS. not going there…

And I definitely do NOT consider myself aromantic. I do remember a comic from a while back about an aromantic person who was so in love with the idea of love and how it would always be out of reach for them that really resonated with me. But I don’t want to derail it. (In my own personal case maybe the answer is just to date someone for the first time)

Maybe the 25 years single are just. Making the Yearning pretty strong. Idk. (I’m made of “I Love You” I love you I’m not sure if I’ll ever be In Love but I love you!!)

53. What’s the most annoying thing that happens to you on a regular basis?

…can I say customers? Customers.

Or just like. Being out of something that should’ve been refilled when it was emptied out I guess. Lots of little work annoyances.

Outside of work: when I’m wanting alone time to decompress bc I’ve had to be On all day and people at home want to Interact but I’m just Not Having It.

Ah also gagging. On like. Everything. Scent? Texture? Moved wrong? Tried to do something while or after eating/drinking? Gag. Annoying as shit. (I took off traffic from here bc even though I hate it I have Bluetooth now and WILL sing along and enjoy the car speakers :))

95. Can you remember the last time you made a deep personal connection with someone?

Hmmmm how deep are we talking? I love my friends deeply? 😘💖🥰

I met a very close friend here after we started talking because I commented on her stories all the time 💖

And probably one of my beloved friends that I met when we were both part of the college’s student society (of which I still currently sit on the board of) is my closest irl friend?

And then there’s like. Is it reciprocal? I know she loves me back. And it’s one of my more reciprocal relationships though it’s more equitable than anything in my own opinion when it’s mentioned that maybe it’s not fair but uh. Actually. Im going to stop there. I love her so much and she loves me so much!

(Unspoken things don’t exist and I can’t let my mind make up falsities that are only there to hurt me this isn’t super connected though)

And I met another artist close ish to my age on my first sail training trip and we’re friends now and they’re awesome and I think we bonded. But even though I know they struggle to respond which is fine. It’s sometimes just. A bit difficult when they don’t respond for months and months at a time even though he’s local and I feel like literally being pen pals where I drop off letters would be more interactions than we currently do (which isn’t to say it’s not possible I have another one of my best friends local and we don’t really talk all that often most of the time but I love her very much!) and I also understand that my nearly frenetic energy when I’m riding the high of something is a bit high key for this friend sometimes bc he needs space to be able to think and be allowed to just simply exist. It’s just also easier to create that space when I see someone more regularly than when I feel like I have to do a Once A Year Catch Up type thing. Was hoping to foster that while we were on the same campus this semester but. Whatever. We’re friends and one day they’ll respond again and that’s enough :)

I always am. Uncertain if my perception of a relationship where I think we have a deep bond is actually true or not. But what’s that thing? “Subtext doesn’t exist just tell me straight out for my own sanity” or something. Bc that.

So: answer: yes! My friends!! Both irl and online ILU!!!

101. What’s been going through your mind lately?

Lyrics. Both my own and other peoples’. “Oh god I need to work on this the deadline is soon”. “I wish I had time for”… “am I doomed to get sick or can I still avoid it?” Need to sleep. SO MANY PROJECTS I WANT TO START!!!!! Ah yes I AM FARMER WHISPER LET ME PLAY~ is this my Emily playthrough? It might be bc I made my farmer with blue hair (I might dye my hair blue next too!). Go the fuck to bed. I want to- I need to- don’t- just go for it- and to quote my header (bc it’s. so fucking true): ready? No? GO. (Just go for it!)

…maybe I need to stop looping songs I sing along to bc it is kinda starting to be A Lot to be singing along so much when my vocals can’t take it. Currently fine though bc it stopped playing when i accidentally closed it. (Perhaps having Blood Sport repeating for two days straight so far isn’t the best idea to begin with though… Abelha here we come?!)

Hopefully goodnight!!! I need. To sleep.. soon.. I hope I can brush my teeth soon…

#ask game #ask games #shatters’ fragments #rambling #thank you!! I really enjoyed getting to ramble on!! #probably stream of consciousness style tbh ahaha but I guess it’s the lore behind shatters (bc I really love how ST tumblr is calling itLORE #should I try to make it a tag? #shatters’ lore #idk #this was fun for me hopefully it’s fun or not too much of a mess for you ✌️✨💖

[takuyakistall]

"took you long enough" | kalim al-asim

Synopsis: The four times Kalim did nothing and the one time he actually decided to do something

Tagging: @bobaryn !

Notes: This is a Karyn (Kalim/Ryn) fic I wrote impulsively because of pure brainrot and decided to post it here! Placed under the cut since it's quite lengthy.

He didn't know what to do.

