#AND I FINALLY TOOK SOME TIME TO MYSELF TO DRAW AGAIN

[theslayerbrother]

Lol Claire can troll too lol

Trollhunters re-watch, hype for the new season!! 

[dawnthefluffyduck]

Warm Coco (speedpaint)

[shoccolat]

so i finished s1 of helluva boss last night and it was Incredible

[snekdood]

bitches prolly out here psychoanalyzing my old art on behalf of my abuser to cushion their belief that im a Horrible Person but then dont see the irony when I point out the shitty things my abuser has drawn and how I see it as clear evidence of their mindset and beliefs (of what's okay to do and how to treat people) descending and pairing that along with everything else they've done and it paints a clear picture of how this person got to the point of thinking it was okay to abuse me the way they did and then the people looking for reasons to hate me through my art will act like "they're just drawings !!!" about their art. which one is it. does someones art say something about them or not? or does it only say something about them if you hate them?

[remxedmoon]

so all you need to do right now is disappear.

HHHHAPPY ISATVERSARY EVERYONE. here’s redraws for every single battle cg in the game. 36 drawings this time around, with 11 of those being custom (though admittedly a good portion of those are edits). combined with the portrait redraws i made back in september, i’ve made 114 redraws for this project! jesus christ! just like those redraws, these are completely free to use!! as long as i’m credited and it’s not for commercial purposes, go wild!! do whatever you want!!!

no i didn’t make these for isat’s 1 year anniversary this is just wildly good timing.

i genuinely can’t fit all of these cgs in one post even with the 30 image limit on browser, but i’ll still try to fit Most of them below the cut (without making this post horrifically long), along with some notes that might be important 👍

okay! once again, i labeled all of the custom art as such in the drive(UPDATE. NNOT TRUE ANYMORE. reformatted file names to be easier to mod in auau. apologies!), but if you want a full list, the customs are hatless siffrin jackpot, bonnie jackpot, bonnie special attack, bigfrin attack, and a bunch of alts which are definitely not related to any projects i’ve been thinking about don’t worry about it. and out of those customs, only like. 3 of them are actually completely from scratch.

while i did my absolute best to keep the aspect ratios completely the same as the originals, there’s 3 exceptions that i just couldn’t get to work.

isabeau’s hair in his special attack cg wouldn’t fit in frame if i kept things completely accurate to the og, so i moved his cg down a bit. it shouldn’t cause any issues with modding or anything, it’ll just appear slightly lower than it does in game. alas…

isabeau’s sleeve and mirabelle’s hair made their jackpot sprites a little larger than the originals? i’m hoping this doesn’t have too much of an effect (since the jackpot sprites have inconsistent sizes) but i can’t test this myself unfortunately. aaa feel free to let me know on discord if any problems arise!!

i managed to fix these, so they aren’t going to cause problems now, but my original drawings for mirabelle and siffrin in the final attack scene were a pain in the ass to fix. mirabelle’s sprite was slightly too talk to fit in frame and siffrin’s hat whacked bonnie in the face while i was editing everyone together. i’m only mentioning this because it took like an hour and a half to fix them and finish the scene.

all that aside, these were a fucking BLAST to work on. apparently this ended up taking 57 hours over exactly 10 days. which is a little worrying if you do the math on that but somehow i have not burnt myself out. i will be doing enemies at some point!!! but probably not for a little bit. i think my friends will actually kill me if i don’t take a break.

once again, happy birthday isat. you’ve ruined my life and i wouldn’t have it any other way (silly).

also, on an actual serious note, this little timeloop game has genuinely changed my life for the better? you guys are probably sick of hearing it at this point (or maybe not, i don’t talk about myself That Much. i hope), but i was practically a ghost for about 2 years before joining this fandom. it’s a little surreal to suddenly have friends (plural!!!) and people who Care about me, or even know i exist, honestly. it’s weird!! in a good way!!!

i don’t think i would’ve ever come back to social media if this community wasn’t so welcoming. i’ve met a lot of really great people through this game!!! so, uh, thank you isat, i guess. here’s to another year.

[cadmiumcoffee]

Scans from my Current Sketchbook.

i've done a total cleanse of the most toxic social media. This includes Twitter and Discord. I still use Discord for friends and art servers, but had to eliminate anything where I was falling into a void. I started this a few weeks back and just recently deleted Twitter, seeing how that platform is just full of the worst content ever.

I was holding onto some hope that I could have curation and see only art that people post, but I swear that platform is made to make people angry and addicted. Since stopping that, and removing these apps from my phone, ive just had a lot of time to think. I read in the mornings, I've been applying to jobs now that im recovering from my burnout and taking walks outside now that its warmer.

This sketchbook im sharing started during a really bad time, when I had to leave a job after extreme burnout and terrible management. Never in my life have I experienced management that would burn an individual to the ground, and then blame them for problems caused by the company. These interactions broke me pretty hard, and it took a good nine months to recover. I recently have been finding the focus to draw and paint, and the focus to get myself to apply again. I picked the worst time ever to leave a job and take it easy, but if I didn't, I would have suffered even worse fate.

Something flipped in the past few months, and i'm enjoying painting again. Perhaps a combination of detox and career break, im finally finding love in the traditional crafts.

[hopesangelsprite]

Closer

Pairing: Illumi x Wife!reader

Warnings: kissing, suggestive content, light angst

Summary: Your husband isn't really the touchy feely type... but when it comes to you that tends to change often and very quickly.

It wasn't often that your husband had days off. It was even rarer that he spent those days off relaxing rather than training or picking up small, quick missions for extra money (not that he needed it anyway). Today was different, though. Illumi had about a week of downtime before his next mission and, instead of prepping, he was sprawled across your shared bed napping.

You were worried at first, his uncharacteristic behavior causing you to wonder if he was feeling well. After the first few days of observing him and assuring yourself that he wasn't ill, you chalked it up to him finally taking some time to relieve stress. Though you wanted to relax with him, there were still a few tasks you needed to complete beforehand. You sighed inwardly from your desk and continued to work on your computer. What had started as light research quickly turned into hours of sifting through data and you were quickly becoming annoyed.

"Wife.", Illumi called out, his voice heavy with sleep. You froze and listened for any signs he was fully awake. Illumi took your silence as ignoring him and spoke again. "You know I don't like repeating myself.", he grumbled and the sound of sheets rustling met your ears. You turned in your chair to see your husband sitting up on his elbows, eyes half-lidded with sleep and light annoyance. "What is it, love?", you hummed at his tired, disturbed state.

Without another word spoken, he patted the empty side of your bed and motioned for you to come forward. Your brow quirked and a smirk crept onto your lips. "You're not being serious, are you? You usually want nothing to do with me when it's nap time.", you chuckled and his eyes narrowed even more.

"I'm not above coming to get you myself. However, for your sake, I advise you to do as asked.", he spoke lowly while brushing inky strands of hair from his face. A giggle passed your lips as you stood and made your way toward the bed and joined your grumpy husband. After taking a moment to adjust the two of you, Illumi nestled his face against the side of yours and exhaled. "That wasn't so hard, was it? You've been at that damned computer much too long for my liking.", he complained as he pulled a small blanket over the both of you.

You rolled over to face him, placing a kiss between his collarbone and Adam's apple. "Almost sounds like you missed me.", you cooed sweetly to which he huffed through his nose. "So, what if I did? A man's allowed to miss his wife, is he not?", he mused with hands gently drawing patterns onto your lower back. You opted for more silence as you looked over his features, taking mental photos in case his next mission took him away from you longer than usual.

Illumi opened his eyes, lashes fluttering as he looked over you with onyx orbs. "What's wrong?", he questioned softly while pulling you closer. You shrugged and leaned into him, indulging in the cool of his skin. "I miss you a lot when you're gone.", you finally answer, "I wonder whether or not you'll come back to me sometimes…". Illumi remained silent, allowing the weight of your words to fully settle over the room. It was often you felt this way, the long periods of waiting eating away at your resolve. His occasional battered state upon returning only deepened that fear that he'd not come home one day.

"You don't have to worry about that.", Illumi spoke after a little while, "I'll always come back to you… even if it's the last thing I do.". You looked up at him, in awe of the sudden tenderness he possessed. "Promise?", you whispered into the room's atmosphere. He nodded, taking your hand in his and intertwining his fingers with yours. "I promise.", he vowed before pulling you impossibly closer.

You smiled giddily, the tension finally rolling off your shoulders. "Besides,", Illumi spoke as he settled himself in the valley of your breasts, "How could I possibly think of leaving all of this behind?". A gasp and a cackle as you felt him nibble at your chest, his hands squeezing the fat of your ass. "I knew you didn't want me to nap with you!!", you laughed while trying to wriggle out of his hold, "I still have work to do!".

You managed to get a leg and an arm free before Illumi dragged you back into him. "The only thing you should be doing is me.", he muttered while attempting to hold you still. After a while of resisting, you finally let your husband pin you to the bed with a satisfied smirk. "Your research can't make you feel the way I do, can it?", he questioned proudly to which you rolled your eyes. Even though you didn't want to admit it, he was right. You stared up at him, taking in just how pretty he was with bedhead and sleep still lingering in his eyes.

"Fine. You get two rounds before I go back to work.", you offered to which he scoffed with narrowed eyes. "Four rounds.", he countered indignantly. You smirked while tucking a few strands of hair behind his ears. "Three rounds and cuddles. Take it or leave it.", you negotiated before leaning in to kiss him. "Deal.", he hummed between kisses with hands roaming across your body, "I'll give you under-desk support after.".

"What? No-".

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @mimimar

Hi! I’m Michelle (Mimimar), an illustrator born and raised in Venezuela, currently based in Italy. I enjoy making colorful illustrations that reflect the things I love: fairy tales, fantasy, tenderness and queer (especially sapphic) stories. Occasionally, I also make paper dolls, comics and animatics. I have a lot of interest in book illustration and I’m currently developing my own stories that I hope to share as an author-illustrator someday!

Check out our interview with Michelle below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I always enjoyed drawing when I was a kid, but it only became a hobby that I did almost every day when I was around 11. At first I only used traditional mediums, but I decided to make a serious effort to learn how to draw digitally when I was 15, and once I got the hang of it I never stopped!

I didn’t go to art school so all of my learning was done through studying the tutorials and resources that other artists generously share on the internet and lots of practice / trial and error.

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

I want to do many things but what I want to do the most right now is work on books! I want to make art for other authors’ stories and also my own stories as an author-illustrator. I want to grow as a storyteller and create art and stories that will really resonate with people emotionally. I’m always striving to improve my skills as well.

I also really love dolls, so working on doll box art or as a doll designer is something I would love to do someday. I actually have been designing paper dolls on my Patreon for the past few months, it’s been a fun project that is still ongoing right now!

What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as an artist?

Probably using a lot of purple! It’s my favorite color so I find myself using it a lot. If I can find a way to sneak a little bit of purple into an illustration or a character design then I will.

Congratulations on finishing your Ivy Comic! Did the outcome turn out like how you expected or were there some unexpected bumps along the way?

Thank you! It’s a project that I worked on very slowly in between other art because I wanted to really take my time with every spread and make each of them a fully detailed illustration. I thumbnailed the full comic before starting but I kept changing the sketch for the final spread until the very end! Overall I’m really proud of the end result. I sprinkled a lot of hidden details in every page that I hope some of the readers will notice. For example: the meanings of the flowers in each page represent what the characters are feeling in that moment, and the colors of their wardrobe become gradually lighter as the story progresses to represent their emotions, as well as the changing of seasons.

We’ve noticed that you have created some amazing cover art for TGCF. Is there another series you would like to do something similar with? 

That was another passion project that took some time to complete. Initially, I didn’t intend for them to be specifically covers, it was just a series of illustrations based on the 5 books/main arcs of TGCF. But since they were well-received and I had people telling me they wish they could use them as covers for their books, I decided to rework them into dust jackets for the english translation of TGCF!

I haven’t thought of any other specific series but I love doing cover art so maybe I’ll do something similar again in the future!

What’s your favorite part of your style? Why?

I’ve heard from other people that there’s a delicate quality to my art, this is something that I like a lot! I like pretty things, fairytales and vibrant colors. I think all of these things probably reflect in the art I make as well.

If there is one thing you want your audience to remember about your work, what would it be?

I hope that they remember how it made them feel. Feelings and colors are the two things I give priority to in my work. Most of the time I like depicting tenderness, softness and emotional intimacy. If that could reach the viewer and stay with them it would make me very happy. 

I make a lot of art with queer (mainly sapphic) themes because they’re the kind of stories I personally like and want to see more of, so whenever people tell me that my art has helped them in their journey to discover and accept themselves, or that they see themselves and their partner in my art, it is always extremely meaningful to me. When art that I made to give myself comfort can provide comfort for others, no matter how small, it reminds me once again that despite any hardships art is genuinely worth pursuing.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

So many artists! To name a few:  I love @sakizo’s amazing eye for fashion and detail,  @paneeps’ gorgeous style and striking colors,  the sweetness of @bevsi’s art,  @vickisigh’s pretty colors and concepts,  @idledee’s warm and heartfelt art,  @littlestpersimmon’s dreamy wonderful art,  and @loish has been an inspiration for as long as I can remember.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing, Michelle! Be sure to check out their Tumblr blog over at @mimimar.

[room-surprise]

New Ryoko Kui interview dropped!!!

(This is a quick and dirty translation made using machine translation, and which I've lightly edited to add clarity. I'm not fluent in Japanese so I may have gotten things wrong. I'm sure others will do a better job later.

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT: This article is from a Japanese gaming magazine, like the previous interview in Famitsu, so they focus on video games and don't discuss other influences, even though they do get mentioned and are clearly pretty major.)

Kui was able to write "Dungeon Meshi" because she was not good at eating food and participating in human relationships. In this interview, we dig deeper into the influence of games, and how Ryoko Kui focuses on things she likes and dislikes while writing. [Writers of the Gaming Generation]

Dungeon Meshi.

This manga is attractive for its unique theme of "dungeons, defeating monsters in the labyrinth, and cooking them," as well as the unique characters, detailed human relationships, and deep worldview depicted in the labyrinth. It is currently being made into an anime, and adventurers from all over the world are fascinated by the world of "Dungeon Meshi."

