#can you believe this was supposed to be done for last year mermay ?

[eluriart]

Promise

Dust/Muder sans & Papyrus by ask-dustale

Dream & Nightmare by joku

Inspired by skumhuu’s Leviathantale

[mdzs-is-rotting-my-brain]

Wangxian Mermay 2023

Day XII: Teeth

Endure more wangxian family cuteness.

"Lan Zhan."

Blinking the irritation from the computer screen from his eyes, Lan Wangji looked at his office door.

Wei Ying was there in his fluffy bathrobe that made him look comfortable, warm, and fuckable.

Lan Wangji curled his hands into fists, willing absolute control over his urges and desires. The deadline was extremely close, and he was nearly done. Once he finished his section of the score and melodies, he would be free for seven weeks before rehearsals began.

Seven weeks of waking up late, of doing all the cooking, getting to spend time with Wei Ying and their child.

He could do this.

Wei Ying folded himself around Lan Wangji's back, draping there like a contented cat. Taking one of his fists, he kissed each of his fingers, before opening his hand and dropping something small and white into it.

It took a moment for him to place the object with it's origins, and realize what it was.

"When…did he lose it?"

Wei Ying kissed his cheek, somehow snuggling closer, resting his entire weight against Lan Wangji's back.

"This morning during our swim. I had to dive to get it."

Lan Wangji put it in a drawer, he grabbed Wei Ying by the arm pulling him into his lap, kissing him fiercely.

Wei Ying was the only one he ever dated that taunted him. He learned to play him like Lan Wangji could his qugin, he knew what he was doing wearing his fluffiest robe, bringing the first tooth their son lost.

He arched into the kiss, trailing his hand down Lan Wangji's chest, moaning when Lan Wangji pulled on his hair, forcing his back to arch.

"Diedie, baba."

They broke apart, breathing hard. Wei Ying was flushed down his neck, Lan Wangji could feel his own ears warm.

"In the office baobei." Wei Ying called. He pretended to stretch, arching his back in a salacious display of bare chest and legs. He smiled at Lan Wangji, kissing him quickly before he fixed his robes.

A-Yuan, dressed in his dinosaur onesie, came into the room holding the large rabbit plush Huan-ge bought him for his birthday last year.

Wei Ying lifted him up, setting him in his lap, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around both of them.

"Baba, look!" A-Yuan smiled at him, he was missing two teeth now. He held the other tooth, still bloody, in his hand.

"Ah my poor baby!" Wei Ying hugged A-Yuan tightly, Lan Wangji plucked the tooth out of A-Yuan's hand, adding it to the drawer with the other one.

"It didn't hurt diedie." A-Yuan managed while he was squished against Wei Ying.

"Still, all that blood."

"Baba, diedie's being silly." A-Yuan sighed, much too mature for a child his age.

"Mn. He is." Lan Wangji freed A-Yuan from Wei Ying, holding him close. "You are growing up. He is happy to see it."

Wei Ying was staring at them the same way he did when Yanli-jie came by with A-Ling.

A soft face unable to believe sometimes that he got to be a part of something this warm.

"Do you know the Wen rites?"

There was rites for every Jiaoren Clan when a child lost their first set of teeth, each one as unique and different as the Clans themselves.

"I know some stuff. I know when his Hunting teeth come in he's supposed to make his first solo hunt. I could ask Qing-jie, she might be willing to share, even if they aren't from the same branch."

"I will inquire with Wen Qionglin as well. He might be willing to share."

Wei Ying smiled at him, wrapping his arms around A-Yuan "See, we can do this."

Lan Wangji kissed his forehead, "We have been doing well so far."

A-Yuan snuggled down between them, laying on Wei Ying's chest, with his legs over Lan Wangji's arm.

"Aiyah, he can sleep anywhere. Let me get him back to bed so you can work."

"No." Lan Wangji held them both tighter, "Stay."

Wei Ying stared at him, a bit surprised, "But…your compositions.."

Lan Wangji pulled him as close as he could get without disturbing A-Yuan.

"They can wait a few minutes."

Wei Ying beamed at him, he held A-Yuan, snuggling close, tucking his head under Lan Wangji's chin. Were he a cat, he would have been purring.

