#Update: my sister may have drawn this

[fairysluna]

Helloooo, thanks for sharing your writing with us, I love all of your fics specially sinners 🤍🧸⭐️

For the short drabbles could you do Maegor + asking for his niece’s favor at a tourney

this is such a cute idea! i love this so much. Also, thank you for your kind words, I hope you like this🤍✨

tags — fluff, rhaena being lowkey a hater, reader being delulu (like all of us).

The way the whole crowd roared with excitement when the royal prince came out victorious from the tournament was deafening. You were laughing excitedly, clapping as your smile couldn't get any bigger. Eyes shining as bright as stars at midnight as you watched your beloved uncle smiling back at you from afar. Your beloved older sister, Rhaena, was sitting next to you wearing an unfazed expression on her face, completely opposite to the cheerful attitude you had.

From your seat, you saw Maegor galloping slowly towards the royal family, wearing that winning smile that you loved so dearly as he rested his lance against his shoulder. The butterflies that appeared on your belly were hard to ignore when he started to get closer and closer to you. You fixed your hair, nervously played with your fingers and impatiently waited for him to get close enough to hear his voice. At your side, your sister scoffed, already annoyed by your attitude towards your uncle, with whom you wished to marry; she had heard all of it, and she was tired of hearing that man's name coming from your lips.

But you couldn't care less about it.

Your attention was all over the man on the horse in front of you, standing proudly and looking so gallant inside that thick metal armor of his, you couldn't help but to bite your lip before he decided to open his mouth and say, “May I have the honor to ask for the princess' favor?” He didn't even have to specify which princess he was talking about, for every single person knew he meant you. They all certainly knew about the close relationship you had with him.

You slowly arose from your seat, taking with you the crown of flowers that you made early that morning, especially for him. You walked closer to the railing and looked down at him, feeling the air getting caught in your throat as you saw him more up close. He removed the helmet of his armor, wanting to look into your pretty eyes before he uttered the next words. “I'm convinced that everytime the sun rises you become far more beautiful, my princess.” He spoke slightly lower, as if he wanted just you to hear. You couldn't help but to feel suddenly shy under his mischievous stare, the heat on your cheeks growing as you tried to look away from him.

“You flatter me, uncle,” you replied, managing to throw the crown of flowers down the lance. “I feel like the most beautiful maiden in the Seven Kingdoms whenever you speak with such kindness to me.”

“Well, you are, my dear.” He winked at you. “Before I leave, allow me to remind you that this victory, as well as the ones that are yet to come, are dedicated to you. My beautiful princess.” A silly, enamored smile was drawn on your lips as he turned around in his black horse and galloped away from you. He made you feel all kinds of things in such a little amount of time, including a strange, new sensation located in your lower belly which you decided it was best to ignore.

Once you returned to your seat, you found your sister staring at you with a visible frown on her face. “Could you be any more obvious? You left a path of your drool behind you.”

“I will marry him someday,” you told her, your voice filled with the purest of illusions.

Rhaena could only roll her eyes.

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GENERAL TAG LIST — @islandfantasydream @arcielee @bucknastysbabe @zaldritzosrose @rafeism @valeskafics

MAEGOR TAG LIST — @targaryen-dynasty @hypocritic-trash-baby @mariahossain

[moony-2001]

Hey hey sorry I haven’t updated in a bit, I’ve been busy with life stuff! As an apology, have some more of my interpretations of the Greek goddesses (notes below)

Hestia

- For Hestia I wanted her to be dressed very modestly. I’ve seen a lot of interpretations of Hestia wearing a veil over her face which I liked, but may change in the future for more practical reasons

- I imagine her face is always flushed from tending the fire on Olympus

Hecate

- The reason why Hecate looks like more of a fusion god is because I believe she was an import god by Hesiod. Hesiod’s father was not native to Greece so it is speculated that Hecate (or a goddess very similar to Hecate) and practices of witchcraft were incorporated by Hesiod into the Theogony as an ode to his heritage

- Her eyes are rimmed with kohl and her jewelry is sharp in case she needs to draw blood

- Hecate’s clothing, while Greek in nature, has influences from West and South-East Asia as well since that’s the area where Hesiod’s father hails from

Persephone

- Though not pictured here, Persephone is going to have curly red hair and (of course) lots and lots of freckles

- I wanted her build to be a mix between curvy and stocky. For the story I’m working on, Persephone helps Demeter with work in the mortal realm for several years before getting taken by Hades. I also wanted her build to directly contrast her sister’s build

- Persephone was drawn in garb I imagined her in as Queen of the Underworld. She’s not happy about it

Demeter

- I love big noses. Demeter has a “bigger” nose

- I also wanted to give Demeter high cheekbones like Hera

- I feel like Demeter would often wear clothing suited for field work or labour on a farm perhaps? Basically clothing that’s suited for a goddess but nothing as extravagant as Hera or even Aphrodite

Despoine

- I have 2 versions of Despoine depicted below: pre- kidnapping of Persephone and post- kidnapping of Persephone

- Unfortunately since there’s literally no information on Despoine, I took a lot of artistic liberties with her. I ultimately settled on making her the daughter of Demeter and sister of Arion and Persephone since that version of her best fit with the story I had in mind

- Opposite of Persephone, she’s tall and lanky, but not boney

- Since she’s the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon, I gave her shells and pearls to decorate her pre- kidnapping

- Her post- kidnapping clothing is very modest like Hestia’s. She also currently has a veil to cover her face though that also may change

- I also, like many other people in their artistic interpretations of Despoine, associate her with winter and snow. Note: this is not a confirmed detail about her

[cobaltperun]

Hi there!

So, I was supposed to be on a break until the end of the month. That is, as you can probably see, over. Things happened and writing is my best escape. I am, however, slowing down the updates, and I'll likely never have the same update speed I did while I was starting Lost.

And in case you didn't see it up in the description.

Main Masterlist

Several things.

Requests will never be closed again and the character list, as well as the requests I'm doing are under 'keep reading' (now also adding upcoming long stories and current works in progress)

I'll keep the list of characters here on this post, but I will be pickier about requests, I do want to mainly write the long stories and add in a request every couple of chapters or so. And I'll only do requests that inspire me.

🔞 next to the character means I will do smut requests as well. However, I only write top reader.

I will do any gender, female, male, gender neutral, trans, anything.

Characters might come and go from the list, but there are some characters that are always going to stay. Those are:

Tara Carpenter (Scream) 🔞

Wednesday Addams (Wednesday)

Natasha Romanoff (MCU) 🔞

Wanda Maximoff (MCU) 🔞

Nami (One Piece) 🔞

Nico Robin (One Piece)

Riza Hawkeye (FMA)

Rin Tohsaka (Fate/Stay Night)

Characters that are currently available:

Mabel (Finestkind)

Korra (Avatar: The Legend of Korra)

Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)

I will also do platonic requests for

Straw Hats

Most One Piece characters

Most FMA: Brotherhood characters

Most Devil May Cry characters

Most Fate/Stay Night characters

Requests I'm doing

Tara x fem R - playing strip pool (not specified, but I'm guessing smut is acceptable ending to this) 🔞

Tara x male R - smut, Tara gets horny while R is on the phone 🔞

Tara x fem R - set in Scream 6, R gets attacked, angst with happy ending

Sam x fem R (Danny's sister) - R gets attacked.

Wednesday x fem R - enemies to lovers with hellhound R and jealous Xavier

Tara x male R - R, the doctor, helps Tara give birth to their first child. (Sidenote, I'm not getting technical with this, it will get really fluffy though.)

Tara x male R - they are dating, smut happens 🔞

Jerks With Hearts of Gold - first kiss, bed breaking 🔞

Wednesday x R - Opposites attract, though a bit slowly.

Tara x R - They love to hate each other. 🔞 (small smut)

Tara x R - Cute barista crush

Middle sibling Carpenter fem R - things go very wrong very fast

Tara x GP! R - Soft first time smut 🔞

Daenerys x female R - Dany gets a bit jealous when Viserion likes R.