So I thought , "I wonder if this work was drawn by someone who loves food and people." The depiction of such delicious-looking food and the construction of delicate human relationships and characters. Surely, it must have been drawn by someone who absolutely loves it.

However, in reality, the author, Kui Ryoko, says that she "is not good at either food or relationships."

So why was he able to continue drawing things she was not good at?

During the roughly 10 years of serialization, Kui has continued to confront "things she dislikes." This interview delves into Kui's unique creative techniques... and at the same time, it also delves into her "favorite things."

That's the "game"!

Those who are familiar with the subject may already know this, but Kui is also a big gamer. And it seems that "Dungeon Meshi" is heavily influenced by RPGs such as "Wizardry."

As a result, this interview turned out to be "I asked Kui a lot about her likes and dislikes." Likes and dislikes. They are the source of all interests and curiosity.

So how do we use this knowledge in our creative endeavors? How does this knowledge manifest itself in Dungeon Meshi?

How were those charming characters and the deep world created? We spoke to the original author, Kui Ryoko, and the editor, Masaru Hiroi, about things they could only talk about after the series was completed.

This is a game with the volume of a great labyrinth. I hope you will explore it all the way to the final floor!

Dungeon food. It's eat or be eaten. There is no superior or inferior, to eat food is simply a privilege of the living. Dungeon food. Ah, dungeon food.

First, I want to ask about how Kui first encountered video games.

--What are some influences from games in Dungeon Meshi? What was your first game, Ms. Kui?

Ryoko Kui (hereinafter referred to as Kui): I played traditional RPGs such as [blank?] and "Final Fantasy."

I think the first game console I ever played was a Famicom, which my parents won in a lottery . So before I knew it, we had a Famicom at home. I think my parents bought me the Super Famicom and PS1 after that...

After that, I took a break from games for a bit around the time of the PS2, but around the time of the PS4, I was finally able to buy games with the money I had earned myself .

--Why were you able to stay away from games around the time of the PS2?

Kui: I was too busy with exams, so I thought, "Well, I shouldn't be playing games," and left. When I started living alone after that, I couldn't play games because I didn't have a TV. My computer was also a Mac. [Macs aren't compatible with many games.]

--What was the trigger that made you think, "I want to play games" again?

Kui: I think the biggest thing was starting the serialization of "Dungeon Meshi."

Fantasy stories all have different settings, but at the same time, there are also things they share in common. For example, if you want to create a fantasy work, but you only know "Dragon Quest," it will end up resembling "Dragon Quest." It's scary to copy the setting of only one work.

So I just wanted to play a ton of different fantasy games and get an idea of ​​what the most common general understanding of fantasy is.

--Did you start playing it while you were still developing the concept for Dungeon Meal?

Kui: That's right. If I'm going to talk about "eating food," I have to play a game that has a system for eating food .

So I was interested in "Dungeon Master." However, at the time there was no easy way to play "Dungeon Master" on a real machine, so I played "Legend of Grimrock", which can also be played on a Mac.

["Dungeon Master," is a computer RPG released in 1987. Time passes each time you take an action in the dungeon, such as moving, fighting, or resting, so its biggest feature is that the game progresses in real time according to the player's actions. "Legend of Grimrock," is an action RPG released in 2012. It has a game design similar to "Dungeon Master."]

Until then, I had felt that overseas games and games played on PC were too difficult, but I felt like I had overcome one obstacle there. I thought, "Oh, this is pretty easy," and started playing a lot of different games.

-- Those two games are quite heavy even among RPGs, I think, so did you actually have that much difficulty with them?

Kui: No...I would say that my impression is more that best-selling games are easy to play (laughs).

I'm not that good at games myself, so I usually play games that allow you to adjust the difficulty on a super easy setting. So, games that allow you to lower the difficulty are always a lifesaver.

-- I've heard that apart from RPGs , you also like games such as "13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim" and "Paranomasite FILE23: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo ." Do you have a favorite genre, Mr. Kui?

Kui: I guess I'm just not very good at games that require you to use your brain through trial and error.

But in RPGs, if you just level up and keep tapping, you can win and progress in the game. Also, in novel-type games, if you read the text, you can progress. By this process of elimination, I quite like RPGs and text-based games .

Personally, I like games like Disco Elysium the most, which are text-heavy, top-down, and have maps to explore.

...Even I think that's a pretty negative reason (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Hiroi Masaru (hereinafter referred to as Hiroi): But, Ms. Kui, you have really played quite a lot of games, haven't you?

Kui: No, the reason I'm able to play so much is because I play in a pretty callous way ...

I often buy a game, play it, and then just don't play it. So there aren't that many games I complete... I only complete a few a year. I play around 40 games, and if I complete 5 or 6, that's good.

When I asked if I could draw at Comitia, I got scolded.

-- Have you had any exposure to fantasy outside of digital RPGs?

Kui: I think it's not just games, but also the fact that I've always loved foreign fantasy novels . I was given books like "The Neverending Story," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

-- Dungeon Meshi gives off an atmosphere of Western fantasy like gamebooks or tabletop RPGs, rather than the typical Japanese fantasy games like Dragon Quest.

Hiroi: I think I went to Kui's house before the series started. At that time, we were discussing the name of a sci-fi manga called "Drawing Inside the Brain," which I had rejected many times.

Ms. Kui said she wanted to serialize this sci-fi manga... and when he was on the fourth draft, he said, "No, this isn't going to work," and when I looked at the scribbled notes next to her desk, she had already drawn the original version of "Dungeon Meshi" ! (laughs)

Kui: ……………No, I don't remember much (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: But I had wanted to draw a manga about exploring a dark dungeon, like Wizardry .

Since I was in elementary school, the manga I drew in pencil in my notebooks were all fantasy stories about swords and magic, so I had always wanted to draw a proper fantasy manga. However, there weren't as many fantasy manga in bookstores at the time as there are now, so I wondered, "Maybe fantasy doesn't sell."

Hiroi: At the time, there were a lot of people in their teens and twenties posting fantasy illustrations on online communities for artists, such as pixiv, and Kui was one of them.

I thought, there are so many people who want to write fantasy, so if she writes a fantasy aimed at this generation, it might sell.

And when I saw Kui's notes, I thought to myself, "Let's make a straight-forward fantasy manga, without making it weirdly twisted."

Kui: I originally thought of making this "dungeon exploration manga" as just a hobby... When I asked Hiroi if I could draw it at Comitia first, he got angry.

[Comitia is a comics convention in Japan for original self-published comics.]

Everyone: (laughs).

Hiroi: I said, "If you're going to draw at Comitia, then make sure you draw it as a proper serialization!" (laughs)

However, at that time, Kui had already published two collections of short stories, and they were being reprinted. In other words, she had a certain number of fans even before the serialization began.

So I decided, if Kui creates a pure fantasy for those fans, we can't fail badly. If it doesn't work, we'll just learn that fantasy is difficult to sell after all.

--By the way, were there any discussions between you and Ms. Kui about the fact that fantasy doesn't sell?

Kui: I remember vaguely talking about how fantasy manga doesn't sell well and how difficult it seems. I don't know much about light novels, so that might have been there for a while.

However, since a lot of fantasy manga were coming out around the same time, it was probably a "transitional period ." Maybe it was just when people started to feel more and more like they wanted to draw and read fantasy.

Not everyone is that interested in the things I like

-- I feel that "Dungeon Meshi" is a title that has breathed new life into the fantasy genre. How did you go about creating the setting and world when dealing with fantasy?

Kui: I try to think, "Not everyone is that interested in the things I like."

I like to think about pointless settings endlessly, but there are times when I think , "When this setting is actually made into a manga, people probably won't be interested in this story." So I try to include things that will make people interested, and cut out things that will distract people as much as possible.

For example, in "Dungeon Meshi" I initially wanted everyone to speak various languages. On top of that, I wanted to make the characters "only able to communicate with each other in one language"... but Mr. Hiroi said "Don't do that" (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: Even when I'm drawing it myself, I think, "It takes more than six panels to explain this setting...", and if I explain the setting more than necessary, it slows down the pace of the story.

Moreover, since "Dungeon Meshi" was a monthly serialization, unlike a weekly series, there wasn't much time for extraneous stories. Specifically, I had to draw one episode of about 30 pages per month.

In that case, there was no time to add in settings like "Actually, he was thinking about this behind the scenes" or "Actually, he can speak two languages." So, rather than there being any clear choices, there were quite a few times when "there was no time to do things normally." If it had been a weekly serialization, I might have included more.

--Does the scene where Chilchuck yells insults in his own language feel rather "forced"?

Kui: That's right (laughs).I thought, this only takes one frame...it's my chance [to include information about language]!

--So you haven't thought through all of these "fictional languages" yet?

Kui: If Dungeon Meshi were to be my life's work and I were to spend my whole life creating this world, I think it would be more fun to think about it...but initially, I thought that Dungeon Meshi would end in a few years.

Hiroi: Initially, I said, "It'd be nice if it continued for about five volumes" (laughs).

However, Kui's first draft really had a lot of material... so the editors cut out a lot of it. I understand that it's the parts the readers want to read, but I cut out the parts that deviate from the main story. So it's a battle between the "author who doesn't want to be cut" and the "editor who wants to cut."

--By the way, what kind of discussion took place between the "parts you want to cut" and the "parts you don't want to cut"?

Kui: There were a lot of them every time, but I can't remember them specifically now...it was just small, unimportant details that got cut.

In the scene where the hams made by the Red Dragon go back into the pool of blood, I remember saying, "You don't need these," and they were about to cut them off, but I remember desperately stopping them by saying, "We'll need them later!" I'm glad they weren't cut off.

But once I think of the setting, I want to include things, and then they get cut out, so at first I didn't want to expand the world too much.

I also wanted to complete the story within the dungeon. I didn't want to reveal the name of the country, and I didn't want to give the characters surnames. But in the second half, Hiroi-san told me, "The world is too small, so you should make it bigger," and I was like, "Are you sure?"

--Mr. Hiroi, why did you say that?

Hiroi: As the story progressed, it became clear that "Dungeon Meshi" was no longer just about saving a sister in a dungeon. So I decided that it would be unconvincing if the story had no involvement with the outside world, since what was happening in the dungeon was something that would affect the fate of the whole world.

For example, in real life companies, the more important a decision you make, the higher your superior's rank becomes, right? When I thought about it that way, I felt something was off about the idea of ​​Laios and his friends deciding the fate of the world on their own. "How can they make that decision without anyone knowing about it?"

The fact that the Canary Team was there meant that there must have been a system of reporting, contacting, and consulting here, because that's how "society" and "organizations" work.

In short, I think we were thinking about the situation and asking, "If an organization were to get involved in saving the world, how persuasive could they make it given the society that exists in the story?"

Kui: Well, the plot hasn't changed at all.

From the beginning, I had intended to write a story about saving the world, but I also thought it was possible for the world to be saved by only a select few people in the dungeon who knew the circumstances. Changing it was what Hiroi-san thought would make it more persuasive.

When I was drawing the first half, Hiroi told me, "You don't have to decide anything yet." I was in a hurry to move the story forward and explain the world and story setting, but he told me, "It's better to limit it to introducing the four main characters until about the fourth volume." But in the second half, he said, "Introduce more people and expand the world."

Everyone: (laughs).

Hiroi: Kui-san was like , "That's not what you said originally!" (laughs) But both had meaning...

Kui: I was the one saying, "If we expand the world there, the story will never end, right...?"

After drawing it through to the end, I realized that the balance between holding back and expanding didn't work the way I had expected. I think this is one of the reasons why the serialization of "Dungeon Meshi" took so long.

-- But there are a lot of characters in "Dungeon Meshi," and the relationships between them are complicated. I heard that you also created the relationship diagram for "Taikaishu" [※3] ...

Kui: No, I haven't made one [I didn't do that?]!

[Taikaishu is a full-color web comic by Funako Tsukasa that began serialization on a website in 2005 and is still ongoing. Its unique worldview has earned it a loyal fanbase, especially on the Internet.]

-- Eh? Is that not the case?

Kui: To be precise, I just created an account on the fan wiki.

When I started reading "Taikaishu," I struggled with the complex setting and the large number of characters...and I thought "it would be easier to read if there was an explanation or a list of characters."

So I searched for a bulletin board where readers were sharing their thoughts and asked if there was a summary, but they said there wasn't. So I thought, "Maybe if there was a place where someone with more knowledge could summarize it," and I just made a wiki account.

So I didn't actually edit it. It seems like I've been given credit for someone else's work, and I'm sorry about that...

Dungeon Meshi was created from a sense of guilt about food?

-- "Dungeon Meshi" started off with the catchy theme of "cooking monsters," but little by little the darker aspects and deeper world were revealed. Was the structure of "little by little revealing the darker side" something you had in mind from the beginning?

Kui: I thought I needed a theme to serialize it so I thought I'd try "food education." There were a lot of gourmet manga at the time, but I felt like there weren't many that focused on food education.

-- Considering that the theme is "food education," it makes sense that the nutritional value of the dishes in the story is clearly written down.

Kui: With the theme of "food education," I also thought up a rough outline of the story. Rescue the kidnapped princess, defeat the evil wizard, defeat the final boss, and become king... the framework is pretty simple.

But when I actually tried to proceed with the plan, I realized, "No, this story can't be done so lightly..." At first, I thought I could draw it in a more light-hearted manner.

Hiroi: At first, you were trying to finish the fight against the Red Dragon in one episode, right? I was like, "is that possible?" (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: When I tried to actually tell it in one episode, it ended up feeling like a very brief summary... In order to tell the story I wanted to tell, I had to tell it more thoroughly than I originally thought.

-- Did you have any special thoughts about the theme of "food"?

Kui: No... well... if I had to choose, I'd say I have a strong grudge against food.

Since I was a child, I was a very picky eater, and mealtimes were a pain for me. I hated eating in front of other people, and there was a time when I hated seeing other people eating, so I would look for toilets that were rarely used and eat my meals in the toilet.

When I was doing it, the word "toilet meal" didn't exist, so when the term actually appeared in society I was so happy, thinking "everyone was doing it!"

[Toilet Meals are a social phenomenon in Japan.]

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: I was thinking, "This is so terrible, right...?" but it was a relief to realize that other people were doing the same thing.

--So what made you choose the theme of "food education"?