Not for the first time was Lan Wangji grateful he'd spent the extra for the larger desk chair. Rolling back slightly so he could rest his feet on the ottoman, he held his family.

[the-travelling-witch]

hi hi holly!! ask games are always fun 👀 you can choose which ones to answer akjdjs

💖 What is your primary writing goal for this year?

🫘 Spill the beans. What's a new project you're doing this year?

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

they sure are!! plus, i just like yapping about my writing ideas jshhs thank you for asking <3

💖 What is your primary writing goal for this year?

very generic, but my main goal is writing more and more consistently. i really want to establish some kind of routine that i can stick to, so it becomes more of a habit.

at the moment i still have to kind of force myself to do my hobby (dumb as it sounds) bc it’s really intimidating for some nonsensical reason, which makes the very idea to start something super exhausting ㅠㅠ

i also really want to work on and complete one of my longer/bigger projects!! there are a lot of cool ideas in my drafts (if i may say so myself) but they need the long format to shine + it’s always been a goal of mine to write a series <3

🫘 Spill the beans. What's a new project you're doing this year?

as i’ve already mentioned in a tag here and there, i’ve found the motivation to revisit a multi-chapter angst idea from last year. i’m currently still reworking the structure and pacing of the notes i made at the time but the core idea is still the same :>

i haven’t written any actual chapter yet, so i can’t show any snippets but i can spoiler some of the main themes that inspired it!! the one that’s really prominent for me atm is the motif that you cannot change your fate and if you try to outrun it, fate will only double down on it~

other projects would include the aventurine fic i’ve told you about, another idea for mermay, the twst pokémon au, my modern au and at least one of the event ideas i wanted to host ^^

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

i’m sooo excited to write the last chapter of every draft jshsh (big fan of finishing projects, i should do it more often /j); no but fr, i obviously like writing the culmination of all my plotting and scheming as well as the resolution, even if it also puts the most pressure on me to do it well!!

as for things i can share, i’ve talked before about a fic for barbarian! bakugo; it was supposed to be a one-shot and now i somehow ended up with a draft for a 5 chapter fic (how does this always happen?). the first draft for chapter one has actually been done since october but i wasn’t happy with how it came out at the time, so i’ve had zero motivation to edit and/or proofread it ^^;

i really like the prompt/au though, so i would like to finish it one day; here’s a snippet :]

The Fair Folk and the Barbarians of the Dragonrider Clan have never had much common ground, even back in the day when they were still peaceful neighbours. While the events that caused it have been lost to history, the bad blood which has run between the two fronts ever since was undeniable, leading to stubborn isolation on both sides as an ideal breeding ground for nasty rumours.

In case of the fae, who had concealed their presence in the thick forest to the west of the barbarian’s territory, rumours eventually became myths and their very existence was called into question, often being dismissed as a cautionary tale for reckless children.

Bakugo Katsuki, next in line for the position of clan leader, had been one such rash child but even from a young age on, he never seemed to believe in the stories the elders of his tribe would tell. And even if they were true, who would he be to lose to some fragile little pollen ball?

So when the now young adult stepped into a stone circle on a hunt deep in the forest, he thought nothing of it.

You, however, were keenly aware of the people that lived outside the border of your home. So when one of them waltzed into your world at the most opportune moment, who would you be to let this chance pass you by? Especially when you recognised the man for who he was.

sooooo do i have your attention already jshhshs

writer goals ask game

[eiseryn]

2023 Art Summary

I can't believe 2023 is almost over and it's been a whole year! These past few months have passed by in a blur and so I feel like I'm barely holding on 😭 I had a lot of time to draw in the beginning of last year but considerably less time now...

But overall, I'm really proud of my progress as an artist this year! I had more time to draw than usual so I honed some skills and worked on some things this year! You can tell from the first Lei and the last Lei I drew XD I learned how to use filters XD to blend the character into the background!