Tara x R - Based on Cop car song

Tara x female R - How deep is your love

Cairo x female R - Poetry reading

Upcoming long stories

Mystery of You - Tara Carpenter x female Reader (She's a mystery, she's more guarded than anyone you've ever met, except maybe her older sister, but you are just drawn to her)

Savin Me - Tara Carpenter x female Reader (A single message changes Tara's life, also probably a sort of a Lost AU)

Endless War - Female Reader (EMIYA inspired powers) x Tara Carpenter (Being a hero was fine, until people you loved became involved)

Unnamed - Vada x female Reader (Vada meets you on the rooftop)

Unnamed - Lorraine x female Reader (Cop Reader comes just in time)

Unnamed - Mabel x female Reader (You and Mabel have secrets, ones you keep even from one another)

Unnamed - Wednesday Addams x Wolverine female Reader (Wednesday ignores Rowan and escapes)

Unnamed - Cairo Sweet x female Reader (A chance meeting starts something neither of you expected)

Leave out all the rest - Natasha Romanoff x female Reader (Starting this again, since I didn't really like where the original was heading)

Works in progress:

Eternal Flame - Jenna Ortega x female Reader

Lost - Tara Carpenter x female Reader

Darkest Part - Astrid Deetz x female Reader

[ach-sss-no]

First (you are here) | Next

First (you are here) | Next

Story idea that has been rattling around my brain and will not leave, but I don't want to devote the amount of time to make it a 'serious' project; I have decided to compromise with myself and make a sloppy comic that updates whenever I feel like it, will be abandoned if it stops being fun, and has badly drawn horses and will inevitably get the lore wrong (out of the bounds of what's intentionally changed for the AU, I mean).

Takes place in the same universe as a fic I wrote but you don't need to read that to understand the comic!

Pippin's letter may be difficult to read and is partially covered, so here is a text version:

Hello, dear Boromir! :) I'm so terribly pleased to hear you're finally coming to visit, I was beginning to worry you never would, and there's so much I would like you to see. I can hardly pick up my home with all of my sisters and bring it to Minas Tirith, however much I may like to! :) Please do let us know as soon as you come in. I should be delighted to act as your honor guard. I've still got the armor. ;) Your dear friend, Pippin Took <3

Fun fact: I referenced Victorian-era letters for the general vibe of how he'd communicate (it's not much different from how he'd talk in the end- other eras of letter-writing had much stricter and odder formats which you may see later); anyway, the example letters were unexpectedly vicious and I want to share them with you. Includes the line "I have a right to demand your grounds for asserting that I am an arrant flirt, a hypocrite, and concerned in more than one dishonorable transaction," and the reply "If you consider your course of conduct in deceiving your uncle, endeavoring to ruin your young cousin Charles, and attempting to elope with an heiress of fifteen, honorable, I can only say that I differ in opinion."

Oh I'm also including votes on the plot of the comic because I think it's fun. Pick Boromir's reply!

[lumilasi]

I had an idea yesterday when I updated this particular story, (The Hollowed City) but it was very late so I decided to wait till the next day to work on it. Guess you could say it's kind of a cover for this particular fic, I kinda missed doing those (did something like this occasionally for my other fandom couple years ago, when I was still active in it).

It took me a second to decide how to symbolize Nel's red face-marking for this modern AU, and settled with red tinted (non prescription) glasses, as a tattoo like what Grimm's jawbone is here didn't make sense. She came out okay given I've never drawn her before.

The line is a modification of something said in it, as I felt its kind of a good summary for the whole thing. If you want more detailed summary, its below the cut:

(NOTE: This is basically the summary of what's happened so far, rather than the official AO3 summary for the whole fic, it also actually starts with Ichigo's arrival, poor berry boy really enters into a massive shit show lol)

After their mother's death, the albino twin of the Kurosaki brothers heads out on a wild hunt to figure out who killed her and bring the person to justice. Shiro's clues eventually lead him to Hueco Mundo, where he hears the local underground head Jeagerjaquez may have the information he needs. Unfortunately for Shiro, he gets a bit TOO close to the man, more than he intended.

Once things go horribly, disastrously wrong Shiro is forced to run for his life after pissing off the easily most dangerous man of the entire city, in a manner that is highly personal. He refuses to leave Hueco Mundo however, continuing his digging while avoiding his furious ex' underlings.

Things change however, as months later Ichigo arrives in town, and his presence interrupts the violent dynamic between the two, allowing Shiro to properly explain himself. He is forgiven eventually, but also told to go back home with Ichigo, as he's out of his depth.

Their plan to go home gets interrupted however, as now SHIRO has become a wanted man as well for an unknown reason, and Ichigo is not about to abandon his twin when he's fucked up big and in massive trouble. The two are forced to go back to Hueco Mundo, under the protection of Grimmjow and his sister Nelliel....

(Note.2: This fic is Grimm/Ichi/Shiro, but not a love triangle thing; when I separate Ichigo & Shiro as different characters I tend to aim for poly relationship, as I don't care for love triangles lol)

[yanderes-galore]

Hi I was wondering if you could do yandere Chemach from Cult Of The Lamb

Y'know, I never actually knew about her until my second COTL playthrough since I stopped playing my first one before the relics update. This may not be long but I'll cover what I can!

Yandere! Chemach Concept

(Short Thoughts - Devs I beg you for more lore-)

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Delusional behavior, Body horror, Kidnapping (kinda), Manipulation, Murder, Death/Corpse mention, Dark themes, Dubious companionship/relationship.

Obviously what we can tell from meeting Chemach is she's... insane.

It's implied in dialogue, from what I remember, that her relics are made from gods who have died long ago.

The crown on her head most likely doesn't help her sanity.

She seems to see herself as better than her siblings, often ranting about the relics she sells to the point it's... hard to understand what she means at times.

Not much is known about her, from what I can tell at least.

She's a NPC meant to aid The Lamb on their quest.

Although, she does mention having "followers" and using pieces of The Lamb to make relics.

Her followers just seem to be corpses... so we can also assume Chemach is delusional in her insanity.

Your fate with her is unpredictable for the most part... although eventually you can guess what it will be.

Perhaps you were a vessel for the Red Crown before The Lamb.

Or maybe even a lesser god/powerful being.

Fascinated by power, Chemach grows infatuated.

She wishes to support you in exchange for eager chats.

Her words never seem to make sense, but it's clear she's drawn to you.

Her siblings, two fellow birds, warn you not to get too close to their sister.

She is insane, enraptured by the artifacts she creates.

She'll simply manipulate you closer... and closer... and closer...

For the most part, her actions a erratic and cryptic.

But in the end she knows what she wants from you.

Companionship is what it starts as... power is what her obsession ends with.

Based on her canon behavior and the limited lore we have on her... we can assume she's make her obsession into a relic.

She becomes so obsessive about you... she wishes to keep you beside her.

What better way than imbuing your power into a relic?

She will not give you to anyone, though... not even The Lamb.

She lures you in with promises of more power... only to slaughter you and make part of you a relic for her to keep.

Perhaps she'll make your heart a relic?

Your adoration, love, and heart is what she's wanted all along... but getting it involves a rather twisted way in her mind it seems.

She tells you not to worry when you visit her.

It will only hurt for a little while...

Yet she'll take care of you... your heart hidden away for only her to see.

[twsthc]

savanaclaw headcanons and projection 🦁

...this is what the poll from like last week was for. sorry heartslabyul and diasomnia fans teehee </3

⚠️ warnings: self harm, eating disorders

last updated: may 4, 2024

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR !! 🦁🥩

🇲🇱🇹🇿🇰🇪 UNLABLED + INTERSEX TRANSFEMNEU (she/him)

APPEARANCE HCS:

Leona is actually the twst character I've drawn the most

I hc all beastmen to have fur everywhere thats elastic and akin to mink skin

You know the texture of squishmallows? It's like that.

╰Doesn't include the thick hair in other places (head, facial, armpits, chest, pubes, etc)

Lots of scars in general + healed dermis self harm scars on thighs

Has a flat nose like a cat

RANDOM HCS:

Savanaclaw mom/big sister...

Overstimulating thunderstorm? Go whine to Leona. Diasomnia students bothering you? Get leona to deal with them. Your food is too hot? Cry to Leona.