Kui: My parents, who were struggling with my picky eating, taught me many things, including the "triple eating" method, but it was no use and I continued to be a picky eater into adulthood. My parents had instilled knowledge about food education in me, but I was not able to put it into practice.

[Kui might be talking about Triangular Eating but I'm not sure.]

So the only thing that remains is that I feel an enormous amount of guilt when it comes to food and eating...

Hiroi: If you think about it objectively, the series starts off on a very negative note.

Kui: But now I've gotten over the habit of eating with other people... or rather, I've come to like it. My editor takes me to lots of delicious places.

--When I was a student, I was trying to leave my udon bowl at school, but my teacher found out and made me eat the packet of udon by myself. There was no soup, and it was really hard to eat the udon by itself.

Kui: It must be tough. I tried to hide it, but my teacher found out and I got really angry.

Hiroi: I've tried to hide it in a drawer before. Then, something dried up came out of the drawer... (laughs bitterly).

How can I draw things I hate?

-- Or rather, is it the fact that you're not good at it that gives you a higher level of insight into the food?

Kui: I think it's because you're interested in it that you either like it or dislike it. Inevitably, you spend a lot of time thinking about it.

Since "Dungeon Meshi" depicts a lot of food, one might think "Do I like eating?", but in fact there are many times when I draw it because I dislike something .

--Aside from food, do you also draw things that you dislike?

Kui: Maybe. For example, human relationships, modern times, fashion...?

-- Perhaps the relationships between the characters in "Dungeon Food" are portrayed so delicately because the author is not good at dealing with human relationships?

Kui: I've always been very curious about things like, "(This person is usually so cold, but has such a charming smile in front of other people)" ...

I feel the same way, but I think people are different in the way they show their true colors. I think it's strange that it stands out to me...

-- I have a simple question. When you draw something you hate, how do you feel? No matter how much you hate something, do you find it fun to draw it?

Kui: The events in the manga don't directly involve me, so I don't dislike the things I'm drawing as much. Also, when I draw while looking for the good parts, it can lead to new discoveries.

Also, I think it's scary to draw only what I like.

In my work, the important thing is "what to capture with the camera," and there's no need to go out of your way to capture filthy things, but at the same time, I think the world will look bigger if you keep in mind that "there are a lot of inconvenient, dirty, and unpleasant things outside the camera." That's the feeling I have when I paint/create manga.

When playing a game, if I have to choose between a game where I only feel like I'm in the world inside the game screen, and a game where I feel like there are lots of people living on the other side of the screen, and that the people in that world could travel anywhere they wanted, I think the latter is more fun to play.

I'm always thinking about how to express that "sense of the vastness of the world" ...and I personally like games that have "a world" to them.

-- Do you ever incorporate elements from the game into your manga?

Kui: On the contrary, I think that is a part that cannot be adopted .

The best thing about games is that each person has a different experience. Games that have lots of endings are also a result screen for what you've done up until that point. When I see something like that, I think, "That's so cool."

Personally, I think that's the game's greatest appeal, and something that could never be replicated in a manga that doesn't have players.

If you're so busy, when do you play games?

-- I'm personally curious, how do you find the time to play games? Even though you're busy with your work as a manga artist, you play quite a lot of games.

Kui: I often use the Steam Deck before going to bed or during breaks between writing manuscripts. In fact, I almost only use the Steam Deck now. I keep it by my pillow, so I can take it and play before going to sleep, or during breaks...

--Is Steam Deck really that convenient?

Kui: I recommend it. The screen is small, but it can run Cyberpunk 2077 .

Also, personally, I've gotten tired of having to turn on my PC to start up a game...with Steam Deck, I can just turn it on and it starts up instantly, even when I'm lying down. How do you writers usually play games? There are times when you have to play games for work, aren't there?

--When it comes to work, I calculate backwards how long I'll be playing before I start playing...If it's a game that can be completed in about 60 hours, I usually estimate that I'll play for 3 hours a day and complete it for 20 days in a row.

Hiroi: It's a lot of work!

Kui: That's amazing... You really are a gamer.

I've always thought that I have a talent for playing games ... but I'm not really good at that. If I'm given a game that's a little difficult, I get tired of it right away, and I'm not very good at trial and error. The range of things I can enjoy is very narrow.

I wonder if game developers around the world are also struggling with the question of "Should I make my games accessible to a wide range of people, even those who aren't particularly gamers?" or "Should I make games that are challenging and can be played deeply?" The same problem exists with manga, too.

When there's a game that I can't play well, I feel happy because it means the creator decided that there's no need to pander to people who can't keep up.

-- By the way, when you play games, do you do it as a normal "hobby"? Or do you play more often to find material for your manga?

Kui: Of course, a big part of it is that I play games as a hobby, but it is alleviated by the fact that playing games might be useful for my work (laughs).

Even if I'm not that interested in a game, if I think "it might be useful for work," I'll find the courage to buy it, and no matter how expensive a gaming PC is, I can still buy it if I think of it as a work tool. So the hurdles for many things related to games are lowered for the reason that it's "for work."

--So, when you read manga, do you feel like you're reading it for work?

Kui: In my case, manga has become my job, so when I read it I can't help but think of work.

However, I still enjoy gaming as a hobby . That's why I don't want to lose this hobby... and I don't think I'll be able to enjoy it as much if I get involved in games as a job, so I don't take on any games-related jobs.

Does the depth of the world come from the fact that it is "not decided"?

-- I heard in advance that "Dungeon Meshi" was written with a clear awareness of "what should be explained" and "what shouldn't be explained," so could you tell me more about that?

Kui: Having read a variety of fantasy novels and games, I thought that the "moment of discouragement" was the "repeated use of foreign words." When you write something like "XX of XX of XX," if there are three or more katakana characters, there is a high chance that it will be skipped over by Japanese readers.

That's why I try to refer to town names as "the neighboring town" whenever possible, and refer to characters who appear in flashbacks as "uncle" rather than by their full names, so that readers can understand without having needing exposition.

The magic used during battles in "Dungeon Meshi" is depicted in such a way that you can "understand what kind of magic it is just by looking at the picture."

-- What other aspects of Dungeon Meshi are there that you deliberately left out of its concrete settings?

Kui: Numbers and language are the settings I avoided touching. For example, just by deciding the month of birth, it is first determined that there is a moon in this world. From there, it is also determined that there is gravity.

What's more, just the concept of a "birthday" means that there is a division into a "year" and that the world is determined to have a 365-day cycle. It quickly becomes complicated.

But on the other hand, if I were to set the details and make it something like "This country's currency is 1 gold, which is worth 5 yen," it would be a burden on the reader. When reading the work, the reader would be forced to convert it into "1 gold = 5 yen" in their minds every time. That's why I try to write it with "readability as a priority" as much as possible.

However, if you're creating a "fantasy" in the truest sense of the word, it would be better to create something that corresponds to that world's calendar or metric system in order to really immerse yourself in that world, so it's difficult to get the balance right...

-- I think that style of "deliberately not giving explanations" is quite amazing.

Hiroi: I think that 's definitely partly because "Dungeon Meshi" is a silly title.

The "mindset" of the reader is a little different...I think that from the very beginning, the reader is made to recognize that "this work isn't going to say anything too difficult."

Kui: Also, we had to give a bit of thought to coming up with the character names.

For example, the main characters in Wizardry are given names that correspond to their professions, such as "Warrior" or "Wizard." The "Senshi" in Dungeon Meshi was taken from that ... I named him after thinking, "I want that person to play an active role."

That's why I wanted the overseas version of Senshi's name to be "Fighter", but I was worried that overseas readers would be like, "What does that mean...!?" so I kept it in my head.

--The character names in "Dungeon Meshi" tend to be around 3 or 4 letters long and fit nicely.

Kui: If the name gets too long, it won't fit in the speech bubble...It's generally said that a line in a speech bubble should be about 7 to 8 characters long to be easy to read.

So "Chillchuck" is really long... I actually thought that the abbreviation "Chill" could be used more, so I named it that way, but it didn't work out so well, so in the end I just kept calling it "Chillchuck". Even I was thinking "that's long" while drawing it (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: Anyway, there are quite a few manga-like circumstances where "maybe four characters would be enough."

--By the way, are there any rules for naming the characters in "Dungeon Meshi"?

Kui: It's not detailed, but there are "settings within the story" and "meta-settings that are just for my own enjoyment."

For example, [if Dungeon Meshi was a game] the Shuro party has names that would be given by a certain type of player. When playing a games, some people give their characters themed names that follow self-imposed rules. In that sense, meta-wise, the Shuro party is played by a player who names their characters with a plant-based restriction.

Also, since the player likes girls, the party members are all girls, and so on... (laughs).

Hiroi: Oh, I didn't know that!

Kuon: ...While it's fun for myself, I also create characters by asking questions like, "Why is the party mainly made up of women?" or "Why do they all have similar names?"

However, even if I revealed these settings in the story, it wouldn't have made the story any more interesting, so they are merely "settings that only exist in my own mind."

-- What are some specific examples of "settings that you deliberately didn't reveal"?

Hiroi: I still remember when I said, "I want you to depict the elven kingdom in more detail," Kui replied, "That's going too far."

The dwarven country was depicted quite a bit, so I personally thought it could have been shown a little more...

Kui: I felt that if I depicted that, it would limit the reader's imagination.

There are definitely "lines that suggest something might happen," and when it comes to parts that are better left to the reader's imagination, I often choose not to draw them.

Also, even when we present settings that readers think they can just skim through, they often try hard to remember them...

It all started with the manga "Eating soba through your nose."

--Let's go back to the topic a little. How did Ms. Kui and Mr. Hiroi meet?

Hiroi: I think we scouted her.

I saw a short story that Kui had posted on Pixiv and sent him an email asking if I would like to draw a manga. I remember that he had a really funny four-frame manga called "Eating soba noodles through your nose ." It was about a character eating soba noodles through his nose and crying out in pain... I think I was drawn to his drawing ability, which made me feel like "Wow, that looks painful" when I saw it (laughs).

And from that point on, we have come to this point.

[This may not be the exact comic that Hiroi is talking about, but it's a comic Kui posted on her blog about someone eating soba through their nose.]

Kui: Oh, is that so? Isn't it something like "Shugaku Tenshi" [※4] ?

Hiroi: No, that's not true! The manga about eating soba noodles through the nose was made before "Shingaku Tenshi". By the way, that manga was planned to be published in "Rakugakihon" , but when I asked Kui-san "Can I publish this?", she was very against it...

Kui: No, that's fine, but... I didn't think other people would find it that interesting.

Everyone: (laughs).

Hiroi: But that was more than 10 years ago...

--By the way, was Mr. Hiroi the first publisher to contact you?

Kui: Before that, an editor at East Press had contacted me. I was originally publishing fantasy manga that I had drawn as a hobby on my personal website. I compiled them into a self-published original comic and exhibited it at Comitia, and they asked me, "Would you like to publish this long manga as a book?"

However, after the editor asked around to various people, it seems he was told that "this will be hard to sell"... so the plan was dropped. Instead, it was decided to release a "short story collection" of short manga that had been published at the same time . This is "The Dragon's School is on the Mountain: A Collection of Works by Ryoko Kui" published by East Press.

I was contacted by a few other people as well, but the two people I still keep in contact with are Mr. Hiroi and the editor at East Press.

-- When you went from drawing short stories and web comics to starting a commercial serialization, did you study anything like "how to draw a serialized work"?

Kui: I learned almost everything about how to draw manga from Mr. Hiroi and the editors and writers at Harta .

I had absolutely no understanding of whether panel layout was good or bad, so up until the middle of the serialization, I would rearrange the storyboards one panel at a time, and I would get lectured like "Don't put a panel like this here."

I was also impressed when I was shown original manuscripts by other artists. They look beautiful in print, but the real thing is even more impressive. This is what it means to be good at drawing manga.

It didn't finish as I expected

-- Speaking of "serialization," you mentioned earlier that you initially intended to end it at about volume 5. Did "Dungeon Meshi" continue longer than you had anticipated, Ms. Kui?

Kui: First of all, I didn't really understand what a "serialized" comic meant, so I didn't even know how much of a story I could get done in how many pages. So, I thought I could wrap up the story nicely in about five years, in five volumes.

But I never quite got around to finishing it. It was so hard... (laughs).

Hiroi: To be honest, when I first heard "Volume 5,"I thought to myself, "(Are you kidding me...?)" I didn't say it out loud though (laughs).

--Honestly, even as a reader, around the time of the fight with the Red Dragon in volumes 4 and 5 I was starting to feel like, "Huh? It seems like it's coming to an end soon..."

Kui: From the beginning, my goal was to "defeat the Red Dragon at the halfway point." However, I was supposed to fight the Red Dragon in Volume 4, even though it was supposed to be 5 volumes. So I thought, "Huh? It's not over yet," and I gradually lost interest.

By the time I got to around volume 10, I felt like no matter how much I drew, it would never end. I didn't want to drag it out, but no matter how much I drew, it just never seemed to finish.

Hiroi: Even from an editor's perspective, it seemed like Kui was getting very anxious from around volume 10 onwards.

-- Having finished the long-running serialization of "Dungeon Meshi," did you experience any changes in your mindset?

Kui: I think it was great to have the experience of learning that it would take 10 years to draw a story of this scale. And when I think about my lifespan and how many more works I can draw... it makes me dizzy.

Hiroi: I feel like I'm constantly fainting...

-- Ms. Kui, are there still any works you want to draw in your mind?

Kui: Not that much. But I love drawing manga, so I want to draw a lot. I don't know if I'll have the stamina to continue for another 10 volumes, but I want to continue working as a manga artist somehow.

But maybe... I don't think it will sell that well next time...

Hiroi: Stop! Don't say that!

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: In that respect, "Dungeon Meshi" sold well, so I was able to draw what I had imagined to the end. Next time, I think it would be better to consider the opposite scenario of "if it doesn't sell" and make it shorter.

That's the next new challenge.

-- In addition to the expectations for your next work, do you feel any pressure?

Kui: In my case, the first collection of short stories I published was fairly well received. For a manga I drew for the first time, that's about it.

That was a relief, but at the same time, I felt that "Ideally, the reputation of my next work will also steadily increase, but there will definitely be ups and downs." If the reputation of the next work is bad, will I be able to continue drawing without getting discouraged? I realized that the "battle with myself" had just begun , and I was terrified when I read the first volume.

