#i am so in love with cactus prints

[wildemaven]

My sweet Heidi! Congrats again on your 1K bby!! You deserve it and even more!! I was wondering if I could put in a blind drabble request with my love Frankie and numbers 22 and 301. I’m so proud of everything you’re doing and am so glad to call you one of my best buds. 💜💜💜

Meet Cute in the Garden Section

Wildemaven 1k Celebration / 1k Masterlist Pairing: Frankie Morales x Reader

Warnings: 18+ Blog; No warnings, just fluff!

Prompts: "This doesn't smell like roses." / "It was nice meeting you."

You don’t mean to stare. Actually you do, because it’s the cutest thing you’ve seen in a while. 

Between reading the tiny plant labels and filling your cart with an array of plants you had been looking forward to purchasing for your growing garden, you can’t help but notice a Dad and his daughter an aisle over doing some planting shopping of their own. 

He seems a little lost, removing his tattered ball cap every once in a while to comb through his chestnut locks, as he examines each plant his daughter holds up to him. His furrowed brow gives you the impression he doesn’t shop for plants often. 

As you continue your browsing, you find yourself in the same section as the cute shopping duo. In closer proximity you decide the Dad is quite cute with how his eyes crinkle when he smiles at something his daughter is saying and you think you see a hint of a dimple through his patchy beard. 

“This one is cute too Papa! Look at it.” The sweet little girl, who looks to be around 5 or 6 years old, says to her Dad holding up the tiny potted plant. “Can we get this one too?”

He takes the plant from her tiny hands, squinting as if he either forgot his glasses at home or thinks he doesn’t need them and continues struggling through reading small print. 

“I don’t know baby, I can’t really tell what the little symbol is, if this one is saying full sun or partial— maybe no sun?? This one might be a little more difficult to take care of.” He tells her as he goes to place it back in its designated spot. 

“Actually, those are pretty easy to take care of— perfect starter plants too.” You say, giving him a reassuring smile so as to not come off as some creepy stranger in the garden department. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you, just thought you should know.”

“Thanks— thank you. As you might have guessed, I know nothing about plants, or gardening for that matter.” He says, laughing at confessing his lack of knowledge about plants to a complete stranger. There’s definitely a dimple, way more prominent when he laughs. 

“That’s okay, we all start somewhere. So far, all of your choices are great ones, you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting things going.” You tell him as you glance over their selections. 

“So there’s hope for us then?”

“Definitely!”

“Papa! This doesn't smell like roses!” The sweet little girl, who looks like a copy and paste version of her father, declares while shoving another plant into their nearly filled cart. 

“That’s because it’s a succulent, no real scent to them.” You say, and guessing by her confused expression, she doesn’t know what one is. “It’s like a cactus, but none of those pokey needles on them. They’re fun to take care of because they don’t need a lot of water to grow and love the sun, very low maintenance.”

“That’s just what our garden needs, low maintenance.”

He doesn’t have a ring, but you're aware not everyone wears one these days, so you use your sleuth skills to ask about his marital status so you don’t over step any sort of boundaries. 

“Well, I’m sure your wife will be happy with everything you two have picked out.”

“Oh, we’re not married— I have her on the weekends and she’s been begging to plant a garden since she has one at her mom’s place. And I have no clue what I’m doing so I’m just guessing as we go.” 

Cute, and single. 

“I’m Frankie and this is Isabella.”

You give him your name and you continue to talk him through his gardening hesitations, really soaking up everything little detail you’re sharing with him— wishing he had something to take notes knowing he’ll probably forget most of it by the time they get home. 

“It was nice meeting you. I hope you both have fun and I wish you the best of luck in your gardening ventures.” Realizing you had definitely overstayed your welcome, but wishing you could chat more with Frankie— and not just about plants and their needs. 

You give them both a friendly wave goodbye, turning back to your cart to make your way to pay for your own plants, looking forward to an afternoon of planting and deciding what to make for dinner. 

You had finished loading your car with your collection of flowers and a few bags of potting soil, when you hear your name being called, and turn to see Frankie and Isabella walking in your direction. 

“Hey! More gardening questions?” 

“Yeah, I mean— not really. I was wondering, umm if I could maybe get your number. In case I were to have any questions about garden stuff, I could text you or call if you prefer— or I could turn back around and head to my car and we can pretend this lame attempt at me asking to see you again didn’t happen.” He sounds nervous, his one hand firmly tucked into the pocket of his jeans and the other securely around Isabella’s tiny hand— his irresistible smile and charming personality has really won you over. 