You can also see that I started the year with Nova (Feb-Apr) and then it became Lei in my fave pieces after LMAOOO. Seriously, the last 4 months just being Vail and Lei alternates is so funny to me XD. This year was truly the year of Lei. I suspect 2024 will also be the year of Lei with vis novel development XD

Going through the months:

January: First illustration of Lei back when the campaign first started. She was supposed to be a cold b*tch but uh... that did not happen. She turned out to be a soft and sweet girl, which also reflects in my later art of her. I still want to revisit girlboss Lei though cuz the shots she took in the campaign were like 😳😳😳

February: Pink Valentines Nova~ Nova is a blue girl but soft pink Nova hits differently. I think this art was cute and I love all the heart elements I put in! (Like in her eyes~)

March: Bubble tea Nova! This was my business card for the first art market I sold stickers at! <-- artist feat of the year? Otherwise didn't draw much art this month XD I was stressed out about my first art market. SOMEONE AT THE MARKET SAW THIS ART, ASKED IF IT WAS MY VTUBER MODEL, AND THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD BECOME A VTUBER. The best compliment I got about this art XD I will remember it forever.

April: Idol Nova… technically I drew it in May but shhh the sketch was done in April. I did this because I did some bday karaoke and this was the piece I got inspired to make after having so much fun there! Here is where I started learning how to use filters to help blend the character into the background!

May: Mermaid Merrow for Mermay! This is the only Mermay piece I did but it remains one of my top art pieces this year… just all the colours are so gorgeous in this one + the BG I'm proud of! I did not post it on tumblr cuz I started posting on tumblr in Aug... LOL. But anyways it's gorgeous and took me like 2-3 days.

June: Bad art month… it was between this and the Leticia sketch I made. I ended up with this one even though I don't like it as much as the sketch because it was at least a fully rendered piece with a background and everything... I don't like the face in it, but I worked hard on the hands! (One of my weaknesses) so there's that! Sometimes it's the little things you're proud of.

July: I really like this outfit I drew for Lei! It's the one I use for refs for her now XD I'm also particularly proud of this one cuz it's a fullbody and it's hard to draw fullbody pieces... But also I just think her outfit looks really good here! And I love how dead and tired her eyes look XD which is her mood by the time she got this outfit during the campaign.

August: It was really hard to pick for August because I had two really good pieces... (actually 3 it turns out) but I picked this one in the end because I think the artist composition was just really good. There are parts I don't like about it anymore, but the lighting was good! And I'm proud I drew all her friends in this too XD the pieces of her heart -- as this art piece is called.

September: Made a GIF of disappearing Vail! Not my first GIF I've made but I like how it turned out + I'm especially proud of the background XD It's not great but I put some effort into it. I could have worked on his pose a little more... but I don't have many good Sept pieces 😭

October: Spent too much effort on a meme. But really proud of the hand and lighting. Especially drawing the cyberpunk lighting cuz that's hard... Also yeah I think I spent close to an hour sketching the hand/ making the hand look decent XD So of course this piece is the one I choose. I also worked on making the BG look decent... and Vail's backview was hard... man... I spent a long time on this piece XD

November: Yandere Vail 😳😳😳 One of the hottest Vail pieces I've drawn and it's for a mafia AU Vail LMAO. I used a reference for this XD which is why the pose looks good.

December: Most recent piece! Had to finish the year with Lei cuz we started with Lei~ This one is a modern AU Lei so it can't quite compare to Lei's canon cyberpunk universe but still~ You can definitely see improvement in my art! Or so I'd like to think. I used a reference for the pose (kind of) and also used a picture for the BG. I'm going to do that a lot next year LMAO just take pics and use them as BGs XD Work smart not hard, right?

Runner-Ups

They're all from Aug + Dec LOL… my most productive art months this year XD

Aug 2: Flash piece! I didn't post this on tumblr either... but it is my former best boy from the campaign (Former b/c Vail took his place LMAO he's too sketchy now). I used a reference for his pose so it turned out pretty good in my opinion? I also like the lighting I did for him! I forgot his earrings though... and his necklace... oops... I'll fix that for the vis novel (cope) -- I do want this to be a CG you get from the vis novel XD cuz I think it looks good XD

Aug 14: Pink Neon Nights - First Vail x Lei piece 🥺😳🥺😳 I gotta admit the hand looks hella funky for Lei BUTTTT I am in love with Vail's smile here 🥺🥺🥺 His fangs and I like how I designed his hoodie~ Plus I like the pink neon lighting from the bar they're at~

Dec 21: Nova's birthday piece~ I hadn't drawn a full illustration for her since August so this piece turned out super good. For some reason her hair became more and more grey as the years passed in the way I drew her XD She's supposed to have white hair with grey tips (oxidation???) But UHMMM I think it's hard to do highlights on white hair so I've been making her hair more and more grey as time passes XD but her hair is white, guys.