What game has cute illustrations, in your opinion?

Kui: This is a completely different topic, but you 've played SaGa Frontier 2 , haven't you? Aren't the pixel art in SaGa Frontier 2 really cute?

--The pixel art in SaGa Frontier 2 is...the best!

Kui: The illustrations in "SaGa Frontier 2" have such exquisite balance... if you try to express that in a picture, you can't reproduce that cuteness. It's like "exquisite head-to-body ratio."

-- In your opinion, Ms. Kui, are there any games that have cute illustrations?

Kui: The first one that comes to mind is definitely SaGa Frontier 2. Also, I still remember how cute the character designs were in Final Fantasy Tactics.

But back in the day, I used to trace characters from FF7 . I thought, "There are so many cool designs in the world..." (laughs).

Hiroi: Nomura (Tetsuya)'s drawings are amazing, aren't they?

Kui: I traced Cloud and Aerith on tracing paper and quietly said to myself, "So cool..." and got really excited. I noticed something while I was working on the "Dungeon Meshi" anime...basically, games and anime are made by many people, aren't they? So I always thought, "Many people must be giving various opinions to make them."

But when I got involved, I realized that one person's power is quite large. This was quite surprising. I thought that there were multiple people who wrote the script and storyboards, and that each person had their own responsibility, but... the power of one person is quite large.

──No matter how much the work is divided up, it's important to have a director or supervisor who brings it all together.

Kui: Yes, in the end, it depends on the power of the person who takes the lead ...

However, at the same time, I think that the division of labor between scriptwriting and storyboarding is something that would never be possible with manga. In the end, you have to create everything in one person's mind, so "bias" inevitably arises. So personally, I don't like the idea of ​​it becoming a "world created in one person's mind."

Hiroi: However, not only in manga but also in novels, the individual author's personality is strongly expressed. I wouldn't go so far as to say "ideology"... but the person's way of thinking is strongly expressed.

Kui: Speaking of which, people who create games alone, such as indie games, are amazing.

It's often said that manga artists "come up with everything, from the art to the story, all by themselves," but I don't think they can compete with independent game creators who create the music, programming, and art all by themselves.

Moreover, even more than manga, no one can give their opinion until the game is completed. If you think about it that way, making a game by yourself is really a "one-man battle." At the same time, what I like about games is that there are quite a few "works that are not made with much consideration for cost" ... I enjoy it a little bit.

-- Do you ever think, "I want to make a game?"

Kui: I once bought RPG Maker , but it ended up being a complete failure... (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Love for "classic RPGs" was a major influence on "Dungeon Meshi"

-- I'd like to ask you, Ms. Kui, since you play a lot of titles on Steam and other platforms, have you ever had any problems playing a game?

Kui: Simply put, a "game that doesn't work" is a problem (laughs).

This sometimes happens with games made by individuals on Steam... they don't have any reviews, so there's no way to deal with it other than contacting them directly. There have been a few times when I've been stuck and wondered, "What should I do?"

Other times, I'll buy a title that just happens to pop up at the top of Steam's rankings. Sometimes I'll play it thinking, "The graphics are kind of cute, so I'll give it a try," only to find that it's incomplete beyond the framework.

--So now people are playing titles that aren't that major.

Kui: Also, when I played Planescape: Torment, which is said to have influenced Disco Elysium.

While playing, I came across a character who was suffering from a terrible curse that made his whole body smell and become sticky. A quest was triggered to ask the NPC who had cast the curse to lift it, but when I asked them to lift the curse, I ended up being cursed with a curse that made me have constant hiccups ...

So when I was walking around the town, the "hiccup" dialogue started popping up all the time. What's more, every time it happened, I would freeze up for about 0.1 seconds. All the dialogue was filled with "hiccups." Anyway, it was a troubling curse.

I had no idea how to deal with this either, so I decided to just kill the NPC who had put the curse on me. The NPC also challenged me by saying, "Maybe if you kill me, the curse will be lifted?", so I tried killing him, but... it didn't lift the curse at all (laughs).

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: I thought maybe the quest would progress in other places, so I walked around here and there, but the curse was not lifted after all. I was really curious, so I looked back at overseas information exchange thread online, and I found someone had written a lecture that said "You know what happens if you kill an important NPC without thinking about it, right?"

So I realized that this curse can never be lifted again. Even if I wanted to rewind, it was an auto-save, so I had to go back almost to the beginning... I was really... in trouble!

-- But "Planescape: Torment" hits a pretty impressive spot. Was it something that just happened to catch your eye while you were browsing Steam?

Kui: I originally liked games in the same genre as Baldur's Gate, so I think that's how I got into Planescape.

Also, I saw information that a huge amount of text in Planescape was translated by one person... I'm not very good at English, and games like Planescape have a lot of text to begin with, so I'm at a loss if it's not translated into Japanese .

However, when extraordinary people like those who make Planescape use their precious time from their lives to accomplish great things, I feel very grateful.

-- So, Ms. Kui, do you prefer games that are closer to the classics?

Kui: That's right. The first game I played was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and it was so much fun that I searched for "games similar to Skyrim" and played a lot of the games that came up.

All of them were completely different games from Skyrim, but they were fun. However, I don't like "old games". I think that newer games are generally more polished and well-made.

-- Wizardry, which influenced Dungeon Meshi, is also a classic work.

Kui: When I was a child, I saw my father playing Wizardry V : The Heart of the Maelstrom. As time passed, I remembered that there was a game called Wizardry. The game I played at that time was Wizardry VI: Forbidden Pencil.

I also played Wizardry V , but it was hard to see the map unless I chanted a spell. I was directionally challenged, so even though I had a guidebook at hand, I couldn't progress.

--By the way, were you more interested in making a manga out of "Wizardry" than the tabletop RPG "D&D" ?

Kui: When I was researching fantasy, "D&D" was often mentioned... but I had never even heard of "TRPG" before. First of all, you can't play it without friends, and I was shocked to find out that lots of people have friends they can play with like this...!?

Everyone: (laughs).

Kui: So when I looked up TRPGs on Wikipedia, I couldn't imagine that people actually played this kind of game. I was more confused and thought, "How can people really role-play in front of other people?"

After that, I watched replay videos on YouTube and it was only then that I understood how games like D&D worked.

Games, manga, novels. What is the purpose of all creative works?

-- What was the last game you played?

Kui: Recently I played a school management game called "Let's School." It's made by a Chinese company that also made "My Time at Sandrock."

Hiroi: You really like that kind of game, don't you? (laughs) Oh? Haven't you played "FF7 Rebirth" ?

Kui: I'm thinking about playing the remake of FF7 once it's completed.

Hiroi: No, no, if we don't do it now, we'll never finish it! It'll be a long time before we do it!

--Honestly, I also thought it would take about 10 years for FF7 Rebirth to be released.

Hiroi: I thought it would take about that long too... I really wanted it to be completed while I could still see. So, please do it!

Kui: Once it's finished...I want to play it all at once (laughs).

--Do you and Ms. Kui often talk about games?

Hiroi: Ms. Kui sometimes says, "I want to talk about this game, so I want you to play it." I played "Red Dead Redemption" because of that. Also, a long time ago, Ms. Kui recommended "13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim."

Kui: Whenever there's a game I want to discuss with someone, I always recommend it to Hiroi.

But maybe I haven't been playing games as much lately. Until now, I've been playing games because I thought of it as "for work," but now that the serialization of Dungeon Meshi has ended, I've been playing less games.

Moreover, I'm not the type of person who gets that into one game...I don't generally play through a game in repeated playthroughs, and I'm usually satisfied once I've finished the story.

Hiroi: Then we have to start [a new ] serialization soon.

Everyone: (laughs).

-- I'd like to ask you personally, do you have any "recommended indie games"?

Kui: I highly recommend "Papers, Please" and "Return of the Obra Dinn."

First of all, "Papers, Please" is a simple "spot the difference" game, so I didn't have high expectations at first. But when I played it, I felt like there was a proper "world" to it . Also, I was curious to see how the story continued.

And "Return of the Obra Dinn" had a great atmosphere. There were hints to solving the puzzles if you looked closely, but there was also a good balance of being able to force your way through, and the music and production were cool.

Hiroi: Come to think of it, you read quite a bit of the novel after the serialization ended, didn't you?

Kui: Ah, you mean "1984" by George Orwell? That was good...

I've always thought that creativity isn't necessary for life... It's entertainment, so it's not essential to life. But after reading "1984," I thought, "I guess creativity is necessary after all."

Humans need stories to experience things that should never come true, to prepare for bad things, and to prepare for understanding other people... You might think, "You should have already learned that when you were younger," but I was deeply moved by this realization.

Anyway, I feel that it would be great if people could learn things they didn't know before through this work.

Hiroi: ...Overall, it just felt like we had a fun time talking about games (laughs).

Kui: We just used the interview as an excuse to talk about the game (laughs).

-- No no, thank you very much for sharing your valuable story! (End)

I think I can understand a little bit about being interested in things you hate.

It's easy to analyze "why do you like something?" when you like it, but it's surprisingly difficult to analyze "why do you dislike something?" When you understand the reason, it seems that "why do you dislike it" is often more meaningful.

Perhaps creative works exist in part to help us understand the things we dislike.

I was able to hear a lot of deep "creation stories" that made me think about such things. Also, Ms. Kui is a huge gamer. Mr. Hiroi also likes games quite a bit. Since serious talk and game discussions alternated, the content may have been emotionally confusing. But I feel like "Dungeon Meshi" has a similar atmosphere.

If you haven't read "Dungeon Meshi," please take this opportunity to read it. It depicts a fun adventure. On top of that, it may help you prepare for difficult things that might happen in your life someday. Of course, it's also extremely interesting as a manga. I think it's definitely one of the best "entertainment" of our time.

Why does the body want to live? What does the mind want?

This is because we have a "desire" to pursue what we like and dislike. In fact, "things we dislike" are just as important as "things we like." By understanding our own "likes and dislikes" through creative works and entertainment, humans can prepare for things that happen in their future lives. Food and creative works are equally important for human growth.

...That said, I'm not sure if it has a nice punchline, or maybe not.

To eat. To experience creative works. These are truly the privileges of life. In order to live, we must continue to eat.

Now it's time to eat. What shall we eat today?

[unknownmads]

PRISON TOJII (he’s so addictive🤭) if he’s so bad then why does he look so good? like that’s literally my baby daddy y’all✊🏼😍 i wrote this kinda quick sorry i’ve been so busy y’all

“hey doll it’s good to finally meet you.”

the words rang through your ears having this be the first time you heard his voice, it was deep and rough his ton was teasing you quietly.

Prison Toji who’s eyes track as you reach into your bag grabbing a small notebook and pen. Opening the notebook revealed a page already full of questions you were waiting to ask him. oh how cute you are thinking about him so much just so excited. he’s pulled out of his trance when you finally speak.

“hi toji, it’s great to finally meet you too” your voice soft at first from your original anxiety about the situation. i mean your just here to meet him for your class nothing more. right? you wouldn’t be here because you love reading his letters telling you how pretty you are. how he wished he could take you out properly. Shamelessly telling you how hard he got to your pictures, but he was just flirting he’s a man in a prison it’s what happens.

Prison toji who finally speaks next the seconds feeling like eternity for him. He doesn’t want to have to sit across a table from you he wants you in his lap sitting pretty just how you are now.

“That’s a lot of writing in your lil notebook doll, you been thinkin of me?” this time his tone laced with teasing and smirk displayed on his lips. it draws attention to his scar, you had never asked about it not wanting to push things you shouldn’t, but you can’t help but ask anyways.

“where’d you get that scar?” pointing to your own lip as you looked up at him. a small chuckle escapes him surprised at your bluntness.

“well you’re quick to the questions today. you wanna get a closer look at it?” the gawking look one your face giving you away. with a quick nod you were leaning across the table to get a closer look as he did the same to help you.

Prison Toji who stops you with an almost surprised grunt when your hand reaches up to touch his lip where the scar is

“shit sorry” quietly escapes you as you looked away for a second toji takes this as an opportunity

“you’re okay sweetheart just gonna get us in some trouble if you do that.” his lips next to your ear as his breath brushing against your ear “can’t control myself around such a pretty thing like you.”

Prison Toji whose pants grow so much tighter when he sees how flustered you get from such a simple comment. You turn back to face him, his eyes instantly meeting yours challenging you telling you to do it, see how far it goes, see how bad he possibly is, and just like a moth to a flame you do just that. your hand grazing where his scar is going to cup his face, it was all so fast you could barely process it. he forced himself forward slamming his lips to yours. shock took you first then you eased into the kiss and began kissing back. and then you remembered HES A PRISONER AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR SCHOOL.

Prison toji whose ready to snap his cuffs when you pull away. leaning into you as much as he could almost whining when your lips part from his. he sees you shocked and guilt ridden with your finger touching your lips

“whats wrong doll didn’t like it? give me another chance to try again” his body fully leaning to you practically half way over the table.

“im sorry we shouldn’t hav- it wasn’t bad- just we can’t Toji.” your thoughts swirling the world is spinning. Could you get kick out of school? what if someone saw? are there cameras in here? why do i still want to? it’s wrong.

“It’s fine sweetheart no one will know, just you and me i know you want more from the look on your face and the way your sqeezin your thighs. don’t even try to deny it.”

Caught. like a fly in a trap, he’s got you.

Prison toji whose cock jumps when you slide out of your seat and approach him looking to make sure the guards weren’t watching. unknowing to the fact that toji already blackmailed both of them to let him have all the privacy he needed with you. the look in your eyes as you approached was pure lust and need for him.

“your sure we’ll be fine right?” you say as you lean down towards him

“im positive doll i made sure of it.”

Prison Toji who finally snaps his cuffs unable to take anymore. grabbing your hips and pulling you into his lap his face clashing with your the kiss is sloppy and full of need. a small sound escaping as he deepens the kiss.

“i’ve been dreaming of this.”

TAGS: @altgojo @nanmiik @kouyoumarryme @imaslothandsowhat @dragonmaiden79 @sircatchungus

SOME OF YALL DIDNT SHOW UP WHEN I SEARCHED IM SO SORRY😭

[lostinlovingrevery]

Old man Logan where reader asks for permission for everything she does “can I touch myself?” While giving him head, for example

Permissions

Old man Logan X F! Reader

May I?