“I’d love to give you my number— for gardening and stuff.” 

[that-struggling-writer-lh]

A Flower For Every Secret Ch. 3 - Basket Flowers

Buckle up my friends because I was giggling and kicking my feet writing this.

WORD COUNT : 1885

WARNINGS: Extreme fluff, mutual pining. MINORS DNI. These guys are sickly in love I can feel it in my bones.

Pair the dancing scene with the song J's Lullaby by Delaney Bailey. ALL THE FEELS.

“You going to Colleen’s wedding tomorrow?” a voice piped from behind the glass window.

“Good morning to you, too. I’m not sure. I feel like it was a tentative invite because I’ve only been here like a month.” I looked up at Agent Carrillo through my lashes, phone on hold between my neck and ear. 

Joel hadn’t been home hardly all week. His truck always leaving at dawn and not back until late, Sarah begrudgingly following close behind him. Both of their clothes had been covered in sawdust several of those days.

He hadn’t acknowledged me much since the dinner he had invited me to, the only conversation being passing hello, how was your day? He didn’t have time to play in the streets with the neighborhood kids, much to the dismay of many parents who had to pay extra attention without Joel keeping watch of the street. He had mentioned a big job in the city, renovating an old shop front into a high-end bakery.

“Still nice to get to know people better, you’re kind of in your own world over here.” he shrugged, leaning past the barrier to peek at my desk space.

I covered the note I was writing, waiting to get it sent out to a patrol unit. A welfare check on an elderly woman, I hung up the line when I was confident my message went through, and sighed. “I don’t have a date. So I won’t know anyone, and I’ll be alone. You have a wife, Carrillo. You have a buffer.”

He seemed to consider, “Find one. I mean this in the most platonic way. You’re pretty. Someone would want to go with you, even if it’s some shitty blind date.”

I chewed the end of my pen gently, the only person that came to mind being the neighbor I’d been pining over for the last week, “I think there’s someone I can ask.”

Joel’s truck was surprisingly in the driveway when I pulled into the cul-de-sac, Sarah in the front yard with one of her friends, laying in the grass with a neatly folded fortune teller. They played the game with smiles on their faces, even from across the street I could hear the flip, flop, flap of the paper with the swish of their hands.

I tentatively walked across the street, “Hey, Sarah. Your dad home?” I questioned.

“In his office, just walk inside and let him know I said it's okay.” She looked away from me and smiled at her friend again, “Pick a number one through four.”

“Joel?” I called into the silent house, “Joel, it’s me, Sarah said to come in. I have to ask you something.”

A shuffling noise and a door opening came from down the hallway and Joel appeared, phone pressed to his ear, he motioned for me to follow, using his spare hand to silently shush me, “Again, it’s not possible with the current price of lumber, tools and extras. I gotta pay my guys, I gotta feed my kid. I’d love to continue offering the labor rate I had five years ago when I previously did work at your home, but I am a small business.” he was rolling his eyes, rolling up his long sleeved shirt to his elbows.

I watched him as he sat at an l-shaped desk, stuffed into a corner of the small room, a window directly in front of his chair. A few photos of him and Sarah framed, dusted. A tiny cactus potted, and neat stacks of binders with printed labels. Money In, Money Out, Project Portfolio, Current Client List and Job Sites, Employee Records/Handbook.

He pinched his brow, exhaling slowly so as not to let the person on the other end hear his frustration, “I offer very competitive rates, you won’t find someone cheaper than me right now, I don’t think. I’ve held off on raising prices again… I understand your frustration, times are changing for everyone. Yes, just let me know. I’d love to be of help to you, have a great weekend Bob.” he put the phone into its cradle and groaned aloud, “Sorry, Sweetheart.” he drawled as he spun on squeaky wheels to face me.

“Sarah let me in, I wanted to ask something pretty big of you this weekend. I understand if it's a no, I just have nobody else I’d like to ask.”

He pressed his elbow into the desk, resting his chin in his palm, “I��m all ears.” 

“There’s this… Thing.” I started, looking up at the ceiling.

He waited for me to continue, “Gosh, I’m nervous.” I huffed a laugh.

“Don’t be nervous, just ask.” he had started grinning at this point.