Confused was one word to describe how he felt in the moment. A mountain of uncertainties weighed upon his shoulder as he stared at you standing in front of him with that unreadable expression of yours as always. Should he smile? Should he say something? He didn't know.

He rarely had any problems with this, mingling with people is one of the things he was good at—he never really had to think about what comes out of his mouth because usually, the words would just spill from his lips on their own. For once, he was lost in his own thoughts—dazed as he stared at you with a blank expression, fists clenched ever so slightly as he bit down his tongue.

Why was he acting like this? His heart started pounding faster and faster with every passing second, Say something! He screamed at himself inside his mind. Panic took over him in the heat of the second as he blurted out, dismissively waving his hand, "Ah, it's nothing! Sorry for bothering you."

He ended up saying nothing.

"Oh, Ryn-chan. Good morning!" Kalim waved at you from his seat, an enthusiastic smile on his face. You gave him a slight nod in response to his energetic greeting, a small smile appearing on your face as you made your way to your own seat—somewhere behind Kalim.

You set your bag and books down on the desk that let out a loud thud. Kalim stood up and spun around to face you, holding his breath as he tried to say something. You looked at him with a curious gaze, tucking a single strand of your dark hair behind your ear as you asked him in an innocent tone, "Is there something wrong?"

You felt your panic rise a little when you counted the possibility of having some sort of dirt on your face and quickly turned to your bag to find your mirror—your gaze leaving Kalim's figure. He waved his hand, "Eh? There's nothing wrong! It's just--"

There it is again, the uncertainties shackling him by the ankle and pulling him back whenever he tries to make advances—he bit down his tongue. He took the opportunity and casually waved it off, "Nothing. Just wanted to say hi, hehe~!" He glued himself back to his seat.

By the time you finally found your mirror and turned back to his direction, he wasn't there anymore and was back to his own place.

You put back the mirror inside your bag, frustrated.

In the distance, Kalim spotted you hanging out with your friends. The bright smile on your face and the extra bounce in your step, he noticed them all and couldn't help but want to trade places with your friends, wishing that he was the reason why you looked so happy.

Jamil had to do a double-take when he caught a glimpse of Kalim's expression—his usual smile was replaced by something more serene with an underlying tone of yearning in his eyes. Kalim never really had the opportunity to experience the feeling of wanting something so bad to the point he's desperate. He was raised in a wealthy family, after all, it was normal that his wants, at that time, be fulfilled almost immediately.

He was new to this feeling.

Yearning.

Pining.

Jamil stopped doing his warm-ups halfway, getting distracted at the sight of Kalim. He approached him, his tone as neutral as ever, his gaze following his and ended up on you. His eyes widened slightly, the gears finally clicking.

"Aren't you going to approach her?"

Kalim stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Nah, I'll just greet her later." He tried to brush it off with his usual tone and smile, but Jamil knew better.

Frustration started growing on you. You weren't blind to Kalim's actions around you and frankly—you were upset. He gave you so much mixed signals to the point where you were genuinely confused. You liked him, more than anyone in this prestigious school and it frustrates you to no end that he keeps on biting down his tongue whenever you thought he was about to confess or ask you out.

Did he like you or not? You asked this question so many times to no one in particular, you already lost count.

The sweet smiles he would give you, the energetic voice he would use whenever he would call you by your name, the way his cheeks would flush whenever your hands would accidentally make contact—all seemed to be drowned out by the times he would seem like he's avoiding you like the plague.

He was confusing as hell and you hated it.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" You hoped that he would say yes. Hoped that he would finally say something about your relationship as you gripped your pen tighter, clinging onto that one shred of hope.

Kalim paused.

"Ah-! Nothing else! Thanks for the help, I'll be on my way now."

Your face fell.

You wanted to scream so bad. The set up of the scene went like this—both of you were in the room, alone and quiet. You could hear a pin drop with this silence and you refused to say anything after the events that transpired earlier, you gave him one more chance and he blew it. Tears threatened to fall from the corner of your eyes as you stood up and packed your things swiftly.

Kalim's heart was racing faster and faster. He couldn't take this anymore, he wanted to ask you so bad but he was afraid—afraid that you might reject him, afraid that you might only see him as a friend and nothing more. He didn't want to risk the friendship he had with you right now but he was letting his emotions get the better of him. He counted the number of times he tried to ask you out but ended up chickening out.

He felt pathetic.

You made your way to the door, your fast footsteps slicing the silence and Kalim couldn't help but feel the panic rise in his throat. Finally,

"W-Wait!"

You stopped in your tracks, the feeling of hope suddenly making its way back to you. You didn't say anything, your back was turned to him and you didn't bother looking at him directly anymore. Your grip on the strap of your bag went tighter.

He took a deep breath, pushing back away all of his fears and worries. It was now or never.