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! so I hope you enjoy this!!!!! Def need old man logan being the boss of me...like. bad

Warning: SMUT <3, handjob/blowjob, f! masturbation, is this consider dom/sub? kinda orgasm denial/edging, uuuuh...not proofread....

He never had control over his life.

The beginning, to now. He was hurtling through chaos. Trapped in a vicious tornado that was life, barely able to grasp onto something long enough to keep him steady before the harsh winds pulled it away leaving him thrashing and fighting again.

After a century, he learned to live with it. Even grew to love the chaos at one point- he felt that he couldn't live without it, that it was meant for someone like him.

Even the points of his life where he may have appeared domestic, settled, hell- maybe living in something that was similar to peace; like with the X-men, was still a whirlwind for him. Every day was something new. Never a moment to breathe, a constant cycle of violence- but once again, he knew how to live with it. Never calling it quits, never waving that white flag, he pushes himself off the ground, spitting out blood and pus. That all you got, bub?

Now though, maybe he'd settle for a break.

His age was finally catching up to him, and then some.

It only meant more chaos. The adamantium that was melded to his bones, oh....40,50 years ago, was now wreaking havoc on his body. Causing him issues left and right, delayed healing factor, an annoying limp in his hip from when it rains- fuck he really was old- a hacking cough that made him feel like he was going to lose a lung.

It made him tired. Made him ready to throw in the towel.

Least, till you showed up.

The port in the storm. The first time he ever stopped- and took in the moment to breathe- to pause the cycle.

Sweet, pretty, eager thing you were. You looked at him like something desirable. Like he was the port in your storm. You looked up to him, trusted him.

You wanted nothing more than to please him.

He liked seeing you on your knees before him. The way you squirmed in subtle manners, pressing your thighs together, your hands clenching in frustration.

He could smell your arousal the second he walked in the door - you'd been eager for him to come home. Greeting him happily, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips- only for him to draw it out and make you more needy; then pull away as he walks over to the couch and plopping down with a dramatic sigh as the springs creaked from his weight. Acting as if you weren't standing there, full of hormones, the sweet scent of your longing for him filling the room and making his head cloudy.

It'd been a long day, no more different than every day though. Chauffeuring around assholes, parties and groups, all too drunk to even walk straight, too drunk to give decent tips either. Chaotic bunches. People he can't get to settle down as they yell and laugh, blaring music on their phones because he refuses to turn up the radio.

It's instinct for you at this point. You knew what he needed- to feel just even a grasp of control. It's what you needed too. Similar to Logan- you've lived a life of chaos, maybe not quite as...intense as Logan's was, but still there. Except for you, you wanted someone to take the reins. Someone to just...Take control. To feel like you'll be safe, taken care of- not having to worry about a thing. To be able to shut off your brain.

You liked giving in- letting him decide what to do. He gets his control, you get your comfort.

You followed him, while he pretended to be busy with getting comfortable- looking at him pleadingly. It's been a long day for you as well- and you wanted nothing more than to just...mindlessly suck him off.

"Lo?" You called his name and he finally looked at you. Biting your bottom lip, you scooted closer. "How was your day?"

"Usual." He says, eyeing you. "Yours, darling?" He reached over, tucking some hair behind your ear.

"Okay." You shrugged. Butterflies filled your stomach- even though you've been with Logan for a good amount of time now- he still makes you nervous. "Um..." You looked away shyly. "May I..." Your hand reached over to his thigh, fingers gently tracing downwards towards his zipper. "Play with you, for a bit?"

He smirked. "Well, ain't you polite?" He coos. He grabbed your hand, removing off him. "Don't recall you asking to touch first, though."

You frowned, a small pout on your lips.

"Don't give me that." He says.

"Sorry..."

He raised a brow and waited for you to continue. You looked back up at him. "May I touch you?"

"On your knees first darling."

You smiled, setting off the couch and moving to your knees between this spread legs. You looked up at him- giving him those doe- eyes you know he can't resist.

You waited for him to give you permission.

"Go on." He nods. "Take me out."

Your hands palmed his knees first, sliding up his thighs sensually until you reached his zipper. Slowly tugging it down, and undoing the button, you began to tug his pants down just enough to reach in and pull him out.

Only semi-erect, you spit in your hand, and grasped his base and looked up at him.

"Go ahead." He nods.

You started slow, beginning to pump your hand up and down his thick girth. Your spit being used as a lube- you watched his cock twitch in your hand as you reached to the base, before moving back up and fisting over his swollen head.

You felt your mouth watering as pre-cum beaded his tip. Your lips parted, unconsciously licking your lips as you became hypnotized with his cock as you stroked him.

He watched you with amusement- he loved watching you. The way you look at him like he's something...beautiful. He never thought he'd meet someone that would share that same passion he always wanted to share.

You looked up at him, meeting his eyes. He could feel your desire, your lust- he knew what you were going to say.

"May I taste you?"

He let out a breath. "Go ahead sugar."

With his permission, you leaned forward- sticking your tongue out and dipping it into the slit of his cock. His heady taste, salty and warm- made your eyes roll back and a soft moan escape you. You gripped the base of him, lowering your tongue down and licking him from the bottom to the top like an ice cream cone.

His cock jumped in your hand at the action. You could hear his breathing pick up- heavy, attempting to keep himself together.

You continued licking him like he was a delicate treat, savoring the flavor of his skin and sweat as you stroked him simultaneously. Logan's head tipped back, feeling himself get closer and closer to a finish- but he wasn't ready for that yet.

"Slow down. It's not going anywhere." He tells you. It made you whine- You didn't want to slow down, you wanted to take him whole, down your throat, to have your tongue covered with his essence- something you would end up tasting for the rest of the night into the next day.

Yet you still obeyed. Your hand slowed, and you gave him small kitten licks instead.

Your thighs pressed together, an attempt to relieve the ache that was between your legs. Your panties were drenched from your arousal- a throbbing ache in your clit that you need relief from.

You adjusted yourself on your knees, spreading them apart so you could pressed yourself onto the floor- the pressure relieving some of the tension you felt down there.

Continuing to stroke him, you watched pre-cum continuously bead out of him, and you chewed on your inner cheek- resisting the urge to lap him up.

"Lo-" Your voice tittered on a whine. "I want- Can I suck you off?"

A small laugh escaped him- making you frown. You're not sure what's so funny about that.

"I look that good huh sweetheart?"

"Mmhm." You nodded.

"Go ahead." He purrs, his hand reached over to curl into your hair and pull you closer.

You wrapped your lips around the head of his cock, swirling your tongue around him. Taking him deeper, you hollowed your cheeks, gagging slowly as he began to hit your throat- but you didn't stop.

Your tongue caressed the underside of his cock while your lips were flushed against his base and his salt-and-pepper hair that curled around his base tickled your nose.

A grunt escaped him, feeling you gag as your throat closed around the head of his cock- his hand tugged you back, pulling you off him completely until your mouth as hanging open, a string of spit connecting your lips to his cock.

"Fucking beautiful..." He mutters, before pulling you back down on him. You moaned, your eyes rolled back as you bobbed your head up and down his length, his hand that has ahold of you setting the pace.

You were unconsciously grinding against the floor- desperate for relief as you got him him. You took him down your throat again, choking on him and tears began to spill over your eyes from the pressure. You pulled yourself off of him and looking up at him pleadingly.

"Can I touch myself?" You asked breathlessly. Spit dribbling down your chin, your lips puffy and swollen.

He was half tempted to tell you no. To see you whine and squirm and beg- but you've been good.

"Do it baby." He says, his hand curling tighter into your hair. "Touch yourself for me."

You took his cock back into your mouth- as your hand climbed underneath the waist of your pants. Your fingers found your swollen clit- a soft whine escaping you as your fingers swirled fast and rough circles into your bud.

As much as he preferred to get you off himself- watching you do it while sucking him off? That was a different kind of power for him.

"Slow down." He orders. "Don't need to get yourself off so quickly darling. Enjoy it."

You whined with his cock in your mouth, and he tugged your hair hard. "Save it, or I'm telling you to stop."

You held back a cry- obliging as you slowed the pacing of your fingers, still working on sucking and savoring him.

A few minutes past- your orgasm never came- because Logan kept telling you to go faster, then slower- while controlling the pace of you sucking him off. It was almost scary how he knew how close you were to cumming every time- even when you tried to hide it. Afraid to ask him only to be denied again.

"Lo- Please." You gasped as you pulled off his cock. "May I cum? Please?"

He smirked, pushing you back down on him, all the way until his tip hit your throat again - your gag reflex was gone at this point.

"Go ahead darling-" He says, "Use both hands too."

A moan of relief escaped you. Your fingers worked tirelessly over your clit, as your free hand shoved your pants down your thighs so you could fit your other hand to your weeping hole.

Your cunt clenched around your fingers tight, as you began pumping them in and out of you. Moaning over his cock- Logans grip on you pulled you back and forth on his cock- allowing you to focus on getting yourself off while he fucked your mouth.

A cry escaped you as you came, your body trembling as you drenched your fingers with your arousal- pleasure racking through your body in waves.

Logan shoved his cock down your throat- a loud grunt escaping him as he spilled himself in ropes and coating your throat.

He pulled you off him, loud breathy pants escaping him as he tipped his head back. You stood up on shaky legs, and clambered onto his lap.

"Can I kiss you?" You asks, and he opened his eyes to look at you. Sweaty, spit and cum covered your lips and tears stained your cheeks. His hand reached to the back of your neck, pulling you closer,

"That's the one thing you don't have to ask for darling."

[vunblr]

Tangled (#5)

Pairing: Cecaelia! Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: 18+ only. Slight Angst. Fluff. Slow Burn. Eventual teratophilia.

Summary: Between fear and fascination, a solitary creature struggles to protect his hidden world -and himself- after an unexpected encounter with a curious human woman makes him question everything he thought he knew about trust, danger, and boundaries.

Word Count: 7.k.

Previous Chapter

It hurt.

The bite throbbed deep in her arm as a dull ache radiated up to her shoulder, and she was so cold. Once she started shivering, her body didn’t stop. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, heavy and chilled, sapping the little warmth she had left.

“I need...” Her teeth chattered as she spoke, breath puffing in short bursts. “I need to dry myself and change, alright? If not, I’m going to get sick.”

She wasn’t sure if he would understand, or if his mind was still fogged with the taste of her blood, but after a long pause, he gave a slow, reluctant nod and uncurled his fingers from her arm.

“Good,” she whispered, as much to herself as to him, before she pushed herself up and stumbled a little. Her fingers fumbled at her soaked shirt, peeling it off her skin with effort, since the fabric suctioned to her body.

Once she got it off, she quickly wrapped the towel around herself, but the shivering still wouldn’t stop. Her bra was next, the damp fabric was icy against her chest as she struggled to undo it with trembling hands.

She was dimly aware of his gaze following her every move. He didn’t look away.

But right now, she didn’t care. She was too cold, too lightheaded to bother with modesty.

Besides, her mind reasoned through the fog, his kind probably didn’t think much about nudity. Surely used to it, like creatures in the wild, like sirens and mermaids always told in stories, glittering tails, and bare skin, some accessories perhaps.

She told herself that again as she let the fabric drop and quickly scrubbed her skin with the edge of the towel, trying to rub some warmth back into her body.

But he kept watching.

There was a flicker of something in the way his eyes tracked her movements, a slow, deliberate study. His head tilted slightly as if seeing something he didn’t quite understand.

Because he didn’t.

Nudity for his kind -as she had guessed-, wasn’t special. Wasn’t private. It was natural. But in her… she was always covered. Always wrapped in fabrics and strange layers, and her softness was hidden from view. Seeing her now, vulnerable, nipples pert with the cold and her skin marked with his bite, it was different.

He stared longer than he meant to, drinking the sight of her body as if it were something forbidden. Something meant only for his eyes, though he couldn’t name why that thought nested heavy and possessive in his chest.

His tentacles shifted slightly against the stone, a faint echo of his thoughts, but he kept them to himself, restrained. He could still smell her. Her blood, yes, but also her, the scent that had first drawn him close. Now mingled with salt, with the faintest trace of fear and the iron tang of what she had given him. It curled inside him, deep and primal, stirring something that had little to do with hunger and everything to do with something else entirely.

She took a shaky breath, glancing sideways at him.

“Are you... feeling better?” she asked softly, voice hoarse from cold and strain.

His eyes locked on hers for a long moment, and then, finally, he gave a slow nod. She exhaled shakily and turned her attention to the first aid kit, moving clumsily but determined. "Alright," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to him, "Let's fix this so I can dress and not drop dead of hypothermia." She grabbed the bottle of alcohol and, without giving herself time to think, poured it over the bite.

"Fuck!"

The sharp curse burst from her lips, echoing in the cave, and for a moment he startled, drawing his brows together in surprise. His head tilted slightly, watching her as she hissed between her teeth, muttering another string of crude words under her breath.

He hadn't expected such fire from her.

Still, he kept silent, observing as she wrapped the wound in gauze with trembling hands, muttering about how she "should’ve known better" and "what the hell was she thinking."

Once done, she finally slipped on a sweater, and her shivering eased just a little as the dry fabric clung to her chilled skin. "Alright," she breathed again. "A little better." But as she reached for her leggings, realizing they were plastered to her skin like a second, icy layer, she cursed again under her breath.

She tried to peel them off with some effort, pulling at the waistband and wriggling her hips to shimmy out of them, but they wouldn’t cooperate. The damp fabric clung stubbornly to her, twisting and resisting every tug.

And all the while, he kept watching.

His gaze had grown sharper, more focused. He was watching her legs with undeniable interest, tilting his head slightly as his eyes followed the movements. She noticed, of course. It was impossible not to, though she pretended to focus on the impossible task of freeing herself from the wet clothes. Still, her cheeks heated slightly.

He had seen legs before, of course. Summer was full of women running along the shore, with their bare limbs glinting under the sun. And when he shifted -when he took on the human shape he loathed- he had a pair of his own. But this was her.

And her legs...

They fascinated him. The smoothness of her skin, the way they parted as she moved. He shouldn’t stare. His kind didn’t stare. But he couldn’t quite stop himself.