“The chief’s secretary is getting married tomorrow. I was a last minute invite, I wasn’t planning on going, but was given the option of taking a plus one and-” I froze, trying not to stammer over my words, “I was hoping that maybe you’d like to come. With me. As a favor. It doesn't have to be like…” I trailed off.

His ears turned a soft shade of pink and he looked out the window, now to the side of him, “Let me make a call.” he turned back to the phone and in moments, “Maria.” a pause, entirely too long as he stared directly in my eyes with the phone to his ear. I began wringing my hands together in anticipation. My heart thrumming wildly in my throat, “Nothing serious, just a favor.” he started, “I have uh… A date tomorrow… Need someone to feed Sarah dinner, make sure she’s okay.” he was chewing his lower lip nervously, that eye contact still unbreaking, “Of course,” he was grinning now, the pink in his ears flushing through his cheeks, “I really appreciate you guys. Thank you.”

The phone clicked back into its home on the desk, and Joel stood from his chair, “It’s a date.”

Joel promised to wear his best. Based on what I’d seen I’d hoped it was a little more than a blazer and nice pants. But he could show up in anything and I’d be happy just to hear his laugh again.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to label my feelings for my neighbor as, other than when I look at him it feels like the breath has been taken from my lungs for a moment. I spent all evening laying everything out, he promised to pick me up by three p.m for the four o’clock ceremony in the gardens of the event center. The reception would follow in a large barn. From what I had heard, Colleen’s family spared no expense. I opted to wear a lilac, solid colored dress that ended at my ankles, off shoulder sleeves and tulle underneath the skirts to plump up the whole thing, paired with silver heels. My hair in a french twist with pieces left out to frame my face, my makeup bright, blushy and glossy.

The knock at the door as I put an extra coat of lipgloss on and stuffed touchup stuff into my clutch almost sent me into a panic. I rushed to answer the door, careful not to trip over myself before opening the door. I was not prepared to see him look so- 

“Wow.” we said in unison, wide-eyed.

“You look-” we both started, 

“Handsome.”

“Perfect”

Joel really pulled it off. Hair neatly parted and slicked, facial hair trimmed. He sported a full tux, perfectly tailored. He offered me his arm and I graciously accepted, the cul-de-sac was bustling with life, but it was as if he was the only one there with me. Drowning out everything else in a haze of warm, woodsy cologne and perfect smiles. The warmth made each vein in his large, rough hand rise. It was nearly impossible to keep my eyes trained on any single spot of him. He cleaned up good.

He led me to his truck, opening the door and helping me up.

The ride was near silent, only the radio covering the thrumming of my chest. The nerves electrifying my every fiber.

He kept his hands off of me through the entirety of the ceremony, though our eyes often drifted to each other through the vows. The soft music.

The reception was dimly lit, candles gracing every surface they made sense on, baskets overflowing with blooms of every shade to mark doorways, placed on tables as centerpieces, a chandelier of candles with wildflower blooms laced in every spare beam. 

Joel was seated firmly beside me at a table full of strangers. Eventually his hand found a spot to rest on top of mine, our fingers tentatively lacing together. Both of us obviously nervous. It was different than last week on the walk back to my house from his. I was keenly aware of his every movement, the feeling of his skin. The flush of my face, and each beat of my hammering heart.

Eventually I heard the slow, soft guitar and words sung so softly it was like a private prayer.

Darling I’d wait for you

Even if you didn’t ask me to.

Tie a lasso around the moon

And bring it on down to you.

His eyes found mine again and he rose from his seat, keeping our fingers laced together, glancing around at the other couples slowly moving along to the beat, “Normally I’d say I have two left feet… But this time… Dance with me?”

It took a moment for the words to leave after the nod of confirmation, “Of course.” I whispered as he took me toward the middle of the room. One hand pressed into my lower back, bringing our waists together, his other holding mine so delicately I was sure I must be dreaming. The candlelight illuminated his face in a golden haze. Surely things like this are only in fairytales

Cause, Baby, when your arms are around me.

I’d swear that I’m holding the sun.

“Joel,” I started, “Thank you - for coming with me.” his eyes were so warm I could have melted in them.

“There isn’t a way I’d have missed something like this.” he squeezed his hand at my back, bunching up tulle and soft fabric.

You could have the stars and the trees.

When dividing up the universe.