Dec 22: Lei's Happy Holidays Card - TBH I don't like how her face turned out here, BUT I like her pose and the way I did her clothing folds XD and I put effort into the BG so there's lots of other elements on this piece I like~

And of course, my most popular piece this year was worm on a string Nova.

A classic TBH. She is still so sad and gorgeous in this piece XD I made it into a sticker to put on my laptop! :)

To more years of art and art improvement! ✨ To a 2024 filled with more self-indulgent OC art ✨ Happy New Year!

[dapandapod]

Sing with me

This one is for @jaskierswolf, my last entry for mermay! 

Please enjoy some Jaskier x Mer!Valdo with some fairytale feels to it. Thank you a billion to @kuripon for being my beta! (go give her fics a read too, they are amazing)

Here on Ao3.  Please enjoy.

Lettenhove is beautiful in spring. Buds breaking into leaves, flowers forcing their way out of the frozen ground, the sky clear and blue. Jaskier loves it, and he wishes he could be out and enjoy it. But here he sits, listening to his tutor going on about the great wars of the continent. He used to be interested, but his new tutor is a right bore. He is never allowed to ask questions, or move about. And Jaskier is nine, he wants to move a lot.

What makes it better though, is the view. The room the tutor claimed for their studies has a view of the bay below. It lies undisturbed, the harbor being built in safer water with far less protruding rocks. If Jaskier focuses really hard, he can hear singing from down there.

 He shuts his eyes real hard, ignoring the howling wind, ignoring his whining tutor, and focuses on the splash of waves and rich voices harmonizing along the cliffs, bouncing off the stone. It earns him a slap on the wrists most times he is caught, but it is worth it. Sometimes he sneaks into the classroom after bedtime. He sits down in the alcove in front of the window and opens it. Propped up on his elbows, he looks down below, the height making the underside of his feet tickle, and the wind is blowing gently in his bangs. More than once he falls asleep there, lulled by the singing below and the splashing of waves.

 One day he will go down there and meet them. The sirens.

~

 Jaskier gets a new tutor. She is younger, brighter than the last one, and she smells like the sea. Her eyes are the deep grey of angry skies and her smile as soft as seaweed. He likes her a lot. She teaches him to sing, and the lilt of her voice reminds him of those below, those hiding in the crashing waves. She teaches him the ways with a lyre, and she lets him ask every question that pops into his mind.

 But something goes wrong. He isn’t sure what happens, but one day after their studies, she kisses his forehead and bids him goodbye. “It was nice knowing you, little Julian,” she whispers, like it is a secret. “Come visit us some time.”

 The day after, a stern, thick man takes her place. The man frowns when he sees the lyre, decorated with seashells, but lets him keep it and doesn’t tell his father.

 And when night falls, Jaskier creeps back into the classroom. Elbows propped against the window, he sings. He knows their songs now, their words, and he knows she is down there.

  ~

  Jaskier is thirteen when he braves it for the first time. The climb down there is steep, loose rocks and wet grass under his feet keeping his heart in his throat.

But he wants to meet them before he leaves. He has been accepted to Oxenfurt for his studies, and he is leaving before his fourteenth birthday. He stumbles and falls on his butt, sliding down a few paces before he finds his feet again, scraping his knee. It stings, and the leg of his trousers is ripped, but he keeps going.

 It's not until he stands, watching the water churn among the rocks, that Jaskier allows himself to breathe. Small droplets of salt water hit his cheek, his nose, and he blinks. They watch him, as he watches them. Jaskier can see them in the middle of the bay, settled on the rocks sticking out of the water. None look like the other. One's skin is rich gold, another a deep brown. Another is pale white, shimmering like a pearl. Their hair is sticking to their bodies, long and dark. Only two of them seem to favour a shorter hairstyle. Not all of them even have fish tails.