By the time she managed to peel the leggings down to her knees and tug them off entirely, she was panting, sitting half-wrapped in the towel, glaring at the offending garment like it was to blame for all her troubles.

"Goddamn leggings," she muttered darkly, tossing them aside.

Only then, noticing the weight of his gaze, did she glance back at him.

“What?” she asked, more breathless than she meant to be.

He blinked, and his tentacles gave a faint shift, but he said nothing.

There was no need to.

The way he was watching her said plenty.

And despite everything -the blood loss, the cold- her heart gave a traitorous little flutter. "Well, for as much of a curious creature as you are," she said, exhaling sharply, "I have to change my underwear, so turn around."

His head tilted slightly, watching her with sharp eyes.

She sighed and gestured firmly at her soaked panties, sensing her cheeks going warm again. "I'm not taking these off in front of you."

That made something flicker in his gaze, a subtle shift of understanding. Of course, his kind had their own way of keeping things private -concealed, protected within their bodies- but for a heartbeat, maybe he had been curious if she would treat it as casually as she had her top.

Her brow furrowed, noticing that flicker. "Oh, come on, you know what I mean. You have the same idea of modesty, don’t tell me you don’t."

His lips pressed together in a thin line. A little twitch of a tentacle gave him away. He had been curious at first, but now he looked like a kid caught with his hand in the jar.

"For God’s sake," she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temple before fixing him with a sharp look. "You're not going to see my- that. So either turn around or close your eyes. I don’t care which. Just... respect, okay?"

He huffed through his nose, a sound that might have been a sigh. Then, rolling his eyes in a way that feigned complete nonchalance -though she wasn’t fooled for a second- he turned his back to her. His shoulders shifted with the effort, and his tentacles dragged slightly behind him in a slow, reluctant sweep.

"Yeah, thought so," she muttered to herself, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her lips despite everything.

He was quiet, not peeking, though she noticed the way some of his limbs twitched, betraying that sharp attention he couldn’t quite suppress.

She worked quickly, fumbling with cold fingers to get her soaked underwear off and dry herself as best she could with what little she had left. The wetness was clinging to her skin, and she gritted her teeth as she pulled on something dry, shivering all the while.

Finally done, she hugged herself and sat down on the driest patch of rock she could find. "Alright," she called, her voice quieter, more tired. "You can turn around now."

He turned smoothly, fixing her with an expression that was just shy of smug, though she could see the glint of amusement in his eyes.

She looked properly at him, taking in the mess of torn flesh and deep purples that still marred his skin, but at least now he didn’t look dead. Not like before. His eyes followed her closely, sharp as ever despite the sluggish way his tentacles curled against the rock.

"I’m going home," she muttered, shivering as she hugged herself tighter. "I need... a hot shower and... and lie down."

He blinked at her, and the weight of her words sank in his brain as he noticed again how exhausted she looked, the way her lips trembled from cold. Right. Humans only threw themselves into the sea in summer, and even then, briefly. She was in no state to be standing, much less after what she gave him.

His gaze dropped to her arm, where his teeth had torn her skin, marking her. He swallowed hard, and the shame knotted heavy in his chest. Maybe he had taken more than he should, no, definitely more. His jaw clenched, and without a word, he reached out a hand toward her, palm up, curling slightly his fingers as if unsure if she’d accept the gesture.

"Thank you," he said, in a low and rough voice.

She looked at his hand for a moment, then reached out and took it, he noticed her grip weak, but warm despite the cold seeping into her bones. "I’m glad you’re fine," she murmured, and she meant it.

He gave a small nod, though something flickered in his eyes, something unreadable. He didn’t let go immediately, and his fingers stayed around hers as if trying to say something he couldn’t put into words.

She squeezed lightly before pulling back, swaying a little on her feet. A million questions were buzzing in her head -what had happened, who had hurt him, what kind of enemies could do that to something like him- but this wasn’t the time. She was half convinced she’d pass out right there if she pushed herself to stay longer.

He knew it too. Watching her stand there, weak and trembling, made something tighten painfully inside him. She had offered herself to him when his own kind had only wanted to see him dead. And now she could barely stand because of that. Because of him.

"I’ll be back," she said softly.

His eyes met hers, dark and deep. "Rest," he murmured, in a low rumble.

----

The first two days after she left him in that cave, Bucky barely stirred. He slept, as his body devoted all energy to repairing itself, mending his muscles, scarring the jagged wounds, and regrowing the piece of tentacle. The frozen fish she had brought wasn’t the same as the living, thrashing prey he normally hunted, but sustained him.

By the third day, he could move -slowly, carefully- and though his limbs ached, the worst of his condition was behind him. His skin had sealed itself shut, though angry scars marred now his sides and his arms. He traced them absently. He didn’t mind them. Scars spoke of survival. Of strength. A warning to anyone foolish enough to try again.

Still, she did not come.

Five sunrises and sunsets passed without a trace of her, neither at his cave nor her usual spot near the shore. His eyes scanned the waves every time he surfaced, but her figure never appeared.

The longer he waited, the more restless he became.

Was she angry? Had she regretted offering herself to heal him? Afraid of what she had done? -what he had done- Or worse, had he taken too much from her? And now…

The last thought pierced deep in his chest like a shard of ice. His claws dug into the stone as he remembered her weak, trembling form.

By the sixth day, the question haunted enough at him to make him decide. He had to see for himself. When the moon climbed high in the sky and bathed the waves in silver, he slid into the water and swam, silent and swift, cutting through the dark sea like a blade.

Reaching the cliffs where her lair stood far above, Bucky hesitated for a breath, then he braced himself.

His skin tingled first, like thousands of tiny needles pricking over every inch of his body. His spine arched in a weird angle as the transformation followed its course. He clenched his teeth, and a low snarl ripped out of his throat as his muscles pulled and twisted, and his bones reshaped and grew.

His lower half, powerful and fluid as the sea itself, writhed violently, tentacles snapping and curling in agony as they shrank, fused, and tore themselves into a new form. Flesh molded into legs, the sensation was like molten heat in his veins, like razors under his skin. His lungs strained as they adjusted, and a sharp burn flared in his chest.

By the time he stood in the shallow water near the rocks, the moonlight illuminated his pale, wet human form. His legs trembled under him, not used to hold his weight, and he cursed low under his breath, leaning against the cliff wall for support.

It had been too long since he walked on two feet. He hated it.

The jagged rocks bit into his bare soles as he stepped forward, slow and awkward, but he didn’t stop.

He took the narrow, winding road she always used, the one he had watched her walk countless times from the water, seeing her figure become small against the towering cliffs. Now, every step was a struggle. His legs, still weak and unsteady, burned as he forced himself up the steep path.

When he finally reached the top, his breath was ragged, and his chest heaved with the effort. Her den -house, he reminded himself- was farther inland than he had realized, nestled between wind-battered trees and rock.

His naked skin prickled under the cold night air, and for the first time in years, he truly felt what it was to be cold. The chill seeped into the bones of this fragile form and he cursed as he instinctively wrapped his arms around himself, tightening his jaw as he pushed forward.

When he finally stood before her door, he stared at it for a long moment, suddenly unsure. His hand, pale and scarred, reached for the handle,  but when he fumbled to turn it, it didn't give in. Locked.

He growled low with frustration. His fingers trembled slightly as he pulled and pushed at it again, as though it would suddenly yield to his desperation. But it didn’t. With a hissed curse, he stepped back and looked around, circling the building with a hunter’s eye. Every window was shut tight, covered with wood panels. No way in. No gaps.

The wind whipped around him, and his teeth clenched against the biting air as he made his way back to the door. He stood there, staring, then lifted his fist and banged against it. Once. Twice. Harder the third time.

Nothing.

His brow furrowed, and his heart pounded harder now, but not from the climb. He leaned in, pressing his palm flat against the wood, and then knocked again, slower. Please.

Still nothing.

“Hey,” he called out, voice rough and lower than he expected. He swallowed and tried again, stronger.

“Hey!”

Still no answer.

He hesitated, then called her name, soft at first, as if unsure it would be right to say it here. He knocked one more time, then leaned his forehead against the door, closing his eyes.

Maybe she was afraid. Of course she should be, he thought bitterly, as he leaned heavier against the door. Who in their right mind would open to a stranger pounding at their home in the dead of night? And yet, a part of him still hoped.

Then the faint shuffle of movement inside. His head jerked up. A sliver of light glowed under the door. Something stirred.

A sharp click of a lock being drawn back made his muscles tense, but he stayed rooted. The little spy door creaked open just enough for a pair of familiar eyes to peek out, wide and cautious.

They stared at each other. For a heartbeat, neither moved, only silence between them as if both were unsure this was even real.

She blinked fast, as if trying to clear her vision as if he might vanish if she looked too long. But he didn’t. He just stood there, pale and silent and very real.

With a rasp of metal, she unfastened the remaining locks and opened the door with a creak that seemed too loud in the quiet night.

Her nightgown hung loosely from her shoulders, soft and rumpled from sleep, socks drooping around her ankles in old slippers. Her hair was a mess, but her eyes, wide with surprise, roamed over him slowly, taking in every detail she could.

The salt clung to his skin, and streaks of sand still stuck to his legs, calves to thighs, like he had dragged himself straight from the shore without even bothering to shake it off. He looked like something that should be part of the sea but now stood shivering on her doorstep, with dark and tired eyes.

She didn’t even hesitate, just stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. "Come in," she said softly, like her throat was too sore to be louder.

He moved past her, and the warmth of the house wrapped around him. She quickly shut the door behind them, wincing as a cough broke from her chest, deep and rattling.

He turned immediately, so close now, like he couldn’t bear to put distance between them. His body, tall and broad even in its human shape, nearly caged her against the door as he stared down at her, searching her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, in a hoarse voice, forcing her gaze to stay on his face and not slide down to- well, other human attributes he clearly hadn’t thought to cover before coming.

"You didn’t come," he murmured, in a low tone, almost childlike in its simplicity. His eyes were heavy with something like worry, something that twisted in her chest. "Me- I thought I hurt you bad," he added, almost apologetic, as if unsure if the words were even right.

Oh.

Her heart ached, just a little. He had come all this way, dragging himself in a form that clearly still pained him,  because he thought he was the reason she was gone.

She coughed again, sharp and cutting, leaning back against the door to steady herself. "I'm just sick," she said, trying to make her voice sound stronger than it felt. "I have-" she hesitated, knowing asthma meant nothing to him. "My lungs aren’t in good shape. And that dive... it didn’t do me any favors."

His eyes stayed locked on her, wide, dark, and so worried. All that cold sharpness she was used to seeing in him, was gone. He looked... lost.

"Normal people would just get a cold," she mumbled, trying to lighten it, but she could see that wasn’t helping. "I just feel worse, but I’ll be fine." Something in him seemed to crumble a little at her words, and she felt bad for it. "Let me..." she rasped, pushing herself upright. "Let me get you a blanket, alright? You’re freezing."

He opened his mouth like he wanted to protest, to say no, to be proud or stubborn, but his body betrayed him with a violent shudder as if all his strength was finally giving out now that he was inside, now that he was with her. With a small exhale that sounded almost like surrender, he stepped aside, giving her space.

She shuffled carefully toward the couch, holding onto the backrest for support, and grabbed one of the afghans draped over it, thick, soft, and worn from use. With a tired gesture, she motioned him over with her hand, a silent come here that he obeyed without question.

As he moved, still shivering slightly, she wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and, with a gentle but firm push on his chest, made him sit. He blinked up at her, surprised by how easily she handled him. She knelt in front of him, tucking the edges of the blanket closer around his body to keep him warm, and brushing her fingers against his chilled skin.

Only when he settled back against the cushions, adjusting to the warmth entering his body, did he notice the small, uneven squares stitched together in the fabric. His fingers ran lightly over the seams, following the path of color changes and shapes.

"You made?" he asked quietly, eyes wide with a kind of awe that made her blink in surprise.

"Yeah," she exhaled, sitting on the carpet, wrapping her arms loosely around herself as another wave of chills ran through her frame. "What I do on the shore... usually they're pieces of things. I finish them here, later. For me, or to sell."

His gaze lingered on the patchwork, gently rubbing a corner between his thumb and forefinger, as though the stitches themselves were something rare. "Pretty," he said after a pause, a faint, soft smile curving his lips, almost shy as if he wasn’t used to giving praise.

She smiled faintly, watching him, but his mind was already wandering. To sell, she had said. So she was a maker, a weaver of things. That much he had known, from all those hours watching her at the shore, seeing her hands moving fast with hooks and yarn. But now he understood that it was how she earned her living too.

His eyes drifted away from the blanket, scanning the room as if seeing it properly for the first time. Little pieces of her were everywhere; the curtains had a lace edging, delicate and clearly handmade. There were small woven mats on the floor, some with shells and stones embroidered in. Trinkets and small crocheted baskets on shelves, filled with things he didn't understand.

Her lair, he thought, amused for a moment at the word. A soft, safe place she had built for herself. And now he was sitting right in the middle of it, wrapped in her warmth. He wondered, idly, if she had more of these blankets in her nest. If she slept under them, bundled in soft, colorful things.

She stood up, grabbed another blanket, and wrapped herself in it, sinking onto the couch beside him with a sigh.

"You surprised me," she murmured after a moment, glancing sideways at him. "There were stories... but I didn’t know you could shift."

He just nodded, not offering more. His eyes flicked toward her, watching her face as she spoke, but his mouth stayed in a tight line.

"So you came because I didn’t show up," she continued softly, turning to face him more fully, "and thought something bad happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably, slightly hunching his shoulders, and gave a short, curt nod.

A small smile tugged at her lips, gentle and warm. "That was very nice of you. Thank you."

Nice.

The word caught him off guard. He had been called many things over the years, but nice had never been one of them. He didn’t quite know what to do with that word. His jaw worked, sharp teeth clicking softly in his mouth, an old habit when he didn’t know how to respond.

She noticed, but didn’t push. Instead, she shifted the conversation with a little grin. "Tell you what," she said, nudging his arm lightly. "If we don’t fix your situation, you’re going to be sick too. Why don't you get a bath, and I’ll find you some clothes to wear?"

He furrowed his brow, clearly confused. "Bath? I came... wet."

"Oh no, darling," she said, her smile widening just a bit, teasing but kind. "I mean a hot bath. Or a shower. To clean, and warm up your body. No offense, but you’re leaving sand everywhere."