During freshman year she was way more outgoing and extroverted but eventually She mellowed out (depression moment)

She used to change hairstyles a lot before settling on freeform dreads

Also got into way more fights back then (also how she became housewarden)

Now she is (kind of) calm. Tranquil. At peace. Has depressive episodes. Relaxed.

Mostly does her own thing, and if that "thing" isn't sleeping it's some other bullshit the underclassmen roped her into

SHE CAN SEW AND MAKE JEWLERY

╰While wandering the castle one day, Leona stumbled upon the servants quarters. They taught him life skills (mending clothes, cooking, etc :3)

Despite being a big sis figure if she doesn't want to do something she Will Not.

And if she does do it afterall it's because she gets something out of it.

NPD, GAD, PDD (persistent depressive disorder)

RUGGIE BUCCHI !! 🍩🌼

🇺🇸🇧🇷 UNLABLED + TRANS MAN (he/him)

APPEARANCE HCS:

Similarly to Leona he has a furry textured skin

Though his body hair is more coarse and longer due to him being a hyena

He has a lazy eye and tipped ear similar to Ed from The Lion King

Probably my second most drawn twst character :3

Healed epidermis self harm scars on inner wrists 🥶

RANDOM HCS:

He's like the cooler afrolatino Luke Blovad

He's either winning the idgaf wars or dying on the battlefield

Has an insane collection of weird shirts from thrift stores

And he makes it work every single time! his outfits go crazy!

More connected to his AADOS/Gullah side than his Brazilian side

Though he does speak Portugese!

In fact, he speaks multiple languages because polyglots are marketable

The type of person to take a half empty bottle of ketchup and rotting apple from an empty ass fridge and make dinner happen

Constantly going to Scarabia to snag their party leftovers

Used to be a scene kid!!!! This is canon and true!!!! Pls trust me

diabetes, GAD, MDD, undiagnosed ADHD

triggering content ahead !!

he has bulimia nervosa

╰fun fact! a lot of food insecure people have eating disorders

self harmed a lot from the ages from 10-12 before eventually stopping at 13

he stopped after his grandma found out and started checking his arms regularly (#projecting)

JACK HOWL !! 🐺🌵

🪶🇪🇬 PANROMANTIC ASEXUAL + GENDER CURIOUS (he/they)

APPEARANCE HCS:

WAY thicker fur than leona and ruggie

Trims his body hair a lot because he overheats in savanaclaw easily

RANDOM HCS:

The type of guy to be totally in love with the world and nature

They're just like. Wow. We were put on a spinning rock. With food to eat, and water drink, and air to breathe. I love being alive.

Had a little garden back at home and named every single plant

Remembers small things about people and brings them up in conversation

╰Hey dude I got you a Chipotle bowl. How did I remember your exact order? You told me. Yeah, I know it was a year ago, but--

Random but I think he dresses how Tupac did

Not even to be tough

But because he's a black suburban kid

(I'm a black city kid but this is probably how black suburban kids dress trust)

Loooves chewing on things. Has one of those chew necklaces

Autistic with botany and physical health special interest

[i-loathelucy]

Eugenia-Louise “Lucy” Elbertson

Class Title: The Doll

Class Emblem(s):

Full Name: Eugenia-Louise Elsie Elbertson

Age: 16 as of 1969, 19 as of 1972

Female, She/Her pronouns

Lucy is the younger sister of Scout. She is seven years younger than him, and was born in early august, making her a Leo.

She works very closely with Miss Pauling and the Administrator, but is authorized to do “field work” with the mercs due to her combat history. Apart of her combat history is the ability to cause auditory and visual hallucinations via bringing the subconscious mind to the conscious mind.

Lucy sees Miss Pauling as her older sister. Sniper she considers to be one of her closest friends. Spy became a (reluctant) mentor to her.

lucy’s story is much more detailed in this doc. in it, several fics that i’m working on have been linked in that. i’ll be posting updates on any fics i may write on this blog, and like probably on my main @eld-red

my lucy pfp was drawn by @ homkamiro on instagram, and i have been losing my marbles ever since i saw her. i love lucy, if you will.

[quibbs126]

I just saw you’re doing parent requests, and I might as well throw my hat into the ring! Can you do your interpretation of Cherry Blossom and Cherry Cookies’ parents? I’m curious to see what kind of parents resulted in such different cookies.

I’m finally done with these two; took some time but I got them down

Okay now I just want to talk about them

So Cherry Powder is a fireworks technician. She’s very smart, probably has a chemical engineering degree, but she chose fireworks just because she likes them and wanted to make them. She’s also very outgoing and energetic

Plum Blossom on the other hand is a florist. She’s very chill and serene, and really likes flowers, to the point of hyperfixation. Though some times she’s a bit too chill and goes along with things she probably shouldn’t because everyone’s enjoying themselves, if that makes sense

They met when Cherry Powder was looking for flowers to use in some new fireworks, and she ended up going to Plum Blossom’s shop to look for some and asking her about flowers that could work for her research. Plum Blossom started excitedly explaining about all sorts of flowers and Cherry Powder excitedly listened to her. Basically their relationship started because they both would and liked to listen to the other’s interests

During the drawing process I considered making Plum Blossom an actress, probably in part due to the current update, but I tried to keep her a florist because it was the fact that she was one why the two met and I really liked that

I'm realizing I may have drawn them looking a bit too young, they're probably at least 40. I guess because I don't really know how to draw older characters (although I think for Cherry Powder it might just be that she looks young). Ah well, I guess this could have been when they're younger

Also, while I didn't draw them, I imagine that there's also a grandma on one side (to complete the Red Riding Hood look that Cherry has going on), and Cherry Powder also has a sister that's Cherry Ball's mom. Also I've decided that basically this entire family, at least on the cherry side, is comprised entirely of women. Don't know why but why not

Oh also, I have their concept sketches, with PB's eyes open. I think I forgot that they wouldn't be seen so I had them closed

So anyways, on to design stuff

So Cherry Powder and Plum Blossom are named after their respective objects, with CP being the cherry (also I believe cherry powder is Cherry's Magic Candy ingredient), and PB being the flower part that Cherry Blossom gets her name from and also not cherry. Also I believe that plum blossoms and cherry blossoms look very similar, so there's that

Cherry powder and plum blossoms:

So I had some amount of an idea for their head designs (Cherry Powder far more than Plum Blossom), but I didn't really know what to do for the outfits. That was the implied struggle at the beginning, I was dealing with that all day

I mean, I think by the end what I got wasn't bad, maybe it's just that the struggle makes me not see them that great

So I made only CP have the eyelashes because for the sisters it's supposed to mimic cherries, which PB isn't

I also made Cherry Powder's hair red because most of the images I could find of the stuff turned out red or pink. But the white streak is supposed to reference Cherry's hair color, maybe she gets it from a grandparent. Also it makes CP more unique looking

Plum Blossom's dress is supposed to reference the actual plum blossoms, but I'm not sure how well I did. Her outfit was what I struggled with the most

I also have no clue how to draw bouquets

To be honest, I noticed somewhere through drawing that typically with the official designs, they reference the Cookie's ingredient multiple times within their design. Like for example here, Cherry Blossom's pigtails, front bang, and pink part of her dress all reference cherry blossoms in some way, and for Cherry, she has her big cherry bombs. And as I stated prior, their eyelashes also reference the stems of cherries, as well as gives them a similarity between each other since they're sisters

I bring this up because I feel like I don't do that enough in my own designs, and I need to do that more. I especially don't like giving my characters objects, at least not anymore, because it's a lot of effort to try and figure out how to implement those and draw those accessories as well. That's why I gave Plum Blossom her bouquet, to at least give her something to hold (though they're not plum blossoms, just generic flowers). I suppose that's something I need to work on

But regardless of what I've been saying about how I'm dissatisfied with them, I do really like these two, and honestly I want to draw more of them, like them kissing or hanging out or just them with their kids

I hope you like them too!