 Jaskier takes a tentative step closer to the water, knowing full well he will die if he falls in. Maybe he will die anyway. All of the stories he has been told about sirens end with humans dying.

But they came to him. She kissed his forehead and sang him good night.

He won’t believe it.

  One siren dives beneath the surface, her tail green and red. He waits for her to approach, and when she is close enough, he recognizes her. Her eyes are still the color of angry skies and her smile is still as soft as seaweed. She greets him with warmth, and bids him sit.

 They sing together, and it takes all of his concentration to remember the words. It’s been years, after all, but he falls back into it easily enough. The others join them after a while, their curiosity peaked by a boy by the sea, learning their language. Those with legs come sit with him, and he blushes at their nakedness when their bodies are revealed.

 That summer, for every night he is able, he sneaks down to the bay. He learns their names and their singsong way of talking. When he tells her about the lyre, how he has it hidden from his father, she is delighted. She teaches him more about music than any tutor he has ever had ever, and her way of telling stories is like poetry.

 When fall comes and Jaskier is put in a carriage to Oxenfurt, he doesn’t cry. He has needled from his mother and older sister that they have the song there too. It may be in a different form, but he has sworn to her to bring it home to them.

  ~

  Jaskier is seventeen when he meets Valdo Marx.

 That boy is like no other in Oxenfurt. He is wild, rude, funny and absolutely beautiful. He sprays himself with thick and expensive perfume, but Jaskier smells it on him anyway.

The sea.

Valdo's hair is thick and dark, just like theirs. Jaskier watches him in the lazy hours in the morning when they sit in the library. If a ray of sun hits him just right, there is a vague shimmer to his skin.

 Jaskier knows.

And he is besotted.

 But approaching Valdo Marx is harder than anything he has ever done. Their ways of singing are much alike, and Valdo takes great offence at that. Where Jaskier tries a tentative smile, Valdo sneers. Scoffs, mocks and pushes him away.

Jaskier doesn’t understand it, but he accepts it. If their rivalry is all he can get, he will take it. So it's song duels, poetry battles, drinking games, anything to get his attention. Valdo keeps the act up, but sometimes when they part, Jaskier thinks he can see the hint of a smile.

  The water near Oxenfurt is so very unlike the water at home. It is calmer, for one, and the water is so very clear.. Jaskier likes to go down there in the early mornings. He avoids the harbor as it is a busy and dangerous place at times, and these nights he wants peace.

 He longs for them. His friends. People call him songbird, but no, that’s not it. Jaskier follows the beach and when the weather allows he takes his shoes off. At home it was dangerous to step into the water, but here the waves lap at his feet, hiding them under a thin layer of sand. It is harder to find a good place to sit, so he is far from town when he reaches his chosen spot. He leans back against a tree, watching the sun slowly rise above the water. Gulls cry over him and dive into the water for breakfast.

 Jaskier likes to sing here.

Not as he does in school, nowhere near that. Here he sings in their language, far from prying ears. No one sings with him, but that is alright. It’s been years since he went back there. He probably won’t ever go back there again.

His father is not a kind man.

Jaskier sings his sorrows away. It feels like he is calling to them, a lonely cry over the waves, asking for someone, anyone to join him. It would be nice if Valdo sang with him. Maybe, if he is patient, he will win him over.

  Things change when Jaskier gets in a fight. He didn’t mean to, he is shit at fighting and the sight of blood makes his head spin, but here they are. And he is losing too.

 A fist slams into his ribs, making him bend awkwardly around the pain. Jaskier grunts, but straightens up, or at least he tries to. His feet are kicked from under him, and next thing he knows, feet are raining down on him.

 They kick his hip, his already aching ribs, his shoulder, his fingers.

 Jaskier doesn’t see Valdo in the tavern. Doesn’t notice those ocean eyes on him, his silence and his observance.

 Only when the blows stop, and Valdo is taking a swing at the offender does he notice. Turns out Valdo is bad at fighting too, and they run from the pub together, bruised and swearing. They stop in an alley, hidden far enough away from the street, catching their breath. Only when they are sure they are not being pursued does the laughing start. More like giggling, actually. Neither is completely sober, adrenaline rushing through their veins, and the sheer absurdity of it all has them hiccuping and wheezing, leaning against the wall for support.