His frown deepened, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Shower?"

She raised a brow, tilting her head. So he could shape-shift but clearly hadn’t spent enough time as a human to pick up on basic things -or, he did it a long time ago when certain things didn’t exist yet-. "A water spray to wash your body," she explained patiently. "It’s nice, you’ll see. Like rain, but hot."

"Don’t like rain," he grumbled, and his expression soured at the thought.

She let out a low laugh, shaking her head. "You’ll like this!" Pushing herself up with effort, she extended a hand toward him, waiting. "Come on. I’ll show you how it works."

He stared at her hand for a long moment before reaching out with a quiet huff of breath through his nose.

She led him gently by the hand, still wrapped in the blanket, toward the bathroom. "Alright," she said, flicking on the light with a soft click that made him blink. "This the bathroom."

He looked around curiously, eyeing the strange room with its bright tiles and mirror.

“And this is the shower.” She opened the curtain and turned the handles, causing the water to rush out from above. He startled at the sound alone, tensing his body, and the second the water burst to life and sprayed downward, he jumped back with a sharp hiss, all wide eye and defensive.

"Hey, hey! it's okay." she soothed quickly, holding her hands up. "It's just water. See?" She reached in and let her fingers run under the stream. "It comes out warm. Or, well, you can make it warm."

He didn't move closer, but he didn't back away either. His eyes narrowed, still suspicious, and then he sniffed the air cautiously.

"Look," she added gently, reaching for the handles, "This controls how hot or cold it is. This one," she twisted slightly the one at the left “gives you hot water, and this one is the cold water."

Tentatively, he reached out, grazing the stream with his long fingers. His eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed thoughtfully. "Hot," he muttered, a little pleased as if this was something he could appreciate.

"Exactly." She picked up the soap and handed it to him. "This is to clean yourself. You rub it on your skin while the water runs, then rinse it off."

He turned the soap in his hand like it was a strange rock, sniffed it, and made a face. "Smells weird."

"Yeah, but it works. Trust me."

She turned to the shelf and picked up a bottle. "And this is shampoo. You use it for your hair. You rub it in and rinse it out. And this-" she lifted a second bottle "is the conditioner. For after the shampoo. Makes your hair soft."

He looked at her, then at the bottles, and back to her again, clearly overwhelmed. "Too much," he grunted, frowning.

"You'll figure it out," she said, softer this time, trying to sound reassuring. "Just... do your best."

His fingers tightened slightly around the soap before he looked at her again.

"You stay?"

Her lips parted, caught off guard. "Well… it's usually a private thing," she explained, suddenly hyper-aware of how small the space was.

He tilted his head slightly as if considering that. Then, his gaze flicked toward the shampoo bottle. "Help," he said simply, though the way his eyes glinted suggested he knew he was pushing his luck.

She exhaled, shaking her head. "Ok, I’ll stay here sitting on the toilet, if you need company," she relented. "But I am not washing your hair there, it's not proper."

Like a creature like him would give a damn about propriety.

"If you can’t figure it out, I can help you later in the kitchen sink. But-"

Before she could finish, he shrugged off the blanket and stepped into the shower, completely unbothered.

Her brain took half a second too long to catch up, and in that half-second, her gaze dropped and…

Oh my god

Heat rushed to her face as she promptly yanked the curtain closed between them.

There was a sharp hiss of irritation and she saw his hand tugging the curtain.

"No! Don’t pull that or you’ll splash water everywhere!" she called, catching the fabric before it slid open. "Just… do what I said, alright? I'm going to get you some clothes, and I’ll be back in a second."

There was a pause, then a small grunt in response.

She remembered a box of old clothes -possibly Arthur’s or the last tenant- in the upper section of the bedroom’s closet. It had been tucked away but now seemed like the perfect moment to rummage through it.

Kneeling, she flipped the lid open and sifted through the contents. Most of it was outdated or too stiff from being folded away so long, but eventually, she pulled out a red henley and a pair of black sweatpants. They smelled a little musty, the way fabric does when left untouched for too long, but she grabbed a bottle of fabric refresher, giving them a quick spritz to make them more tolerable.

She didn’t bother looking for underwear. Somehow, she had the distinct feeling he wouldn’t want to wear any.

With the clothes in hand, she returned to the bathroom, settling back onto the closed toilet seat. “Alright,” she called over the sound of the water. “I’m right here. When you’re done, just shut off the handles and wait for me to hand you a towel.”

A grunt of acknowledgment.

She sat there, listening to the water run, idly picking at the fabric of her sleeve. After a while, his voice broke the quiet.

"Done."

She had a split second to react before she heard the curtain shift.

Thinking fast, she grabbed the towel, snapped it open, and held it up just as the curtain was yanked aside. The thick fabric stretched between her hands, covering him from the ribs down, effectively shielding his modesty.

He blinked at her, slightly surprised.

"Here," she said, firmly but without meeting his gaze. "Wrap this around yourself, then go to the bedroom. You'll find clothes there."

She turned on her heel before he could say anything else, slipping out of the bathroom and pulling the door shut behind her.

Let him figure it out from there.

----

He did as she instructed, stepping into the dimly lit room where the clothes lay atop a large, soft surface. It was covered in layered fabrics -those stitched squares she seemed to favor- and… in something else.

Her scent. It was stronger here than anywhere else.

Her nest.

The thought sent a subtle ripple of interest through his body, especially as he realized no other scent clung to it. No lingering trace of another human, no competing claim. Just hers.

But the clothes… those were different.

As he picked up the garments, an unfamiliar perfume clung to the fabric. Faint but there, something aged and stale, like it had been tucked away for too long. Beneath that, a lingering scent of an adult male, distant but undeniable.

Something in him bristled at the intrusion. His teeth clicked together in irritation, but he forced himself to put the clothes on. The scent was old and faded, and if he wore them long enough, his own smell would replace it, overwriting whatever trace of the other male that could linger on it.

He fumbled briefly with the fabric, getting a feel for it, but he wasn’t stupid, he figured out how to wear them well enough. The material was strange against his skin, it felt confining in ways he wasn’t used to, but it would do.

Once dressed, he went to the other room, finding her seated, coughing into her sleeve.

When she looked at him, two things stood out immediately.

One: Arthur’s clothes were definitely too small for him, stretching across his broad frame, and clinging in places she absolutely shouldn’t be staring at.

And two: his wet hair was a dripping mess, with strands clinging to his face, and the ends soaking into the too-tight henley, leaving a growing trail of water on the floor.

She huffed and grabbed a clean kitchen towel, stepping closer to drape it over his shoulders. He stilled at the touch but let her.

“That’s to keep you from getting everything wet,” she muttered, smoothing it down. “Did you even wash your hair?”

He looked at her, then simply said, “No.”

A pause. Then, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You do.”

She opened her mouth, then shut it. Technically, she had told him she’d help if he couldn’t figure it out. And since he was now standing in her kitchen, dripping on her floor, looking at her expectantly… she only had herself to blame.

“Alright, big guy…” She exhaled, gesturing toward the kitchen. “C’mon.”

He followed her as she led him to the sink, watching as she adjusted the faucet.

“It’s really long,” she remarked, barely brushing her fingers on his hair. “Doesn’t it get in the way? Feel heavy?”

He hadn’t thought much about it. It had been a long time since he last cut it, always with sharp shells, never bothering to care about evenness. It had simply been a necessity. But now, out of the water, yes, he could feel its weight. “Heavy.” He conceded.

She nodded. “I could trim it for you after we wash it if you want.”

His muscles tensed, just for a second. The thought of her holding something sharp near his neck sent a flicker of warning down his spine. He had lived a long time surrounded by danger, and he knew better than to let someone close with a blade.

But she had saved him. Given him her essence, cared for him when she had no reason to. If she wanted him dead, she could just have left him rot in that cave.

So, after a moment, he nodded.

She smiled, just a little, rolling up her sleeves. “Alright. Close your eyes,” she instructed as she guided him into place. “It might sting.”

He obeyed, and the next thing he felt was the warm rush of water over his scalp, and her fingers threading softly through his hair, untangling the knots with careful, patient movements.

----

She patted his shoulder when she finished rinsing the last of the suds from his hair. "Alright. Go sit," she instructed, nodding toward one of the chairs.

He did as she said, shaking off excess water before lowering himself onto the seat, with the damp strands clinging to his skin. He watched as she moved around the small space, opening a drawer, then a cabinet, before disappearing for a moment.

A cough echoed from the other room.

His jaw clenched. Right. She had gotten sick for helping him, and here he was, sitting there comfortably, being served like she was some kind of thrall.

When she returned, with brush and comb in one hand, and scissors in the other, he frowned and lifted one of his hands. "Rest."

She blinked at him. "What?"

He gestured vaguely. "You are sick. Rest."

A small, amused breath left her lips, though she tried to smother it. "I feel better," she reassured. "And cutting a little hair isn't going to kill me."

He didn't look convinced, and his sharp gaze flickered between her and the items in her hands.

She sighed, shifting her grip on the scissors. "How about this? Once I'm done, we can sit on the couch. And talk. Properly."

His brow furrowed. It felt like a bribe, one he wasn’t sure why she was offering. But she had already moved in front of him, kneeling slightly to meet his gaze. She held up the scissors, clicking them open and shut. "These are scissors. They cut through things, cloth, paper, hair. See?" She snapped them once more before setting them aside.

Then, she ran her fingers through his damp strands, gently working through some stubborn tangles. He stiffened slightly at the contact but didn’t pull away. She picked up the brush next, starting at the ends and working her way up in slow, careful strokes. "The brush gets rid of knots," she explained. "Makes it easier to manage the hair."

His lids drooped slightly as she continued, finding the rhythmic pull of the bristles oddly soothing.

Once she had smoothed out most of it, she switched to the comb, working through smaller sections. "This one makes sure everything's neat before I cut," she said absently, more focused on her task than his reaction.

He hummed low in his throat. This was... new. Different from his usual crude attempts at grooming.

She set the scissors down for a moment and ran her fingers through his now untangled hair. "How much do you want to cut?"

He considered, then lifted a hand to his shoulder.

"That’s a nice length," she commented.

Something warm bloomed in his chest at her approval, but he made an uninterested shrug.

She started cutting then, slow and methodically, with the snip of the scissors as the only sound in the room.

With each careful comb-through, and each precise trim, he felt a strange sense of weightlessness. His eyes grew heavier, as the gentle pull of her hands and the repetitive motions slowly lulled him. Before he realized it, his head had dipped slightly forward, and the sleep finally took over him.

She hesitated when she noticed, stilling the scissors in her hand. For a long moment, she just watched him.

The slight furrow of his brow had smoothed out. The corners of his eyes held the faintest wrinkles, softened by the rest, rather than tension. And the freckles, the small constellation near his ear.

Her gaze drifted lower, to the shape of his lips.

Handsome. So, so handsome.

She exhaled slowly, shaking herself out of it. Carefully, she made the last few cuts, finishing her work with a light touch to sweep away stray strands. Then, just as gently, she placed her hand on his arm.

He stirred at the contact, blinking groggily. His body felt oddly down by something unfamiliar, comfort. The notion hit him promptly. He had fallen asleep.

His breath hitched as he straightened, rolling his neck to ease the dull ache from the angle he had held his head. He had never allowed himself to such a vulnerable position before others, not on land, not in the depths of the sea. Yet, with her hands in his hair, smoothing, cutting, working with deliberate care, he had let his guard slip.

"All done," she murmured. pulling him from his thoughts. "If you want to see how it turned out, go check the mirror."

He sat there for a moment longer. Then, without a word, he pushed himself to his feet and padded toward the bathroom.

She watched him go, still brushing a few stray strands of his hair off her hands.

He hesitated just inside the doorway, eyeing the mirror with suspicion. It was strange, this human thing, a glass that reflected, capturing an image too perfectly. Some whispered that mirrors could steal a soul, trapping it within their depths.

The thought nagged his mind, but, she had one in her home, in a place she used daily. If it were so dangerous, why would she keep it so casually? And when he’d caught a glimpse earlier, nothing strange had happened. No shift in the air, no pull on his spirit.

Still, something in him resisted.

From behind, he could feel her waiting, watching, likely assuming he hadn’t understood her instruction. She had no idea of the war waging inside his head.

He exhaled sharply, steeling his resolve, then gave her a short nod before stepping inside.

He stared.

The face in the mirror wasn’t the shifting, distorted thing he had seen in water, nor the dull, vague glint of himself reflected in metal. This was clear. He could study himself the way he studied others.

His gaze traced his own features, the sharp cut of his jaw, the lines of his mouth. He bared his teeth slightly, then ran his tongue over one incisor.

His dark hair -shorter now- felt lighter when he moved his head. He cast it to the side, tilting his neck, watching the way the tendons shifted beneath his skin. He traced them with his middle finger. Would she find this appealing? Did it look… manly? He frowned, lips pressing together.

The mere thought irritated him. He shouldn’t care.

But he did.

Because that afternoon on the beach, before everything spiraled, before he had almost drowned in pain, she had let him sense her. Sensed him. And then, she even saved him with her own life force, offering herself freely. That had done something to him, crept under his skin like the tide creeping over the sand: slow, relentless, and impossible to ignore.

And now? Now, he found himself standing before this strange human glass, inspecting himself through her eyes, wondering if she would approve.

He tilted his head the other way, observing the length of his now-trimmed hair, and again, the sharp angles of his face, considering this unsettling, foreign feeling, this desire to be seen. To be… liked?

Then, her voice called out from the other room.

“Everything fine there?”