"Will you go out with me?"

"I-I mean, if that's too hasty then we could try a few dates first and-! Ahaha, that's only if you're interested, of course." He stuttered out, clearly nervous at his sudden question and at your response.

You let out a chuckle, the fears and worries of Kalim suddenly went away just like that. You turned around to face him, your eyes glossy as you shot him a bright smile.

"Took you long enough, idiot."

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst writing #fanfic #self indulgent takoyaki #scarabia #karyn #kalim #kalim al-asim #twst kalim #twisted wonderland kalim

[vulcan-highblood]

Oh oh, do VULCAN for the Fanfic Ask game :D And choose the fic you want to answer for hte ones with [insert fic]? :D

Ahaha what a clever take on the ask game, I love it :3 V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?      > This is such a hard question! Most of the fics I read have very satisfying endings so I don’t feel the need to add to the established canon of the work? But I have definitely written fics inspired by incomplete or open-ended works before (Dearest Despised and A Match Made In...), though. So I guess I’d say if the ending was ambiguous or open-ended, watch out. I just might want to write some closure for your characters. U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.      > HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? This is such a Herculean Task to set before me, only THREE? I genuinely cant do that for Naruto fandom there are too many, so turning to other fandoms for my faves, uhhhhhh ok in no particular order:            1. MuffinLance - New to the ATLA fandom and already a BNF, probably my new favorite Zuko writer of all time. Gen fic hero, master of all things found family, angst, and traumatic Zuko AU (as if zuko’s life wasn’t traumatic enough). Came for the “Towards The Sun”, stayed for the “Little Zuko vs The World” and “Salvage” (Their writing style is so concise and yet conveys a wealth of information. I love their narrative voice. I wish I could write like they write.)            2. lalazee - Old standby in the BNHA fandom, one of the BNFs, for good reason. First found their fic Crybaby, but one of the things I have to remind myself every time I start to read something of theirs is I must be prepared to Not Do Anything Else until I finish reading. Their works are addictive and engaging, powerful stories and their narrative voice can bring me to my knees. They don’t shy away from tough topics and also they’re personally my biggest “if I could write smut like this I’d write it all the time” inspiration            3. Unpretty - I’ve only read their series Sorrowful and Immaculate Hearts, and I don’t even remember why, but they’re the author who not only made me like Bruce Wayne after popular culture made me hate him for years, they’re also incredibly good with multimedia fic and using a variety of mediums to convey a story. My personal favorite was the entire newspaper article written by “Vicki Vale” for the “Gotham Gazette” and “reader comments” about an incident involving a “Pastel Batman” (Seriously incredible stuff) and an entire in-character discord chat involving Tim Drake’s first interactions with Bruce Wayne at a party (it’s also incredible). Really opened my eyes to just how creative fan media can be, and how funny and enjoyable unconventional and creative multimedia works really are. Please please please check them out. (also featuring good smut goals) L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?      > This is really embarrassing but i usually only revise the end of the chapter, like, once, because I tend to do a rolling edit where I’ll read the beginning of the chapter and edit until I reach the end of the chapter. So, a minimum of once, and then a last skim when I post to Ao3, but earlier parts might get six, seven, eight edit run-throughs depending on how many times I set the fic down before finishing a chapter. C: What member do you identify with most?      > ...I’m going to assume this meant to say “character”? It’s funny, because writing is very much an escape for me, so I often write stories from the perspective of characters I’m not very much like, but that I enjoy inhabiting for a time. I think recently, writing Iruka-sensei from Naruto is probably the character that I most identify with, because if I were a ninja I’d probably be the one sitting back home teaching kids and being like “can we not do the child soldier thing? for five minutes, konoha?“ but probably with less yelling. Though if I had a kid like naruto in my class... maybe I’d be yelling more, too (>.<;) A: How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]?      > This is my process for titling a fic:             1. finish the chapter/oneshot/etc            2. Go to Ao3, tag the fic, fill in the author notes, apply skins as needed            3. Stare blankly at the title space on Ao3. Why must I suffer?            4. Try to think of something witty or clever that is vaguely adjacent to the theme of the fic            5. Give up on that and try to think of something that at least doesn’t sound completely unreadable            6. Just. Write a lot of words and hope they make sense. Ellipses sound deep, right? Right?!?            7. Post the fic and hope for the best! N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?      > i think part of my problem is I always wanna write my ideas because I love them, but time is a real serious constraint. Mostly I want people to write their fics so I can read them. But I will say that if anyone wanted to take my ATLA fic “(Blue) Spirited Away” off my hands for a short time I’d appreciate it. My writer’s block with that particular fic is so bad right now (T.T) I even have an outline for it and YET. Maybe if I gave it to someone else for like a chapter, my inspiration would come back. One can always hope. Thanks so much for asking these @kageillusionz!! :D

#ask game #fic #my writing

[silvysartfulness]

Writer meta asks: 3, 19, 20

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway) 

I already answered this one in another post - there’s no special such scene; if I want to write just a standalone scene I’ll do it as a one-shot and imply context and set-up in-writing. But there are scenes I look forward to writing; for the Roadtrip, a lot will go down and shift perspectives all around in the arc I mentally call the Mountains of Mist arc. That’s definitely a bit I have high hopes for!