[cerealforkart]

I made myself these little dress up dolls because everyone’s getting changed all the time, here’s the first batch, outfits pre-episode 13

Design notes under the cut

[part 2] [part 3]

Lincoln

* I would first of all like to thank Lincoln for being shaped like a model (long boy) and thus very easy to dress up

* I forgot that Link needed to tear off his sleeves to make Normal a diaper in lesson 14, so in lesson 11 he grabs a sweater when I assume he goes home between escaping the FBI and returning to school

* Lincoln is so comically tall the Teeny costume (which I just moved from Normal to Link and edited to match Link’s pose) only reaches his knees. It actually looked so stupid that I had to edit it to make the Teeny costume slightly longer in the legs

* Link has two roombas in his room, he’s a clean boy, he isn’t walking around Taylor’s house in his bare feet, he doesn’t trust like that, it’s sock time

Scary

* I actually originally planned for Scary to have more piercings, but I forgot to add them in lesson 1. Let’s just say her mom won’t let her go crazy on the piercings, from what we’ve heard in rad facts (wouldn’t let her get a tongue piercing or learn guitar) that sounds in character

* I wanted to do the Shit Garden logo on Scary’s shirt like one of those metal bands that only people who like metal can actually read, but I only have so much time and patience

* I want so badly to play with Scary’s hair more, but I haven’t really had the chance, I hope there will be more excuses to give her different styles in the future, I like the braided bun for fancy occasions a lot

* Big T-shirt and shorts are peak pyjamas, love it for her. Also, you don’t need to know how long I spent trying to come up with something for her shirt to say

Normal

* Don’t tell anyone but I kind of miss drawing Teeny’s big stupid head every day, it was easy comedy

* I did actually draw a Jimmy Buffet design on the shirt before scribbling over it, you can barely see if you look closely

* I don’t actually have anything to say about Normal’s dance outfit so I guess I’ll just take this opportunity to talk about my Normal design in general. He was the one it took me the longest to land on and I’m still unsure if I’m happy with him, I want his hair to be long enough to just sorta hang and be greasy, but not so long that it will get in his face too much and I still consistently fail on it

* Not much to say about his sleepover fit either. Froggy :)

Taylor

* I had originally planned for everyone to be wearing their bracelets on their left wrists but in episode 8 it’s mentioned that Taylor is wearing his on his right, at that point I think I had only drawn Taylor’s bracelet once so it was easier to just change his and let him be a special boy (also, they keep the bracelets on post-FBI because Taylor never really has an opportunity to take it off and the others wear theirs in solidarity)

*After Lesson 10, Taylor swaps out the crest of friendship from Digimon to wear his dad’s ring of swapping as a necklace, he tends to grab at it when his dad or the topic of betrayal comes up

* I hate Taylor for his dance fit. No longer my favourite son

* Not really a design note but I watched the Sailor Moon dub in three parts on youtube with my little sister huddled around our home computer after school, we’re real OGs

Hermie

* I finally decided to add the Joker makeup to my Hermie design, I found a powdery sorta brush to use for it so now he’s a true clown. Good for him I guess

* You may notice that I’ve tweaked my Hermie design and his colour scheme just a little bit. This is because white Hermie is dead and you know what? Good for him. I also made his hair a little wavier for Scam, you’ll start seeing the updated Hermie design (as if you can tell there’s a difference other than the very slight change in hairstyle) in lesson 16, because I drew the lesson 15 pages before episode 23 came out and I wasn’t going to go back and change them

* Stupid Joker tie. Hate it

* No sleepover fit for Hermie. Tragic. They need to have another sleepover and include him

[melishade]

Okay people, let's do this one last time. My name is Mariam Yohannes. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for the past four years, I've been the one and only ሸረሪት (shu-re-rit). It does mean spider, her name is just spider. Lol.

So yes, I've updated the design of my spidersona and have even given her a name: Mariam Yohannes, which is a play on 'Mary Jane'.

Backstory:

She lives in modern day Addis Ababa, still plagued by wars and conflicts of both modern times and the past. Even though the dictator (Mengistu Haile Mariam) that overthrew King Haile Selassie had faked his death and fled the country, Ethiopia is still plagued by corruption, and conflict on both a tribal and religious scale. In an attempt to modernize the country and advance Ethiopia's place in the world, the Ethiopian government (which is still extremely corrupt) made an economic deal with classic Spider-man villains like Osborne and KingPen, to build an Alchemex in the capital. Mariam is taken there on a college tour and that's where she's bitten. Mariam herself is fairly well off all things considered.

Her father, Yohannes, worked for the government, while her mother, Desta, works as a waitress. Her grandfather on her mother's side, is a priest of the Orthodox faith, and is extremely devout to his faith. Mariam has an older sister who left the family due to years of charged conflicts between her and her father. Meanwhile, her younger brother, is still in high school, and is slowly getting drawn into the wrong crowd. Mariam is tired of the way that the older generation is running things. Some may have good intentions, but others do not, and many are stuck in their old ways thinking that it will work to make the country better. Mariam uses her powers to become a symbol to the nation and a change to the younger generation.

Her canon event is the death of Yohannes. Mariam was always smart, and after her older sister left, her father doubled his expectations and demands on her. When Mariam calls him out of the corrupt government and how he was a coward bending to the will of the others. It took a lot of courage for her to do that, cause she had no clue if she would be physically punished for it (getting whipped with a belt is a common practice in Ethiopia). She even brought up the fact that his refusal to change is why her sister left. When Yohannes begins to have a change of heart, and even supports the civil protests that happened in Addis, the government quickly turned on him, and the police fired into the crowd (with machine guns. The police in Ethiopia openly carry machine guns, I know that. I've seen it.) Mariam watches in horror as her father is gunned down and he dies in her arms, using his last breath to apologize and telling her and her other siblings that he loved them.

She's initially despised as ሸረሪት. The church saw her as a demon because of her powers. Her grandfather has made efforts to slander her name during service. Men were quite misogynistic at the idea of a female superhero. The government hated her because she was actively undoing a lot of their corrupt shit. The only group that loved her were the kids. Despite the fact that the parents told them to stay away from her, they would actively try to run after her and keep up with her as she ran around the city. It makes Mariam feel pride that she's doing something right. Especially her brother, who at the sight of her superhero persona, starts to turn his life around.

(There's some other stuff about her gaining the respect of the Ethiopian people and her joining the Spider Society and ultimately betraying it, but that'll probably be another post or something.)

[sapphoandthecity]

Season One: The Prologue

My experience with women first began with growing up around my mom, my grandmother, my mother’s 3 sisters and my closest cousin. Then I was enrolled into an all girl’s catholic school for grade school, and then to another all girl’s catholic school for highschool. Consistently being surrounded by women and also unsupervised during the age of the internet, there’s no surprise I turned out how i am — a queer girl’s girl who obsesses over her female relationships, be it platonic, filial or in the rare occasion, romantic.

Perhaps you wonder about the title of this soon-to-be buzzing blog: Sappho and the City. One sleepless night, I had been binge watching the hit TV show of a similar name, Sex and the City and it got me inspired to talk about relationships too. If Carrie knew men, I knew women. It also dawned on me just how entertaining my own encounters with women were. As rare as my love life had been, each chapter of it was as exciting as a new episode of Carrie’s life. Not to mention, I have three girlfriends of my own, constantly there and consistently getting updated with the whirl and organized mess of my young adult life. The only thing missing were rounds and rounds of cosmopolitans.

Yes, there is a big difference between Carrie and I. She’s 35 (at least by season 4); I’m approaching 21. She’s a columnist. I'm a fashion student in college. She’s in the city that never sleeps, New York; I’m in New York, Cubao. She’s got a shopping addiction, I also have a shopping addiction. Only, I can’t afford Blahniks. But I find myself resonating more with her than any of the other girls in the cast. Drawn to share morsels of my own womanly intuition and wisdom, I decided to try my hand at her work with my own little twist.

So why Sappho? She’s a famous Greek poet known for her lyrical hymns about loving women and to put it simply, I am a queer woman talking about my relationships with women. To be specific, a femme lesbian sharing her discoveries as she traverses the bumpy roads of girlhood, loving women and cultivating lasting relationships with them. From the first blush of romance, to sapphic heartbreaks all the way to co dependent homoerotic female friendships a la Bunny by Mona Awad, I’ll write about it all.