 “Why the fuck would you pick a fight with that guy?!” Valdo wheezes, wiping tears from his cheeks. “He was huge!”

 "He was being an asshole!” Jaskier defends himself, but he agrees. Maybe not his brightest idea. They sink down against the wall, catching their breath. The ground is a little muddy, but his trousers are already dirty, so it doesn’t matter.

When they sit side by side, Jaskier watches Valdo’s profile in the semi-darkness. He doesn’t usually get to see him up close, and with the light spilling from a window somewhere above them. Valdo is beautiful. And in this low light, Jaskier can see the hint of scales again. He knows Valdo is probably wearing a glamour, so he isn’t supposed to be able to see it. Valdo looks back at him, eyes still glittering with humour.

“What?” He asks.

“Thank you. For helping me.”

Valdo looks at him searchingly for a long moment. Then he nods, as if he has made up his mind.

“You are welcome.”

  They sit in silence for another few moments, letting the buzz of Oxenfurt nightlife surround them. Jaskier is looking up over the rooftops, trying to see the stars, when Valdo speaks again.

“You know what I am, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“You sing like we do.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

Now it is Jaskier who turns his head and finds Valdo watching him. He blinks fast a few times, trying to chase away the flutters that rise in him.

“One of my tutors came from the sea. My father didn’t like her, so she didn't stay, but we found each other again. She taught me songs and words and stories.”

 Jaskier can’t tear his eyes away, watching Valdo watching him.

It is a strange sensation, having Valdo’s attention like this.

 “Is this why you keep going to the water to sing?” Valdo asks, surprising him. It must show on his face, because he smiles gently at him, and Jaskier feels like he could melt.

“I hear you sometimes. When I’m out swimming.”

 Jaskier has to swallow hard before he can reply. He would love to see Valdo in the water. He remembers how graceful they are back home, how they moved in the water, strong muscles playing under the skin.

 “It is,” Jaskier confirms when he has himself under control. “I miss them.”

“I don’t know where my family is,” Valdo says after a while. “I left to come here. But I will find them again. Some day.”

 Jaskier stares at his boots for a moment. He wants to ask, he wants to ask so badly. He is a little afraid to do it, seeing that they just got on speaking terms.

 “Would you uh…”

Valdo is still watching him as if he is trying to figure him out.

“Would you sing with me some time?”

 There. He said it.

Valdo opens his mouth. Closes it. Tilts his head.

 “Do you know what it means to sing together?”

Jaskier shakes his head. He doesn’t. But it always meant a lot to him, and Valdo holds a special place in his heart. He wonders how their voices would sound together.

“It means belonging. Is this what you are asking of me? To belong?”

Oh.

Oh, that puts warmth in Jaskiers heart. To have found belonging with his people in the waves, to be accepted, chosen and loved.

And it flusters him greatly that he is now asking the same of Valdo.

Because he is, he realizes. He would like that very much.

 “If you’d like. Some day. I’m not asking for it now. I just… I would love to see you in the water sometime.”

Valdo doesn’t reply. He stands up, dusts off his trousers.

“We’ll see. Maybe.”

Then he stretches out a hand to help Jaskier up.

Valdo's hand in his is soft, warm, firm. When they are both on their feet, Valdo doesn’t let go of his hand immediately.

 “I think I can see what they saw in you,” Valdo says slowly. Jaskier doesn’t really understand what he means, but he loves it all the same. They make their way slowly across town, following the ebb and flow of its inhabitants. Valdo is still holding his hand.

    It takes months, years for Jaskier to see Valdo swim. His tail shares the color of seaweed, scales sparkling in the evening sun when he breaches the surface. Jaskier watches from the bay, far away from prying eyes. Valdo is every bit as magnificent as he thought he would be. Their journey here was long. A tentative friendship growing and growing. They still have their rivalry, are still at each other's throats most of the time.

But tonight, when Valdo offers to bring him to the sea, Jaskier know that too is about to change. Jaskier is wading out into the water, and Valdo swims to meet him. When the water comes to his chest, Valdo wraps his arms around him. It is cold, but Valdo pulls him in close and pushes their foreheads together.

“Will you sing with me?” Valdo asks, stealing Jaskier's breath away.

“Yes.”