... Technically the scene I’m supposed to be writing right now has also long been one of the “oh yeah, I’m really looking forward to this one!” bits, except now that I’m actually about to write it, I’m finding myself a bit frozen. Hopefully I’ll be able to push through this block and make it as good as I previously envisioned it...

Oh, no wait! To be honest - there are a few scenes I haven’t managed to find a good place for in the Roadtrip timeline yet, but have been very entertained by in headcanons, and that’s a fair number of WWX and XY interaction scenes!

I don’t know if I’ll manage to work things out enough in the story to make any of that fit, but I have a vivid image of WWX and XY literally bumping into each other at the market street of a random town while departing a liquor stall and candy stall respectively. XY is delighted by the chance meeting and toothily compliments WWX’s reflexes in catching the falling bottles, WWX is mostly “wtf how are you still not dead??” about things. If I can get the timeline to allow for it, it’s a scene I’d still love to write, but we’ll see.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?) 

Ahaha. I suspect if you do a word count in my writing, you’ll see the word “pain” repeated at somewhat alarming frequency?

I like to describe body language, especially what people are doing with their hands. And eyes, I pay a lot of attention to eyes.

As for tropes, just stamp me with the “redemption arc” stamp and move on. I love, more than anything, characters who have to face their mistakes and go through a painstaking journey of sorting messes out, setting things right. Sometimes willfully, out of a genuine desire to make things better. Sometimes reluctantly or even trying not to, only sullenly agreeing in the end for one well-founded reason or another.

I love to write messy characters, greyscales, heart wrenching situations where both sides are equally wrong and right. Am also absolute sucker for “hard, cold-hearted character, absolutely coming apart at gestures of care and kindness”. That gets me every single time.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Uh-oh. You've done it now. I'll place the rest under a cut, because I can and will talk about this at length.

I already wrote in a previous post about the layers of meaning in my chapter titles, so I'll leave that aside for now.

I love using symbolism and allegories in my writing. There are some obvious ones at first glance – I often refer to Xiao Xingchen as the moon himself, especially from Xue Yang’s point of view (the moon has been one of the few proxies for Xiao Xingchen he’s had for a long time) His inner light, something with beauty and integrity but also phases of both light and dark and the ability to shift inbetweeen, unreadable. The same way I will often use ice and frost to describe Song Lan - ”he realized with frostbite clarity” is a sentence I remember that I liked writing for him.

Xue Yang isn't as clear cut; his themes shifts depending on the pov character – Song Lan thinks of him as serpent-like, and there's a wolf-theme coming up as well. But my main subtle motif for Xue Yang in this story is the tiger. Drawn partly from the obvious angle of him being able to create a Yin Tiger Amulet of his own, as well as wearing clothing with a leopard-spot like pattern in Yi City, and finally Wei Wuxian's comment of ”releasing the tiger back to the mountain” when learning Xue Yang escaped punishment for the Chang massacre. In Chinese animal symbolism, the tiger is the king of beasts, something very powerful and clever, but also unreliable, prone to lash out.

In one of the first chapters, Xue Yang is described as being ”bound with enough ropes and knots to subdue a tiger” and there are many references to the Yin Tiger Amulet throughout. I drew him and Song Lan as shishi statues in the illustration for chapter 7, feline guardians of the dead that can be interpreted as lions but also tigers. So that's a semi-secret theme. :)

Another layer of symbolism is the Daoist philosophy sprinkled throughout. Sometimes directly, through outright quotes, but often more subtly in how Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan relate to the world and other people.

”Take action by letting things take their course, he reminded himself. The more he hurried, the longer it would take to get where he was going. He could be patient. Would be.”

”He smiled again, grateful for the understanding, for the simplicity, patience, compassion.”

“An empty patch on the ground,” he signed. “We'll make the future a spot where nothing is yet growing.” “An empty spot, where the Universe may plant a seed,” he finished. Song Lan nodded, made the softest hum of agreement.

“Now, now - haven't you heard, Song-daozhang?” he giggled, unsteadily, hauled along in unceremonious jerks. “Treat those who are kind with kindness, but also treat those who are not kind with kindness, only thus is kindness obtaine-... ow.” ← Xue Yang is not above throwing their teachings in their faces for his own benefit, either.