I may have no Mr. Big in his Armani suits, or Aiden with his masculine, American charm to talk about. But I do have a laptop and stories to share about the highs and lows of being a young 20-something year old girl who loves women.

[letstrywritingmaybe]

I go back and forth all the time about the notp and I hate it. Listen I get it, I understand the allure even if it squicks me out cause I think it’s so grody and toxic. But I can see why people ship it. There’s definitely a story there, and it’s how I feel about ships. That there are stories that we are drawn to/ want to tell/explore. Which is fair, I mean it’s literally why sometimes I think about a darker setting for my ship. But I just can’t support the notp. Part of why I love CoAi so much is that they can fit so many different tropes, it’s superior to me. I’m sure others see it differently but the notp dynamic is just a shinshi au to me, and while I’m a massive shinichi hater. He’s still better than that character to me. But also I hate villains, I never understood the appeal. And while I definitely believe his “love” or infatuation of my queen is “real” or he just believes it is, I just can’t see her reciprocating. It’s done damage to her and I’m sure she’s questioned it, but the way my queen longs to be in the light and is so affected by kindness. I just can’t see her turning to him and thinking it’s what she wants. She may think she belongs in darkness, but that’s not where her heart lies. She will always choose to be good, because she is a good person and that’s why I love her so much

Update 2: another day and I’m once again thinking about break up fic vibes but also the difference between my ship and the canon ship. Choice and being present is super important. Adding to this to think about the girl chat blowing up when the canon ship inevitably takes a break. I love my ship I do, but there’s a part of me that wants my queen to find happiness elsewhere with someone who makes her the obvious number one priority and is loud in their love for her without messy drama making her wonder if it’s real. It’s why in all my fics you see him go full pursuit for her to wash away any doubts and because he knows that she is the one for him and he would be an idiot to let her go. So I want this emphasized if I ever write the comparison fic with this route of her moving on. I have so many feelings about these characters and how they would interact. I really do think they would be great friends, but I hate the angle that she’s supposed to replace her sister cause that’s a disservice to me

[thewriterowl]

Me reading "Dark A/B/O Mafia AU" on this blog and vibrating with excitment. Would you mind sharing a few ideas, if that's okay?

So, I'm reading a manhwa called Waterside Night (though I have seen it translated into slightly different titles as well) where this temperamental omega who has had a miserable life is forced to take his father's debt and makes a run for it with his little brother. In a moment of exhaustion, desperation, fear and PTSD he nearly drowns himself and his brother to escape but is captured by an alpha, one of the leaders of the organization his father owes a debt to.

The alpha is psychotic and almost instantly becomes obsessed with the omega (hinting pretty early the two may be potentially fated but neither are aware nor is it really talked about within the world; but the alpha especially is drawn and obsessed over the omega). Now the omega is trapped by him and needs to pay him back what is owed.

From the sites I've been able to read it on (I need to consider joining a legit pay site to get consistent updates) I am up to chapter 43 and it is daaaaark. Like...yeah, not for everyone...

So you know the moment I read it and saw how whumped and cute the omega was and how psychotic and hot the alpha was my brain was "dinluke, dinluke, dinluke, dinluke"

So, it would follow some similar things to that but would have my own spin to it. Omega Luke taking care of his six-year-old sister (either Leia or Rey), found out his foster father (not sure who it would be; it won't be Anakin--I'd rather he be Din's actual father, so gotta pick a scummy villain) has a debt and is then captured by psycho alpha Din who is now obsessed with him.

:D Yeah I'm just gonna accept my fate and move on...this is who I am.

(please note the manhwa has rape/attempt rape, dubious consent, unhealthy relationships, a suicide attempt, past child abuse, a possessive obsessive manipulative top, and a dark mafia family you hate to love but you adore all the same--I don't see warnings on this listed when you look for it in some areas, so just be warned!)

[tact-and-impulse]

At Arm's Length Chapter 24

It's here at last, I had a busy few months (lots of work, passed a 2-day test, got sick over the holidays), but I'm picking up where we left off! On FF.net and AO3

Chapter 24: Finding Closure

When the constant motion finally ceased, the ship’s noise faded as well, save for Sagara’s voice ringing through the mess hall.

“So, I see them carrying the straw hats into town and my dad’s acting like I’m a total stranger. Of course, I give it right back! Then, he drags me along, pretending to treat me to lunch because I saved his other kids.” His story had occupied their attention, helping time pass. It had taken a while to get to this point, since he had gone into extensive detail of his fights on the road. He had encountered his sister first, accompanied by a younger brother who he’d never known. “I’ll wait to tell the next part. Have we stopped?”

Word came that the anchor had dropped, and collectively, they went up to the deck. They had safely arrived at the port, to an early evening. Lights flickered in the distant city streets. The sailors had set the ramp for them to disembark, talking about refueling.

Hayashi nodded at Koshijiro. “This is where we part ways. I may bring the family to visit Tokyo, when the girls are old enough to travel.”

“Please do. And thank you for all your help.” They bowed to each other, and Hayashi took over command of his vessel. One of the orders must have been to sound the ship’s bell as their group disembarked, because this was carried out by Ehara, with a glimmer of a friendly smile.

But they had one more thing to take care of. The criminals had been transferred to the military police, preparing for extradition. Woo was among them, his face still swollen from the beating. The very last in the line was Yukishiro. He was surrounded by officers, head lowered. That was Takani’s cue and she unlocked a drawer in her medicine box, retrieving the book from safekeeping. She handed it to Kaoru, glancing at Yukishiro with trepidation.

Kaoru quietly addressed Himura. “This is alright, isn’t it?”

“Yes…it should be.”

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, offering the diary. “Here…this belongs to you now. Please read it.”

His eyes were dull, sliding from her to Himura. However, he did accept, holding the spine with both cuffed hands. Then, he disappeared in a group of uniformed officers.

I’ll follow up on him. Koshijiro thought. Although Saito was confident that Yukishiro had lost his willpower, he still didn’t trust the young man. He watched the military police for a moment longer, before his daughter called out for him to catch up.

At the end of the docks, someone was waiting. The dark blue atmosphere of dusk couldn’t hide the figure’s tall stature, which didn’t budge as they approached. Hiko curtly nodded at his apprentice. “So, you’re breathing. The tanuki father made it sound like you were on the verge of death.”

“I certainly did not.” Koshijiro argued.

“Why else would you have written?”

Himura blinked in surprise. “Kamiya-dono, you wrote to him?”

“I was grasping for ideas on how to help you.” He deflected, suddenly embarrassed.

“But that was very kind of you, Kamiya-dono.” Himura gave a grateful smile. “Although, Shishou…when did you arrive?”

“This afternoon.”

“Then, you should stay with us!” Kaoru beamed. “Like I said before, you’re always welcome.”

Escaping attention, they took the back roads, the same route Koshijiro had used when he came home. Saito didn’t pass the gate, waiting outside for his family. Tokio returned the key with the update that it had been uneventful in their absence. Her gaze landed on Kaoru, her expression softening.

“I’m glad to see you’re well, Kaoru-san.”

“And I’m glad to be home. Will you join us for dinner?”

“I’m afraid not. Tsutomu’s bedtime is soon and he’ll be fussy. We’ll leave you to rest.” The toddler was in his father’s arms, a paternal gesture that had drawn everyone’s blatant staring. Tokio then added. “Eiji-kun has made a gift for you.”

“It matches the other one I made.” The boy muttered.

“Thank you, I can’t wait to see it.”

With the farewells finished, they settled inside. The house was soon filled with quiet conversation and rustling movements, of comforting sounds. Dinner was quickly made: tamagoyaki, both salty and sweet; stir-fried burdock with sesame seeds; eggplant cooked in ginger and bonito flakes; the remaining miso divided into soup bowls beside the rice portions. And it was the most delicious meal they’d had in over a week. Not a speck was left over, after multiple helpings were served.