My breath hitched as words failed me entirely; and my hand, pressed firmly onto his shoulder, loosened, slipping further up and around to the back of his neck, burying in the soft hair at his nape.

His brows furrowed, almost a question. Almost a hope. We studied each other as everything else fell around us. Deeper and deeper. Until all that remained on the crowded dance floor was Joel. Me. And the words of a lullaby.

Darling, I wish that you

Could give me some more time.

To herd the whole sky in my arms,

And release it when you’re mine.

At the same moment he leaned in, so did I. It was hardly even a kiss. More like a tentative brush, testing the waters before making a full swan dive in deep water. He pulled away only to look at me again for confirmation. I nodded and he sealed his lips to mine.

I’d put the beach in your backyard

In hopes to be enough for you to stay.

YOU GUYS PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU'RE LIKING THIS. If you're enjoying PLEASE comment that you'd like me to continue!

[brinnanza]

I made! a cactus ring holder! the pot is 3d printed! it's fully wired so all the fingers are posable! now that I've nailed down the prototype, I would love to be able to offer them in the shop!

if you would like to commission something rad or just tip me for makin cool stuff, you can hit me up on ko-fi. com/brinnanza or straight up brinnanza dot com. I can't super guarantee delivery by crimis but I am very speedy and I will do my level best.

[squalodinoappreciationsquad]

For the OTP meme, may I have all of them XD Just kidding. I've managed to narrow it down to 3, 4 (this could go both ways and I'd love your thoughts.) 48 and 51 if you want to pick from any of those! 57 is also hilarious. I can just visualize what could happen with those two shopping together.

Oh, that is A LOT of interesting questions! Let's see what I can pull out!

3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.)

They do, but not on purpose, so to say. There was that one time where they both were VERY late to their respective occupation and it happened that Squalo arrived in front of the Varia with Dino's coat and he had to do the walk of shame towards the coat hangers, whilst Dino had to explain a very distressed Tsuna why he was wearing Squalo's coat and he had to basically be like "oh haha silly me!"

Or that other time where they got nearly caught together by Reborn and they had to dress up REAL FAST and stuff got mixed up. Like the t-shirts. Squalo "I only wear plain basic t-shirts" Superbi had to live with the fact that he was wearing Dino "if it's not printed possibly in metal music fashion it's not worth wearing" Cavallone's t-shirt.

There are plenty of occasions like that, HOWEVER, there was one single time where they switched clothes on purpose and it was to exact petty revenge against Reborn, who has the habit of just being everywhere at all times, especially the most inconvenient ones.

Not the most comfortable thing, Dino is used to baggy clothes, whilst Squalo wears a lot of tight-fitting clothes. I will let you imagine how it went, about as smooth as a cactus.

4. Which one is more protective? Who needs to be ‘protected’?

It kind of depends? For both of them the concept of "protection" is such a broad one and it can mean different things. TBF Squalo has "protected" Dino a lot from bullies, mean people in general, people who meant harm. I am fairly sure Squalo acted as the scapegoat whenever Xanxus meant harm to Dino.

Or Dino has "protected" Squalo from like things going wrong - am I maybe thinking Dino crying and begging the CEDEF to let him save3 Squalo from certain death after the Rain battle? Maybe so. Look, there was no reason for Dino to save Squalo and I am still thinking that the "it's gonna be trouble for the Vongola" excuse was a bullshit one so.

There is a lot of "unsaid" and a lot of "shown", these two idiots are a mess. They can't communicate ever, but they do understand each other very well and that is probably why it's "protection" in a lot of ways. If that makes sense

48. Who’s the better driver?

Surprisingly Dino. Squalo has a lot of "road rage", full insults and middle fingers and several fines on his name. Look, the man is STRESSED and the fact that he has to harness the entirety of the Varia is not helping!

Dino, on the other hand, was taught by Romario how to drive properly, and Romario is the most patient person in the universe. He taught Dino how to deal diplomatically with the assholes. Dino is a role model citizen on the streets.

57. Whose the serious one when grocery shopping and who likes to toss random things in the cart?

Look. Listen.

We are talking about Dino "I like shiny things" Cavallone and Squalo "I am gonna get a good grade in grocery shopping which is both possible and normal to achieve" Superbi.

Squalo has a list and "Dino, if you fucking add that cereals box I am going to kill you!", whilst Dino is "but I am gonna eat cereals!"