Another thing I enjoy writing is how Xiao Xingchen will very easily fall into familiarity with both Song Lan and Xue Yang when he interacts with them, but they're two very different kinds of familiarity, and he's often not at all aware himself that he's doing it. (They are. Especially the party not currently being interacted with, glaring daggers at the other.) He often just... assumes they'll do a certain thing, and they'll automatically find themselves doing it.

They are both utterly dedicated to him, though they may not realize it themselves, and he certainly doesn't. He doesn't want to take anything for granted with Song Lan, and he doesn't dare trust Xue Yang, but in the little moments of thoughtlessness, they'll just accidentally fall into old familiar roles of attachment, and then blink awake, surprised and disturbed at the ease of it. ♥

I also find it delightful how Xue Yang absolutely despises Song Lan, but is still ready and willing to rope him into herding Xiao Xingchen when necessary - and Song Lan will grudgingly follow his lead, to a point. They may not like it, but they do have a goal in common in keeping their person safe.

There is a certain point to the fact that Xue Yang mostly only mentally refers to a-Qing as ”the girl” in his mind. Nothing quite as strong as actual remorse, but it's a slightly chafing subject he does avoid thinking about. She wasn't supposed to die - hurt, yes, be punished for her perceived part in the destruction of their happy home, but not die - and now that Xiao Xingchen is back, it is odd, at times, that she isn't there as well.

Finally - have some teasers for future written chapters! The apples of the merchant in Tanzhou will make a reappearance, as will the beggar girl by the gate. Xue Yang will write Song Lan a heartfelt poem in an upcoming chapter. Song Lan is made to promise to write a couple of old ladies letters. Xiao Xingchen performs emotional manipulation so badly it offers the other two an unexpected moment of bonding. Xue Yang slips and does an unprompted Good Deed and instantly regrets it. (it does help when Xiao Xingchen smiles at him.)

There are more themes of foreshadowing in there, but I also don't want to spoil things, so I'l leave it at this for now.

As always, if anyone has any specific questions about the Roadtrip, please feel free to ask! I may evade if it's spoilery, but 99.9% of the time, I'll happily flail for hours about this story – and it helps keeping me inspired and writing, too! ♥♥♥

#asksilvy #the happy songxuexiao roadtrip story #untamed artfulness #nagisachan1

[qisforqaos]

HOW I RUN MY BLOG.

SPEED:  Fuckin’ reach your hand into the surprise bag and see if I respond right away or like six months from now. I’ve got a traumatic brain injury, welcome to hell. If I’m super excited I’ll post things right away, if I’m super depressed it can take me a while to find any energy to eat let alone write an emotionally immature cosmic toddler. 

REPLIES: Have you seen me? I’m flowery, I’m a little bit of a conscious narrative, I’m a little bit way too many direct actions written like a ten year old. I get lost in internal dialogue. I am constantly having Q sigh and giggle and wiggle and bite his lip. Which... is accurate I guess. He’s odd. Oh I use ‘and’ waaaaay too much. Eyyy

STARTERS:  Oh man catch me never writing a starter call ever because I suck. Like- I guess if someone asks me to I’m usually pretty chill about it. I try to hit up my partner for what they’re feeling if they want something. 

INBOX:  Hey sometimes I get asks and i’m like ‘I’ll save this for when I have energy’ and then I forget what it’s about heyyyy. Also asks are so selective on this blog in particular. Q is finicky and sometimes I just can’t get it to feel like it makes sense. But I love getting memes, memes can be fun. So long as they’re-... like-... it’s hard reblogging memes when so much is about shipping and Q just-... ahah. Also getting to him is so hard. He doesn’t just wander and hang out places very often. He’s usually just WATCHING from nowhere and you can’t see him. 

SELECTIVITY:  I’m an asshole probably, I only have so much energy in a day so like- I get picky and overwhelmed ahaha. I try to give everyone a chance, but sometimes I just get a feeling you dig? Like- if someone doesn’t have a rules or about page handy, if the theme is unreadable or triggers my migraines and if I’m just- not getting the vibe. I may back out, though I’ll have a hard time articulating that. So like- if you get a lukewarm reception from me and you’re not sure how into the whole thing I am- that ain’t your fault. I might just be getting that feel. Not everyone is compatible.

WISHLIST:  Q’s ‘humanity’ is a very interesting subject to explore. The problem is Q needs to want to explore it and giving him a reason to get attached to a creature isn’t easy. There’s another thing on the wishlist, Q being easier to introduce to muses. This goes both ways bc apparently everyone and their grandmother knows Q’s reputation and will immediately make him not want to bother being nice by scolding him before he starts. Someone be nice to my son, he is trying. 