Sagara had resumed his story, reaching the climax where he had defeated the gangsters and their leader, a former sumo wrestler. “I did restrain myself a little, so nobody was hurt too bad. But I had to get going, and my old man’s looking after my siblings.” Then, he yawned and that set off a chain reaction of more, especially among Yahiko and Makimachi.

Exhausted, they settled in early, but there was the inevitable question of space. The girls shared Kaoru’s room, Sagara offered to bunk with Himura, and Shinomori was going to stay with Yahiko. That left…

“This’ll do.” Hiko set his sloshing gourd on the floorboards, and unceremoniously planted himself in the free corner of Koshijiro’s bedroom.

Koshijiro suppressed a sigh. Well, he had asked for this, in a way. “If you need blankets, the closet is across the hall.”

In response, he drew his coat around himself and folded his arms. It made Koshijiro feel incredibly awkward about slipping under his own covers. He closed his eyes, desperately trying to drift off.

“Your words reached him.” It wasn’t exactly an expression of gratitude, but it was probably the closest the incorrigible man could muster.

“Himura-san has always been selfless. But you already knew that.”

“Hmph. It’s what instigated our argument, all those years ago. Not that he would ever have been content to stay in the mountains like I have, which doesn’t matter anyway. This place is his home now.”

The next thing Koshijiro knew, it was just before dawn. His throat was dry, and he slowly sat up, but he soon realized there was no need to be quiet. The corner was empty. He shuffled out of bed, and the draft told him the front door was open. He padded over, finding two familiar silhouettes at the threshold.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else, Shishou?”

Hiko was fully dressed, ready to depart. “Don’t fuss over me. Unless you want me to stay longer? The tanuki father behind you might disagree.”

Koshijro jolted but instead said. “Thank you for visiting. It was kind of you, and as Kaoru said, you’re welcome when you’re in the area again.”

“Do you plan to be?” Himura asked, a slight begrudging inflection in his tone.

“I have a feeling I will, and soon.” The man smirked, and with his coat sailing in the wind, he briskly strode off.

“Shishou is unpredictable as always.” A sigh escaped Himura. “This one apologizes if he disturbed you, Kamiya-dono.”

“Not at all. It wasn’t…terrible. Anyway, you should go back to sleep, Himura-san.” He gruffly said. Himura didn’t protest, only nodding, and Koshijiro watched him before returning to his own.

For now, they took the well-deserved time to recuperate. To ward off unwanted visitors, Koshijiro had taken a regular position at the front, letting in Tae and Tsubame. The morning sunshine cast over the porch, and Kaoru’s figure, enjoying the garden. Tsubame immediately cried, overwhelmed with relief, and tears glittered in Tae’s eyes.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” She cupped Kaoru’s face, her voice wavering. “Oh, thank goodness. You’re alive.”

“Kaoru-san, you’re here…Yahiko-kun!” Tsubame warbled, at the sight of him. She grabbed his sleeve, almost afraid to let him go.

“See, Tsubame? I told you we’d be all together again.”

“You did…you really did…”

Then, Dr. Gensai arrived with his granddaughters, who immediately tackled Kaoru in their exuberance. Koshijiro provided an abbreviated version of events, while the doctor wrote a list of foods to recover her strength. Other than the bruises on her neck and mild weight loss, Kaoru was declared to be in good health.

“Nothing that plenty of quiet time won’t fix.” Dr. Gensai heartily said. “And the same goes for all of you!”

But they couldn’t hide forever, and Koshijiro expected questions would arise. He didn’t quite anticipate the large crowd at their front door, at the end of the week. The noise was reaching a fever pitch, it would disturb those sleeping.

“Please, I’ll explain.” He held up his hand, getting their attention. “Kaoru was abducted, by a group with ill intentions. They attempted to fake her death, but we discovered the truth and planned to recover Kaoru as soon as possible. To conceal our intentions from the enemy, we held a mock funeral. We have safely brought her home now. I humbly apologize for deceiving everyone.” At this, he lowered himself to his knees, bowing fully. “We are still recovering from this ordeal; I would like to ask for some privacy.”

The curiosity lingered, although people dispersed. The clamor gave way to sentiments of recovery, as well as how remarkable a tale it was. At the very end, a handful of people remained, who were instantly recognizable. The chief, Shinichi, Maekawa, and a couple of his students.

Maekawa strode towards Koshijiro, his expression caught between glad and indignant. “You devil! You fooled us all!”

“I’m sorry.” He allowed Maekawa to grab his collar and shake him vigorously. At least, it was reassuring that his friend was getting stronger.

“Well, I hope you’ve arrested the bastards who did it!”

“They’re in custody.”

However, Chief Uramura cleared his throat. “That is the other reason why we’re here.”

Foreboding washed over Koshijiro. “What’s the news?”

“Yukishiro Enishi has vanished.”

***

Inside the house, their group had to convene. It was a frustrating development; security personnel had fallen with the attacks, and the disappearance had occurred overnight. Yukishiro must have been long gone before anyone realized. Even if Woo was on a ship bound for Shanghai and the rest of the men had not broken out, it was a gross oversight. The chief then departed, saying he was already gathering a search party. Nevertheless, Koshijiro was chagrined.

“This one is not surprised. Enishi is resourceful.” Himura’s reaction was mild. “But he will not fight.”

“Just in case, I’m going to the station.” Koshijiro said. “Kaoru, will you stay at home?”

She had looked from Himura to him, before pressing her lips together. “Okay. I trust both of you.”

“Actually, I wanted to speak with you!” The voice drew their attention, and all eyes swiveled towards the figure in the back. Shinichi sat on his heels, lowering his head. “I’d like to become a student of Kamiya Kasshin!”

“W-what?! Really?”

“I saw Officer Kamiya and this young boy battle a cannon-armed man for the people of Tokyo. I’ve been thinking about that day over and over, and I want to join the dojo.”

Koshijiro had no idea Shinichi was interested. Did he have kenjutsu experience? But as long as he was motivated and willing to use a sword to protect life…that was certainly welcome.

The stunned silence was ended by a protest. “Young boy? I’m Myojin Yahiko, and I’m the first student. The second student’s spot is taken, but I guess you can be the third! I’ll show you around, I guess, as long as you can keep up.”

“Thank you, Yahiko-senpai!”

Yahiko puffed up at the new honorific. “Yeah, you’re welcome!” And then, they hurried off.

“Hold on, as the master, I have to evaluate you first!” Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. “Not that I’ll say no, but geez, they’re rushing.”

“Then, we should catch up with them, Kaoru-dono.” Himura stood, swaying a bit, and she placed her fingers on his forearm.

Koshijiro waited until the light touch stopped. “Tell Officer Shinichi that he needs your approval, Kaoru, but he is hardworking and courteous. I’ll support him as well.”

“Of course, Otou-san.”

Makimachi grinned, her braid whipping as she followed in their wake. “I’ll keep a lookout while you’re gone! And once Megumi’s done with clinic stuff, I’ll let her know too.”

Shinomori and Sagara chose to accompany Koshijiro. The former had offered to interrogate the guards. “We are relying on secondhand knowledge; it would be better to find out the truth from the sources.”

Sagara nodded. “Yeah, we can find out if they’re slacking off. I did see the Hiruma brothers in Nagano.”

Koshijiro halted. “Weren’t they supposed to be in prison?”

“That’s what I thought!”

What were they even paying security for?! “…I’m counting on you, Shinomori-san.”

The man nodded impassively, though Sagara raised an eyebrow. “Hey, what about me? Wait a second, let me join you, Aoshi.”

“You can, as long as you don’t interfere. You may even learn something.”

“Was that a joke?” He bumped his fist against Shinomori’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s do it.”

“What will you do, Kamiya-san?”

“Either Yukishiro is dead by those who wish to silence him, or he was freed by those loyal to him. But the starting point is inspecting where he was.”

The jail’s workers flinched under their collective scrutiny, but not much fuss was made. Shinomori’s cool demeanor and Sagara’s knuckle cracking herded them into docility, sparing one man to fumble with a set of keys. Koshijiro glanced at the adjacent cell, noticing it was empty.

“Was there anyone next to him?”