S: Since fucking WHEN?? Last time you FORGOT and we had to THROW THE WHOLE BOX AWAY!

D: But THIS TIME IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT!

Listen, Squalo and Dino to me and my neurodivergent heart are the Autism to ADHD communication, no one wants to go with them to do any grocery shopping.

Squalo will present an entire spreadsheet with exact times of leaving, arrival, a dtailed list, what snacks they are gonna get afterwards and at what time, whilst Dino will show up two minutes before leaving with a "oh, are we leaving? Are we going somewhere?"

It's a mess.

[danglovely]

Regrading Taskmaster: S06E06 We met at mealtimes.

*Score changes noted in parenthesis.

Greg defaces Alex's tummy. Moving on.

Prize Task: The Best Thing You've Invented

This is the worst round one we've ever had.

Russell invents "cup cereal" and Alex/Greg both take him down for it already being invented. My problem is more fundamental in that my parents never set an arbitrary time where I had to stop eating cereal, thus requiring me to conceal my cereal-eating.

Asim 3D printed shoes. It looks like soap. I think this might be good, but Greg is so dismissive out of the gate that it never gets a chance. Tim legitimately invented a spade that you can pretend to dig with. It looks effective and I've never heard of such a thing before. Great effort.

Liza's cactus shoes are so confusing that I will absolutely forget them as soon as I stop writing this post. Any modicum of internal logic would elevate them above Russell, but there isn't any.

And heeeey, Alice didn't invent anything. She had an idea . . . but the category was best invention, not best idea. I think everyone else did successfully invent a thing.

Alice: 1 (0) Asim: 4 (+3) Liza: 2 (-1) Russell: 3 (+2) Tim: 5 (0)

VT 01: Make the best snow globe.

Awful Christmas Armageddon.

I'm not all that much of a stickler on what the requirements are for "being a snow globe." That being said, Alice doesn't make a snow globe. The "globe" part is missing. I've noticed more and more that Alice just doesn't do the task a lot in this series and it's not all that surprising that she comes in last. She also orders "face meat" which is how I learned such a thing exists.

Frankly, Liza's is gorgeous. Tim makes something closer to a smoothie than a snow globe. Asim puts two Jon Snows in a balloon?? He also creates a visual that will stick with me forever. It fits the definition of "snow globe" sufficiently.

Russell does get pretty close to the platonic ideal of a snow globe. I have to weigh it against whether I value Asim's creativity more. Liza is easily first and Alice is easily last. Tim getting two makes sense and I think Russell has to edge Asim because Asim largely didn't seem to know what he was going to do next.

Alice: 1 (-2) Asim: 3 (+2) Liza: 5 (+1) Russell: 4 (-1) Tim: 2 (-1)

Team Task: Knock over as many ducks as possible. You must all remain on the red carpet throughout the task.

I also don't remember the way we were positioned.

Alright, hear me out. This can be interpreted as only a part of one's body must remain on the red entirely (not sure why they didn't call it the "red green").

Russell does keep a foot on the red. There is a philosophy in law that it should be interpreted as close to what is colloquially understood to be the law and in this case, everyone in studio seems to think it's fair to DQ Team Funk. That's the feeling I get too and while I think there's an argument for them winning, I am okay with how it shook out.

Team Funk: DQ Asim, Liza, & Tim: 5

VT 03: Make an announcement. Biggest announcement to the most people wins.

But nobody listened.

We're gonna rate "biggest" one through five and "most" one through five and combined score will decide it. Thus, ties are possible. I really hate what Asim does. It had the kernel of a good idea, but it's so clumsy. That said, at least he tried.

Russell doesn't. I would say he makes his announcement to his mom and no one else. It's also the least big announcement, and yes, it is smaller than Alice announcing quattro formaggi pizza having four types of cheese. Her audience is approximately 400.

I love what Tim does. By my rules, he really only makes his announcement to under 50 people, but I'm giving him the title of "biggest" because he made himself a security threat.

Liza is in last, because I have no idea what she did. If I had to guess . . . she didn't do the task and then made up some bullshit about how she did the task.

So, Liza: last. Russell: smallest message and audience. Alice: second smallest message, second largest audience. Asim: second largest message and largest audience. Tim: largest message and third largest audience. So the scores shake out as such:

Alice: 3 (+1) Asim: 5 (0) Liza: DQ (-2) Russell: 2 (+1) Tim: 4 (0)

VT 04: Make the best parachute for this wooden spoon. Slowest and most dramatic fall wins.