HONEST NOTE: I DO NOT do ask threads. It’s in my rules (Often the first rule I write, it’s that important to me). It’s in my sidebar. You wanna continue a meme you sent in as a thread? @ me in a new post. You don’t even need to link the ask, I’m a smart cookie sometimes. I’ll figure it out. I try not to get butthurt but if I’m left to create the new thread it gets put on the backburner and I leave a note in the tags that I don’t do ask threads when I get to it. It gets exhausting and I’ve just outright stopped approaching people via IM about it. I don’t have the social energy for that.   

TAGGED BY: stole it from @ltbroccoli TAGGING: anyone who knows more than two verses of a Spice Girls song

#Dash Games

[mickeyjunk]

Playing with Ushiwaka

(aka can you tell this is the first fic I’ve posted in Years)

Summary;

Issun and Waka are living together in the Celestial Plain, being chill cute boyfriends and stuff. Waka is a housewife. Issun is a meanie. They’re both absolutely adorable.

     One blink. Two blinks. Waka took a few moments to get his bearings, gradually waking and coming down from the warm-high that was his sleep. Though he could distinctly feel someone nestled against his side, his arm pleasantly warm underneath what felt like a head.. He opened his eyes blearily, crimson glistening in the soft light of the early morning moon; Amaterasu had not yet raised the sun, but no doubt she would be soon. Turning his gaze down, he couldn't help a gentle smile at the sleeping form of his lover. Issun may have been embarrassed to cuddle at all, but that easily dissolved when he slept, Waka had found. He was something of a tsundere, really, constantly claiming that Waka was an annoyance or blushing heavily when the blonde managed to catch one of his hands in a gentle hold.      Though he was tempted to simply stay there, he'd rather catch one of those sleepy smiles Issun gave whenever he made breakfast. He slowly sat up, slipping his arm from behind the other's head and replacing it with his own pillow; Issun took it gladly, face buried as a deep sigh left him. How adorable.      His feet touching the cool floor, Waka stretched before standing up fully with the help of one hand on his knee. He could distantly hear activity of others rising, smell smoke from cooking-fires for those that had rose even before he. Though, he didn't particularly feel like cooking..      He stepped outside after just a moment, not bothering to get his shoes and enjoying the soft grass for a moment before yawning again and heading to the back of his home. There were several bushes of varying types, each with tiny berries that were plump and ready to be picked; he'd been putting it off, but they'd make a good breakfast with the bread and cheeses he had, sweet bread he'd baked himself and goat cheese with spices of all kinds coating it. As he picked the berries, he felt the warmth of the sun begin to creep across the land; Amaterasu howled in the distance, joined by Chibi's higher and excited response. He must be helping to raise it today.       After gathering a few handfuls and holding them in the fold of his pajamas, he tiptoed back inside, shutting the door softly so as not to wake Issun just yet. He gathered two wooden plates that were deep in the center, almost bowls, and rinsed the berries quietly with fresh water from one of his bottles. It took only a moment to arrange all the berries, by colour purely for presentation, and he rinsed his hands before retrieving the cheese and bread. After a moment's thought, he left his own plate to get Issun a bit of juice and set both the cup and plate next to the bed before going back for his own meal. He was careful to step over his lover, then settled next to him cross-legged and began to eat; the sun's rays would undoubtedly awaken him, if not his own hunger.      With a soft sigh, Issun stirred, easing his hold on the pillow in favor of blinking a few times, then giving a heavy sigh and sitting up. “Mmh.. Morning.”  “Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?”  Issun was too tired to be flustered, and instead crossed his legs and put the plate on his lap so he could eat. “Like a log. You?”  “Much the same. You're quite nice to hold.”  “Too early. Can it.”      Waka's shoulders shook in silent mirth as he complied, daintily picking up another berry and inspecting it before putting it in his mouth; the berries grown here always had such flavor to them, succulent and sweet.      He was surprised, though, when Issun leaned against him. Perhaps it was too early, too early for teasing and too early for hiding affections. A light pink hue dusted the tips of his ears as he let his head rest atop the other's; the messy bun had come undone, and his hair was soft as silk. He couldn't help a deep breath, taking in everything he could of his lover and watching the soft light pour into the room in a comfortable silence as they ate.      They spent a good while simply being in each other's presence, uninterrupted. After they finished eating, Issun took Waka's bowl and placed it farther from the bed before pushing his shoulder lightly; Waka fell back with a soft huff of breath, again taken off guard at the action. “Issun, wh-”       But he trailed off as the other swung his leg over to straddle him, making his face light up almost instantaneously. Issun was never this forward- why, they'd only just gotten into cuddling, what was he-?      