He blinked, startled, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t. One last glance at his reflection, then he turned away, stepping back into the warm light of her home.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @civilbucky @thatesqcrush @lonelyghosts-stuff @x-press-it @the-voice-beckons-below @angelilacsworld @dollface-xoxo @mcira @lazyneonrabbitt @vxllys @namjoohnie @sebastians-love @misspendragonsworld @thewriters64 @escapefromrealitylol @hi172826 @wintrsoldrluvr @reddesires @ruexj283 @buckvoidsyy @littlesuniee @kimberly-stocks @pandaxnienke

Dividers by: @/strangergraphics

[remxedmoon]

(You don’t know how much longer you can do this.)

hi the wip for this was absolutely not supposed to blow up. why does that have 1k notes. horrifying. anyways!!!! it’s update time baby!!!! 64 new assets this time around!

so that’s what the caption was supposed to be. this update was already pretty damn big and took a ton of time to make!!! and i was finally done!! but then my hand slipped and now we’re at 143 new assets. super sorry for the delay! That Was Not Supposed To Happen.

i’ll go more indepth below the cut, but this update encompasses all menu/profile art for both isat and sasasaap, battle portraits for sasasaap, every single pixel icon in isat (to my knowledge anyways), the dialogue skipping animations, and a few miscellaneous additions.

also i spent too much time on these to put them below the cut so Please God Look At My Icon Resprites I Spent 16 Hours On Them. enjoy!

okay first things first. why the hell is this batch 143 assets. so. i HEAVILY underestimated how many times the menu drawings are used in the games. even removing all of the custom art, it’s still ≈30-40 variations! that’s a lot! and once i finally finished everything, i got Posting Anxiety and somehow convinced myself that attempting Animation And Pixel Art (two things i haven’t done in YEARS) would be easier than writing a normal post. so here we are.

the custom art here is pretty much par for the course at this point. extra menu art for bonnie, extra expressions for the party in act 5, we’ve done this enough times that it’s expected. i am aware that bonnie’s custom menu art gets completely covered by the ui. i kept it in because it’s really funny (and also i didn’t feel like extending the sprite (but then the sasasaap version forced me to extend the sprite anyways so Whartever)).

once again, provided a spritesheet for sasasaap’s battle portraits! i do intend to cover both games, it’s just a slightly lower priority atm. unlike isat though, i’ve got Less (read “No”) experience with sasasaap, so there might be more issues with those assets?? apologies if there are, i’ll try to fix any issues that come up!

the Miscellaneous Additions i mentioned above are the sprites used on the teleport map and the loading screen, which is just a tiny version of the skipping animation. they were pretty small, so i figured i might as well get them out of the way!

not actually much to say about the 75 icons surprisingly! i haven’t done pixel art in about 5 years?? and that’s a Travesty actually these were super fun to make. i did make mockups for the overworld sprites earlier, but they aren’t Officially part of the redraws (yet) so they’re getting posted seperately

and also!! some exciting news!! this project might actually become a Proper Published Mod pretty soon!! i’ve been in contact with someone who’s willing to help me get everything set up, and i’ll be getting a Usable Computer around the end of the year!!!! it’ll still be at least a month before it’s up (i’d like to get the enemy art finished beforehand wauaua) but!!! still exciting!

okay, i think that’s everything relevant to the update!! i Definitely can’t fit all of the relevant assets here lol. but i’ll try my best ! please enjoy !!

[kozachenko]

Finally decided to play around with my old lineless style again! Also figured out a way to draw Reimu that I actually really like!

Artist's Notes;

I've mentioned in a few earlier posts that I've been wanting to draw in my lineless style again for a while as a way to test what I've learnt from my previous style in regards to lighting. I did the face first and then for a while was thinking about doing a full body illustration of Reimu just to draw her outfit again. I'll talk about the face first since that's the first drawing I did in this batch.

For the longest time I really couldn't find a way to translate Reimu's face into my style. I was able to make her clothes work out well, just not really her face. I did like elements of how I drew her face a few other times, namely the tiny eyebrows and her pupils, but they didn't really feel like Reimu to me, or at least how I imagined her in my head. I then realized that it was less of a problem with the entire face and moreso the eyes, and it took me quite a bit of trial and error to make something that I was happy with. Also, as much as I thought the tiny eyebrows were cute, it didn't really make sense with her character. Like, from what I know about Japanese history, plucking your eyebrows was something that nobles (rich people) would do, and since Reimu is...neither of those things, I decided to just give her some thicker eyebrows instead (I will be saving the plucked eyebrows for another character though, so they will return). After I got to a face I was happy with, my next challenge was the hair. I did the front part first and liked that enough to continue, and then after more trial and error I realized that deep down I was a short-hair-Reimu-is-best-Reimu-truther this whole time because once I gave up on the long hair and gave her shorter hair something just clicked in my brain. And so, after drawing her outfit in again (this time without the yellow tie which is kinda sad but I'll find a way to incorperate it into future designs because it just was not making sense to me in context with the rest of the outfit) and finnicking around with the bow, I came to a version of Reimu's face that I actually liked. I thought that it made more sense for her character to have her cut it short, mainly because she's doing a bunch of Youkai extermination and she has to keep her hair out of her face somehow. I still wanted to make it kinda messy though, as Reimu is probably too lazy to clean it up herself. I think another reason I like it so much is because in Forbidden Scrollery, Moe Harukawa gave Reimu short hair and that really suited her, so I guess that was just a subconcious reason as to why I liked it so much. I also think that the shorter hair helps to separate her a lot from Marisa, as I think Marisa looks really good with longer hair. Speaking of, now I wanna do a drawing of her and Reimu together to really solidify how I draw them (unlike the previous version where it was just them standing). As much as I do like the face, I am concerned if she looks too much like how I drew Keiki now, but that might just be a product of the stylistic choices I made with her eyes and I might just be overthinking it. I am hyperaware of same face syndrome so that's probably the reason I'm so concerned about it lol.

Now for the fully body drawing. I was struggling to think of a good pose for her, so I just took a picture of myself and used that as a reference while still making slight adjustments for readability's sake. This is another case of, "I've looked at this too long and can spot every single issue with it" but this time I'm still happy with the final product mainly because this was a test drive for how I want to develop my lineless style in the future and for what it is I am more than pleased with the result. The main reason I deviated away from my lineless style was mainly because I was having a hard time with the lighting and making it interesting, and I am so glad that I've finally found a way to make it work! I'm especially happy with the clothes, as I think clothing folds are really fun to draw. I was somewhat inspired by the works of J.C. Lyendecker and the way he draws clothes, though admittedly it is not a one to one, since I mainly wanted to try implying the shading of the clothing folds with shapes (I do really want to do a study of his style one day as his art is incredible). So for the sleeves, I drew in a bunch of triangles where I wanted there to be a strong highlight, roughly coloured in the inside, and then blended them all so it looks like a more subtle. On both of these drawings, I also added in a noise filter to give it some texture (as that's what I used to often do with my drawings) and while I do like it, I might want to experiment with making it more subtle in the future, as it's pretty noticeable in both these drawings. Overall, I'm really happy with the lighting and colours of this drawing, and while I could nitpick several aspects of it (her hand holding the gohei looks too tense, I tried making her look like she was standing on the balls of her feet but the positioning of her Gohei's trail of papers ends up making it look weird, and I could've put more effort into the hair and bow and so many more things), this is more of a piece for me to experiment with my style again, and I'm excited for when I get a new idea for a piece, as I really wanna try some more stuff out with this style!

[the-ancient-dragons]

Observe the final Overcomplicated Pyrrhian tribe, the NightWings!!

As always, Joy and Tui already did an amazing job, I'm just adding my own flair.

Details and explanation below.

Next week I have something special... See you then!

More overcomplicated dragons.

The NightWing took me forever. First with school, and then because I picked the most annoying references. It was perfect, at least I thought it was, until I had to draw scales over the entire thing. THE ENTIRE THING. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First, I modelled the main anatomy after the komodo dragon. A really uninspired choice but I saw how Morrowseer tracked that albatross in book 4 and said hold my 2 mL of beer. I recently did a few alterations because I felt I was following the komodo anatomy too much. I think I've got a nice balance now, but I might change it later when I do the full body.

Next is the elephant in the room, that fact that there are way too many small scales, especially over the areas that look like large scales. That comes from the caiman lizard. In the references I had their body scales had folded in the EXACT pattern of NightWing scales. As soon as I saw it I knew I needed to use them. You can also find their influences around the mouth with those large "lips" and the silver scales along the neck.

Lastly I used european starlings for the glossy scales. Not every NightWing would have blue and green and purple on them, but it would be a possibility, and I wanted it on this one to show that. Depending on the angle you look at them you would see a different colour. Some starlings also have lots of white spots on their underbelly, which I thought would look perfect for the underbelly of a NightWing. Again, not every dragon would have this, but it would make sense. If the underside of their wings are star-spangled then their necks, stomachs, and tails might as well be, no?

I really had a lot of fun with this. I mentioned something special next week and I think it's something you'll really like (if you liked this series so much). No spoilers though! Until next time >:)

[rose24207]

Hii! Could I request a George or Fred Weasley (you can choose) x fem reader where she goes to the mission to take Harry to the burrow and she gets caught into a big fight during the seven Potters battle and she is the last one to arrive so he is very worried because he thinks she may be badly hurt or even dead and when she finally arrives he doesn't want to leave her side?

I‘m okay

Summary: During the chaotic Battle of the Seven Potters, Fred is consumed with worry when his girlfriend is the last to arrive at the Burrow, battered but alive, prompting him to stay by her side all night, vowing never to let her face such danger alone again.

Genre: angst, fluff

TW: mentions of war, fighting, blood, injuries

A/N: love it! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

The night was heavy with the weight of what lay ahead as you gathered in the dimly lit yard of Privet Drive. The street was unnervingly quiet, a stark contrast to the storm of danger waiting just beyond.

Harry looked uncomfortable as everyone circled him, the seven decoys preparing for their transformation. You tried to steady your breathing, clutching your broom a little tighter than usual.

Fred appeared at your side, his warm presence a small comfort in the chilly night. “You alright?” he asked, his voice low.

You glanced up at him and nodded, though the slight tremor in your hand betrayed you. “Just nerves,” you admitted. “Doesn’t help that Mad-Eye keeps glaring at everyone like we’re already dead.”

Fred grinned, his expression easing some of your tension. “That’s just his face. He’d probably glare at his own reflection if he saw it in the mirror.”

You snorted, covering your mouth to stifle the laugh. Mad-Eye’s gruff voice interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention.

“All right, listen up!” Moody barked, his magical eye swiveling to take in the group. “Flask’s going around. Drink it down, and for Merlin’s sake, don’t make a bloody fuss. Potter needs every minute we can buy him.”

The Polyjuice Potion was passed along, and Fred grabbed the flask when it reached him. He turned to you, smirking. “Ladies first?”

You rolled your eyes, taking the potion from him. “You’re lucky I love you, Weasley,” you teased, before swallowing the foul liquid in one go.

The transformation was quick but disorienting, and you blinked down at yourself, now staring at Harry’s hands. “This is weird,” you muttered.

Fred, now also a copy of Harry, wagged his eyebrows at you. “Weird, but dashing,” he said, striking a ridiculous pose.

George, another Harry, chimed in, “If we survive this, we should all go to Diagon Alley like this. Really mess with people’s heads.”

“Focus!” Moody barked, glaring at the twins. “You’re not Harry until you get him safely to the Burrow.”

Fred shot you a wink as you grabbed your broom, standing in formation. Just before you mounted, he leaned in close, his voice soft and serious. “Hey. Don’t do anything stupid, yeah? Stick with Kingsley, and don’t try to be a hero.”

“Fred,” you said, turning to meet his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I promise. You should worry about yourself for once.”

He hesitated, his gaze lingering on you for a beat longer than usual. Then he nodded, forcing a grin. “I always worry about myself. I’m fantastic.”

You shook your head, smiling despite the tension in the air.

“All right, move out!” Moody shouted, and suddenly, there was no more time for jokes. You mounted your broom and took off, stealing one last glance at Fred as he sped into the night.

The chaos hit like a thunderclap the moment you left the safety of the wards. The air around you exploded with curses and shouts, Death Eaters closing in on all sides.

You stuck close to Kingsley as planned, the two of you weaving through the sky in tight formation.

“Go high, stay fast!” Kingsley commanded, his deep voice cutting through the chaos.

You followed his lead, dodging a streak of green light that whizzed past your shoulder. The Death Eaters were relentless, their masked faces flashing in the darkness as they gave chase.

Your wand flicked upward, firing a defensive spell that sent one of them spiraling off course.

“Stay with me!” Kingsley shouted again, but the noise and chaos made it hard to hear. You lost sight of him for a moment, turning sharply to evade another curse.

Back at the Burrow, Fred was pacing the kitchen like a caged animal. Each new arrival brought a wave of relief followed quickly by fresh worry. Harry and Hagrid had made it back first, then Hermione with Fleur not far behind. Ron and Tonks stumbled in a few minutes later, both looking worse for wear but alive.

But you were still missing.

“She should be here by now,” Fred muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

“She’s probably just taking the long way around,” George said, his voice calm but strained. He was nursing a wound on the side of his head, but even that didn’t seem to distract him from Fred’s obvious distress.

Fred shot him a glare. “The long way around? It’s not a sightseeing trip, George!”

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing,” George quipped, though his usual humor lacked its usual sharpness.

Fred ignored him, his eyes darting to the door every few seconds. His stomach twisted painfully every time he thought about you—about the countless ways things could go wrong.

You were spiraling out of control. A curse had struck the tail of your broom, and it was all you could do to keep it from completely breaking apart. Blood trickled from a shallow cut on your arm, and your breath came in ragged gasps.

The Death Eaters were relentless, their laughter echoing in the dark as they closed in. But you weren’t giving up. Not now, not when the Burrow was so close.

With one last burst of speed, you dove toward the treeline, using the cover to shake them off. Your broom groaned in protest, but it held together long enough for you to make it to the edge of the Burrow’s wards.

The familiar shape of the house came into view, and you nearly cried in relief.

Fred was at the door when he saw you stumble into the yard, battered and bloodied but alive.

“Y/N!” he shouted, sprinting toward you.

You barely had time to react before he wrapped his arms around you, holding you so tightly it hurt. You felt him shaking, his breath warm against your hair as he whispered, “I thought—I thought I lost you.”

“I’m okay,” you murmured, though your voice wavered. “I’m okay.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his hands cupping your face as his eyes searched yours. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, alright? I can’t—” His voice broke, and he shook his head.

“I won’t,” you promised, your own tears spilling over.

“Good,” he said, his tone attempting to be firm but faltering with emotion. “Because if you die on me, I swear I’ll kill you.”

You laughed, a watery sound that eased some of the tension between you.

From the doorway, George called out, “Oi, Fred! Let her breathe, would you?”

Fred ignored him, his focus solely on you. “Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s get you inside.”

And for the rest of the night, he didn’t let go of you.

Thank you for reading!