“An old fellow, who’s been here occasionally for disturbing the peace. He’s not right in the head from previous reports, never given us a name. But he was out of here by last night.”

Koshijro frowned as he carefully scanned. The lock was intact, suggesting it had been picked. Otherwise, the interior was bare, no sign of struggle or bloodshed, but a sweet smell was oddly out of place. White plums. Now that he recalled, it was reminiscent of the night when Kaoru was kidnapped. And Kaoru’s clothes from the island carried that same scent. Did Yukishiro wear perfume, a very feminine one at that? Was it associated with the deceased Tomoe?

He circled both cells; there was a leak in the ceiling, but hardly a viable escape. The bars were perfectly straight, and the bricks weren’t loose. He went into the main corridor, noting a creaky floorboard. Otherwise, it was a clear path to the outside, as long as someone could be silent. It wouldn’t have been a challenge for Yukishiro. Koshijiro then proceeded to walk a full lap around the building. Blind spots abounded, and the cover of night would have helped.

No bloodstains though, so Yukishiro was likely alive, yet without a trace. Where would he go? He didn’t have a weapon; the tachi had gone to China, part of a reparation. Koshijiro sighed…and bumped into a figure. As an apology left his mouth, he realized it was a stranger he knew. Worn clothes, a thick beard, and a repeated phrase.

“It’s all good, it’s all good.” Despite his unkempt appearance, the odor around him was cloyingly sweet. White plums.

Koshijiro reared back. “You.”

“Thank you, sir.” The man bowed his head, his glasses slipping off his nose. “And also, I’m deeply sorry for the trouble my son caused.”

Realization struck him. “You are Yukishiro Enishi’s father. Where is he?”

“Hm, not here, but we won’t bother you any longer.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was planning to visit the man who was there during my daughter’s death.”

Koshijiro’s vision wavered. He gripped the man’s shoulder, upon a disarming pressure point. “If you hurt Himura-san, I-”

“No, no! I thought I would bring him a small gift and sit for a while, but it wasn’t needed. You were at his side, after all.”

Embarrassed, he let go. “Oh. I apologize.”

“You’re a very good father. Much better than I was!” He chuckled but the sound was sad.

“You still have time to make things right. As long as you live, you can have another chance.” He echoed his wife’s words, from long ago.

The man gave an uncertain smile. “Kind words. From a kind person.”

“Not nearly as kind as you think.” He paused. “I don’t think I should encounter your son in the near future. Some things cannot be forgiven easily.”

“I understand. It was hard for me too, to forgive. Yes…it takes time.”

Koshijiro stiffly nodded. “Then, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” And the elder Yukishiro shuffled away, melting into the crowd.

Koshijiro was still standing in place when Sagara jostled him. “Uh-oh, did he turn into a statue again?”

“Is something wrong?” Shinomori inquired.

“No, I’m fine. I had an unexpected conversation, but everything will hopefully turn out alright.”

***

The yellow chrysanthemums were blooming, and four little bouquets were appropriate offerings.

“You’re right. This is weird.” Kaoru knelt before the grave marker bearing her name.

“We’ll remove it soon.” Koshijiro said. “We won’t need it for many years to come.” Many, many years.

“Same for yours. How quickly can we get rid of them?”

“It will probably be around the same time as Reijo is given her own plot.”

Kaoru nodded somberly. “I heard she was identified? I feel so sorry for her.” The girl had been called Hanako, a slum beggar who had unfortunately remained at a toddler’s level of growth. The last time she was seen, an elderly lady had noted she was coughing. Whether she had died from illness or the hands of evil, it would never be confirmed.

“We can pray for her as well.” They bowed their heads, and Kaoru clasped her hands together.

Koshijiro offered silent gratitude to Reijo, with the hope she could rest in peace. Gein was dead and wouldn’t harm anyone else. Then, he turned his thoughts to his wife. Forgive me, Kyoko. Our daughter was in danger, and I swear that this will never happen again.

When they were finished, Kaoru remarked. “You know, while I was on the island, I dreamt of Okaa-san. She was standing under a wisteria tree, and she gave me a branch. She kissed my forehead and told me ‘Stay strong’. It felt so real.” She pressed a fingertip to the corner of her eye but she smiled. “Like she really was with me.”

Those were the same exact words in his mind, when they realized Kaoru was alive. He had been by Kyoko’s picture on the altar, and she had carried that hope to their girl. The wisteria must have been her personal touch, a symbol of resilience. Koshijiro’s heart ached. “I knew she’d watch over you.”

The walk home did tire her out though, and he encouraged her to take a nap. He then had to write a report, documenting the closure of the Jinchuu case. He didn’t really like the name, given that it was Yukishiro’s term, but it had stuck in the office. It was close to dinnertime when the last page was filled, and Kaoru knocked on his door.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked.

“Oh, yes. We’re eating mackerel pike tonight. Daikon and sweet potatoes too, since Kenshin requested them. And, well,” Color rose to her cheeks. “Kenshin wants to visit Kyoto for a day trip, and he invited me to join him.”

“…Do you want to go?”

Kaoru nodded, her gaze steady. “I’d like to pay my respects to Tomoe-san too.”

“Then, I’ll come along to chaperone.”

He expected the usual protest, but instead, she said. “We’re taking the first train. I’ll start packing.” She walked away, and he was left alone, brow furrowed.

No ‘you don’t have to’. No ‘nothing will happen’. This was clearly significant. He dropped his pen. If only I heard what they said to each other!

The plan was also conveyed over their meal of grilled fish. Himura was nonchalant. “We will return the day after tomorrow.”

Sagara made a suggestive wiggling gesture with his intact fingers. “An overnight trip, huh?”

“Stay at the Aoiya!” Makimachi ordered. “Jiiya will give you the best rooms, and ask if the wagashi shops have reopened. There’ll be mushi-yokan with chestnuts and persimmons, and inoko mochi that look like cute little pigs! I’m craving them already…”

Kaoru couldn’t resist teasing her. “Would you like to join us, Misao-chan?”

“Oh, um, Aoshi-sama wants to see the seven shrines, the ones dedicated to all the gods of fortune!” She grasped his arm with fervor. He shot her a glance but she continued. “And we haven’t done that yet, so we’ll stay in Tokyo for a while longer.”

It was an obvious ploy to spend more time together, but Shinomori didn’t refute the plan. “It is as Misao says. We will be here when you return.”

“I’ll guard the dojo.” Yahiko offered.

“Thank you, Yahiko.” Koshijiro added. “And please, be kind to Officer Shinichi. That’s what a good senpai would do.”

“Don’t worry, Kamiya-san! I’ll show him the ropes, and make sure he drinks water.” His eyes lit up. “Wait, can I use your book?”

“Yes, and remember to put it back.” After dinner, he showed Yahiko where the book was kept in a drawer, under the family altar. The boy flipped through the pages, then abruptly stopped. He jabbed his thumb at the change in handwriting.

“Hey, Kaoru wrote in here! It’s the lesson plan for beginners.”

Koshijiro peered over his spiky hair. “It seems she did. That will be very helpful.”

“Can I add to this too?”

“You can write separately on different paper, and have Kaoru and I read it first. When you are master of the school, you will inherit the book.”

He grudgingly agreed. “Okay. Guess I’ll wait. My technique will be perfected then…”

“Hm?”

“Nothing! Good night, Kamiya-san!” Flustered, he snapped the book shut, set it in the drawer, and raced in the direction of his room. Well, he had years to go, but he would become an excellent head instructor with plenty of experience.

The thought was pleasant and Koshijiro headed for his own bed. He turned the corner and noticed his daughter, listening to Takani.

“-salve containers. I included bandages if anything opens up, and more aspirin only when the pain is unbearable.” She gave the bundle to Kaoru, with a firm voice. “Remember what I told you, the last time we were in Kyoto. He won’t tell you if he’s on the brink.”

“Of course, Megumi. I won’t ever forget.” She went to pack it in her belongings, and Koshijiro approached.

“We appreciate it, Takani-san. Were you speaking of Himura-san?”