And his thought process was halted at a sudden kiss, Issun's cheeks dusted with a light blush that rivaled Waka's. The prophet stared for a few moments, eyes wide with wonder, before he melted and his eyes slid shut slowly. Their hands met and they linked fingers, Issun settling down to lay half-on top of Waka and continue the kiss for a few more moments before he pulled back and sighed softly, head settling on the other's chest. Waka had no doubt he was enjoying hearing his heart hammer, the Poncle's actions thoroughly shocking him, though not unpleasantly. “.. Are you feeling quite alright? I never thought you'd do.. That.”  “I'm wonderful, now. It's always a treat to see you blush, pretty boy.”       He huffed softly at the nickname, Issun's quiet laugh sounding and pulling the sting from the tease. “You're a dork.”  “You're blushing.”  “You are too!”       Issun was quiet, but Waka could very nearly hear the eye roll he knew was there. He waited a few moments before moving his hand to the other's back, gently sliding his palm up and down in a comforting manner; Issun had tensed, but relaxed when he realizes what was going on. A back rub never hurt anyone, certainly, and it was perhaps a form of thanks for such an early-morning wakeup call. Waka held back a smile when he thought about it, how he'd been sleepy before, but now was certainly awake. “You don't.. Mind, do you?”      The poncle's words broke into his thoughts, and his brow furrowed for a moment before he exhaled through his nose in a sort of almost-snort. “Do I mind? I wish you'd do that more often. Though, I'd recommend it before bed, as that might lead me to further activities beyond back-rubs.."      Issun groaned, swatting his lover's hand as he chuckled. He could never resist lewd jokes, or hints, after all. “You're gross.” “You're incredibly attractive.” He could feel the pause, the shock that made Issun's breathing still for just a moment. “.. That has nothing to do with anything!” “It does.” “Does not!” “Does.” “Does not, you nasty jerk!” And with a huff, Issun rolled off his chest and sat up. Waka frowned, reaching to pat him again but halting in the motion. “.. Issun?”      No reply. Now there was a distinct feeling of guilt niggling at the back of his mind. He went quiet, letting his hand settle next to him as he watched the Poncle with concern.      Wait, were.. His shoulders shaking? Oh gods, was he crying?! He'd no reason to, Waka reasoned, a slightly panicked tone invading his mind as he propped himself up on his elbows and slid a foot up to bend his knee. “Issun, I didn't mean- Oh!”      And with another roll, Issun was straddling him again, hands gripped around the other's wrists and pinning them to the bed. Waka's eyes went wide, the darkened expression on his lover's face making a shiver go down his spine. “Iss.. un?”      The Poncle was silent for several moments, merely staring into the other's eyes with an unreadable expression. Waka fidgeted uncomfortably, a faint blush appearing high on his cheeks as he looked away. “Issun, I..”      And he trailed off, unsure of what to say. His racing thoughts were cut short, though, when his lover bent down and buried his face in his neck. The prophet gasped, then locked his jaw as he felt gentle nuzzles go down his neck, a surprised jolt of his knee making one leg kick out in surprise.  That quickly turned to more kicks as the nuzzles turned to nibbles and raspberries, Waka's expression screwing up as giggles bubbled up in his throat. He was fairly sure that he was not, in fact, in trouble for the lewd comment; though he was certainly paying for it now. “You're so gross, you big dork.”      Waka's arms strained to be free, though it was in vain; Issun's grip was much stronger than it looked, and he was already taken by surprise. At a particularly rough nibble-bite, he cracked slightly, a shocked gasp giving way for a flood of soft, protesting words. “Issun- Issun no, please, I- eeheh, not the neck you buhully!!” And he gave a slightly stronger kick as a raspberry landed just below his jawline and ear, then a loud squeak escaped as the other nipped at said ear lightly. “That's worse, dohooon't!”      Issun snorted at his whine, not giving up for a second and lightly nibbling at the tip of his ear; the sensitive skin was already flushed pink as Waka finally broke down laughing, unable to shake his head for fear of hitting his love and instead attempting to buck him off, again failing at the escape attempt. “That's the point, pretty boy. You don't get to just say stuff like that and get away with it.” Now he paused, lips brushing the other's ears as his giggles died down. “And if I can't talk you out of it, I'll just tickle it out of you!”       Waka squealed loudly as Issun dipped down and pressed a raspberry to his collarbone, the target coming out of the blue and the intensity making his laughs all the louder. “NonononOOooo! Stop, sto-ahahaha, nyyeehee, Ihi'm sorryyyyy!” “Oh, now you're lying? You're lying to me, pretty boy?”      Waka snickered at the trail of nibbles tracing up and down his neck, foot slamming against the bed repeatedly as his back arched. “Ihi'm not!” “Not sorry?” “No, I'm- ahaha, I'm not lyihihing!”      After a few more soft raspberries and nibbles, Issun gently released his lover's wrists, settling down again to lay his head back down with a smug smile. Waka's chest heaved, and leftover giggles still spilled from his lips for a few moments before he finally calmed down and focused on his heaving breaths. “You're such a jerk, Issun.” “I love you too.”      The words once again took him off guard, and Waka's blush grew again for a second before he sighed and shook his head. “You have such a way of showing it.” “The best way for you.” “... Perhaps I should..”      And he sat up abruptly, taking his turn now to pin the other to the bed and grinning devilishly down as the envoy gasped and squirmed. “Return the favor?” It wasn't long before Issun's laughs rang out, joined by Waka's soft chuckles.

#fic #poncleprophet #okami #okami issun #okami waka #tox writes #tox talks #hey. hey. i'm so tired #it took me days to get the courage to post this. #also i have a lot of guilt? i feel like i'm forgetting something? has someone made a request recently that i havent done i dont know #i can't remember yesterday or the day before or most days so whoever u are.. if i have any obligations i forgot please remind me i'm certain #i do i just don't remember what they are #oh. other than some drawing requests on my sideblog #anyways! cute fic! i have an unfinished one and another one already written for this pair so like. #if this gets good reception i will 100% post them and Be That Fanfic Writer for this pairing #wow ok kids. so. gnight scoob #(i am listening to fitz and the tantrums and disassociating so that is why my tags are so spacy forgive me children)

[starriewolf]

44 Odd Things You Don’t Know About Me

Tagged by: @saranel​ ahaha just got around to clearing these out

1. Do you like blue cheese: Nope, allergic to Penicillin

2. Have you ever smoked: Nope

3. Do you own a gun: How to tell a question was written by an American. Nope.

4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor: I’ll take anything berry-flavoured, and pretty much all the usual green flavours (pistachio, matcha, mint chocolate chip...) and black sesame’s nice too...

5. Do you get nervous before going to the doctor: Nope... would make my career a little bit difficult, yeah?

6. What do you think of hot dogs: *scratches head* haven’t had one for years, but they’re okay?

7. Favorite Christmas Movie: Don’t watch any

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning: Water or soy milk or milk.

9. Do you do push ups: Nope.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry: I’d like to own a replica of Arwen’s Evenstar pendant someday

11. Favorite hobby: Writing

12. Do you have ADD: Nope

13. Name something you dislike about yourself: Could do without the chronic headaches and constant eyestrain.

14. Middle name: Don’t have one

15. Name two thoughts at this moment: This thing is really long.

16. Name 3 drinks you drink: Willing to try anything not coffee-related and preferably not alcoholic

17. Current worry: How many fics can I finish in the next 3 months?

18. Current annoyance right now: This post.

19. Favorite place to be: In front of the laptop / phone / my notebook with no other obligations

20. How do you feel: A bit tired

21. Where would you like to go: I’d like to stay here, now that I’ve finally made it here.

22. Name three people who will complete this: How would I know?

23. Do you own slippers: Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now: Teal

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets: Why would you assume I own any? I don’t like satin, anyway.

26. Can you whistle: Nope

27. What are your favorite colors: Black, dark brown, navy blue

28. Would you ever be a pirate: No

29. What songs do you sing in the shower: None. I try to finish my showers in 5 minutes.

30. Favorite girls name: None?

31. Favorite boys name: None? What’s with this gender binary anyway???

Side-note: I give all my OCs, wherever possible, unisex names

32. What’s in you pocket right now: No pockets

33. Last thing that made you laugh: The movie trailer for Hitman's Bodyguard. If you were wondering what it’s about... it’s basically Deadpool bodyguarding Nick Fury.

34. Best toy as a child: Never had toys

35. Worst injury you have ever had: I fractured my left foot falling down the stairs once, I suppose. That took a couple of years to heal.

36. Where would you like to live: In a house of my own.

37. How many TVs do you have: None

38. Who is your loudest friend: *stares pointedly at @seiyashi​*

39. How many dogs do you have: 0-2, depends on definition of “dog”. Live animals, none.

40. Does someone trust you: I suppose.

41. What book are you reading at the moment: *sweatdrops at number of unread fanfics loaded onto ebook reader* errr...

42. What’s your favorite candy: Ricola, I guess. Or Lindt chocolates.

43. What’s your favorite sports team: The Providence Falconers

44. Favorite month: They’re all the same to me

=============

Copy and answer!

Tag some of your friends: @lexi-little-italy​, @accidentallyblah​, @seiyashi​, @fox-the-hermit​

#This looks fun #About me