“She didn’t tell you?” Takani frowned. “Ken-san’s body isn’t ideal for his sword style; in a matter of years, he’ll be unable to fight. It’s the toll that Hiten Mitsurugi has taken. If he overexerts himself again…I really believed it was the end during this nightmarish ‘judgment’. But like I said to Kaoru, she cannot be weak for his sake. She’s the one who has to help him, if he’s occupied helping others.”

Koshijiro hadn’t realized that was the state of Himura’s health, but it made sense. An expert swordsman could easily develop incurable joint pains. With the physical prowess of Hiten Mitsurugi, it must have accelerated for Himura. “I understand. We’ll keep close eyes on him.”

“I know. So, I’m relieved.” Her voice fell to a murmur before picking up again. “I’m off to bed, I have an early start. I’m working with a midwife tomorrow.”

“That’s good. I hope you learn as much as you can.”

“I intend to.” By this point, Kaoru had returned, and Takani squeezed her shoulder. “Safe travels, and I’ll see you later.”

“Thank you, Megumi. Otou-san, did you need anything?” The bruises around her neck were a faint greenish color, which was better.

“Nothing at the moment.” He patted her head, smiling at her pout. “Good night.”

***

The train was slightly delayed, but they reached Kyoto without further issue. They arrived at the Aoiya first, to drop off their belongings, and were greeted raucously by Okina. He was dismayed by the absences of Makimachi and Shinomori, unaware of the glances and smirks of the other Oniwaban.

“We’re back in business, and fall is a popular season! Your rooms will have fantastic views, you’ll see what I mean. Tell Misao and Aoshi to hurry up, the Okashira’s leadership is sorely missing!” Amidst his complaints, he did provide directions to the nearest flower seller.

Yellow chrysanthemums were also abundant here. Himura purchased a small bucket, and Kaoru had brought a short letter. She was a little shy but summarized the contents. “I wanted to let her know that her diary is with her brother. And I’m grateful that her memory protected me during Jinchuu and on the island. That’s pretty much it.” Her cheeks were rosy, and Himura smiled fondly at her.

It was a kind gesture and it reminded Koshijiro. He carefully broached the subject. “There is something I must share.” Then, he told them about his two encounters with the elder Yukishiro. “I should have, but I never asked if he wanted to meet you, Himura-san.”

But he shook his head. “It’s alright, Kamiya-dono. Enishi needs him now. Time has begun moving for Enishi again, and he will have to consider how to atone for his actions. Not with death, but his own answer. His father can help, but they have spent many years apart, so it will take time.” He navigated the path to the cemetery, only slowing when they approached.

The grave had already been cleaned, arranged with two bundles of white cosmos, but the centerpieces were a small glass bottle and a hairpin. Koshijiro recognized the latter.

Kaoru leaned close to the bottle. “It’s white plums. Do you think they visited?”

“It’s the same hairpin that was bought in Tokyo.”

Himura had been still, and he closed his eyes. “If they have each other, Tomoe will smile upon them. This one is content with such knowledge.”

He tucked their offering among the others and Kaoru lit the incense. Then, it was silent as they prayed for the deceased Tomoe, for her to rest in peace. Koshijiro extended his thoughts to the father and son, to find peace within themselves. It was not an easy thing by any means, but if they could start there…

“I hope that was enough.” Kaoru said.

“What did you say?” Himura gently inquired.

“Um, thank you, and I’m sorry. Kenshin, what about you?”

“The same as Kaoru-dono. Sorry, and thank you.” After a moment, he added. “And goodbye.”

The significance was not lost on Koshijiro. Himura was expressing that he was ready to move on. Kaoru had recognized it too, looking softly at him. The wind sifted through the surrounding trees, and crackling leaves fluttered.

Himura offered his hand towards her. “Shall we go, Kaoru-dono?”

She readily accepted, her eyes shining. Koshijiro didn’t move immediately, watching for a few moments, how the two of them took each step together. Then, Kaoru’s ponytail shifted, and his stare moved to the blue sky. He feigned interest in the clouds; he sensed that she was looking back, but he continued to gaze upwards.

“It’s a nice day. You two lead on, I’ll be taking in the scenery.”

So, if they continued to hold hands the entire way, he wouldn’t know. After all, his eyes were elsewhere.

Author's Note: I think it was interesting to have Oibore and Koshijiro meet. Both have some similarities, in that they were both samurai and had daughters and lost their wives. But the difference is pointed out by Oibore; he wasn’t a good father and Koshijiro is in this story. And that has ultimately affected their lives and the lives of their children. Now, onto the final arc!

[usagi-zakura]

Drawing a bunch of my DnD oneshot characters.

They all exist in the same universe, and sometimes pop up in the main campaign (the one with Remus the foxfolk wizbard, and now Moriko the ranger) but whenever someone can't make it to a session we like to do a oneshot in the same world. Its a lot of fun and is great for worldbuilding... and its also fun when we run into these characters later.

There are more... The kobolds Hugs and Kisses also exist in this world, but I've already drawn those a lot.

The characters are:

Nyx Duskrynn: Drow Druid (Circle of the Stars) She's one of three drow siblings with a dark past (though her's is the less dark.. my friend made a set of twins and gave them a really tragic backstory of being kidnapped and used for experimentation... and since I made a drow for the same oneshot we decided to make her the younger sister who got away.) She has since been reunited with her siblings and went on to explore a spooky house that turns out to have held a coven of hags... her oneshot ended up inconclusive but the DM later revealed that Nyx, her siblings and their guardian got captured by the hags... So that may be something our main party will have to deal with at some point (probably in another oneshot because their adventure is technically over). We've been told one of the twins has been freed, but we don't know exactly what that entails yet, nor what happened to Nyx and her sister.

Shadow in the Wind: Tabaxi Monk (Way of Shadow because of course he is) A small time criminal and best friend/boyfriend to Remus' older brother Romulus (its complicated). I've played him in two oneshots so far, one he was exploring another spooky house (there's a lot of those...) and another he was searching for a creature that could grant wishes living in a cave.

Alexis: Centaur ranger (Beastmaster conclave Tasha edition) Nicknamed the "All Terrain centaur" because thanks to class abilities and a magical item (winged boots re-flavored as magic horseshoes) she has every type of movement available in DnD, except burrowing. (I did consider giving her an item that would give her that too just for the hell of it) She's also really fast... being a centuar. So she can fly/run/swim/climb at 45 feet per turn. (Well maybe not climb since Centaurs have their own handicap when it comes to climbing...she could technically just walk right up the mountain wall though thanks to her magic horseshoes). Despite being a ranger she's part of a druid organization that's a pretty big deal in our world. She also gets visions of the future sometimes. She has no special feats for it or anything...she just does.

Her animal companion is named Hermes. He's a bird. He's not designed to be any specific type of bird or anything he's just bird. (He uses the "Beast of the Sky" statblock from the updated BM Ranger in Tasha's Cauldron of everything).

Sapphire Twinkletoes: Fairy Barbarian (Path of Wild Magic) Yeah that's right. Barbarian. (For some reason all my Barbarians are small races...I didn't even try for that it just happened.) I had an idea to make an anxious fairy but wasn't sure what class to make her...the DM suggested Barbarian with the rage reflavored as Panic. I went for wild magic because she's a magical creature but not a magic class...so her magic just goes haywire when she's afraid. She's a lot of fun. Yes her last name was inspired by Avatar the Last Airbender.

Jasmine Greenjoy: Gnome Wizard Played in Pathfinder 2e instead of DnD. Second cousin once removed on her mother's side to the main party's rogue Jade, as the second time I made my character related to one a character made by that player specifically (Jade's player is the same person who made the traumatized drow twins who became Nyx's older siblings). Mainly because they're the same race and I thought it'd be neat to tie them to the main party, even though in the campaign they haven't interacted. They have met...in fact the DM implied that Jasmine's mother was a midwife for Jade's mother when Jade was born, as a reason to explain why Jasmine is a magical misfit. Jade's mother did some suspect magical things on her unborn daughter... I don't know what they did, but as a result Jade was born with bright pink hair and Jasmine... well her hair changes color every day. She likes to have it match her familiar, a fluffy pipefox named Mr. Noodles.