At last.

I never really took the "most dramatic" requirement seriously. Some contestants also took the definition of "parachute" liberally. For some reason, Alex never announces the times on this one.

It feels like it should be Liza (5). Alice (4). Tim (3). Asim (2). Russell (1).

And that's just based on vibes.

Greg swaps Asim and Russell with his scores. I'm pretty confident Russell did the worst.

Alice: 4 (0) Asim: 2 (+1) Liza: 5 (0) Russell: 1 (-1) Tim: 3 (0)

Live Task: You will each be given a category. You will each have 10 seconds to say things that fall into that category. First you must each predict how many correct answers you will give. The person who has successfully predicted the highest number wins.

Eggs!

All of these were very easy categories and I bet I would have bet myself somewhere between ten and twenty. The only bad category is continents (because there's only seven). That said, I would have failed at "counties" unless U.S. counties are counted, and why wouldn't they be? It's a show about pedantry.

I am a little disappointed in Liza for not being able to name five continents. There's also a bit of discussion to be had about whether Alice repeated her crustaceans. I don't have strong feelings about it and I've been hard on her in scoring, so let it be.

Alice: 5 (0) Asim: 4 (0) Liza: DQ (-1) Russell: 3 (0) Tim: 3 (0)

F I N A L

Alice: 14 Asim: 23 Liza: 17 Russell: 13 Tim: 22

Here's an announcement: Hand it to Asim Chaudhry.

[ahiddenpath]

Otakon 2023

Lil ramblin' about the con beneath the cut! But above the cut, my spoils!

I haven't been to a con since NYC Comicon in 2015, so this was a ride!

Amazing Stuff:

-Meeting @citrus-cactus at the Digimon redubbed movies screening! It was so amazing to meet her after being in the same online community for... Like... God, who even knows, like ten years?!?!?! And she is so lovely!

-THE DIGIMON REDUBBED MOVIES SCREENING!!! More on that here!

-My haul above! A sweet lil Kou-chan figure and a Luna plush from the dealer's room and an artbook from Shouri and a Sonic keychain from the artist's alley!

Not my fave stuff and neutral observations:

For reference, I went to Otakon all three days from roughly age 14 straight through college?? Well, in college it would have been Sat/Sun only. After that, I guess I didn't go that often, but any comparisons I make are to that time period (roughly 2003-2011 ish).

The DC convention center as a venue:

-The convention center was easy to get to from the Metro!

-The building was much bigger and better able to handle the crowd than the Baltimore Convention Center.

-There was. NO SIGNAGE. WHATSOEVER. For ANYTHING. Absolutely horrendous. What there WERE were volunteers/employees who bellowed directly into your face to... Do the things you were already doing. Or to... Walk the other way around the pillar. Because the other side leads into the faerie realm or some shit, idek.

-The guide books used to have maps, schedules, opening and closure times, etc. There was a map in this guidebook, but the opening and closing times for different parts of the cons and the event schedule were not printed. Meaning I had to use my phone to know, for example, when and where the Digimon screening event was... And there was poor reception the dealer's room in the lowest level.

Although the event schedule site couldn't load, I was blessed that some of Citrus' discord messages were getting through. She alerted me that the screening room was filling up and told me the room number (bless!!!! Thank!!!).

The con compared to ones I remember:

-I was shocked that there was a digimon panel and two separate Digimon screenings in one day? And the Digimon movie redub screening event was full to capacity- I missed the first film because I was next in line at the shut door D: So, like, Digimon is alive, and I saw two Daisuke cosplays, a Ken cosplay, and someone with a Patamon plush attached to their baseball cap. Patahat! There wasn't much merch. Citrus spotted the main place offering digimerch and sent me there (I got the Kou figure there). She also saw the lone Digimon fanart in Artist's Alley, and we found someone who made baby stage plushes. Another dealer's room place had some vintage plushies of the digimon that looked... like they had been through... some stuff.

Basically, Digimon seems to still be very much alive in terms of audience interest, but not so much the merch and fan art. I don't know what to make of that.

-The con seemed a lot less lively than the ones I remember. I only saw a few interesting cosplays (like the kind where you go, how did they even do that?!). My husband pointed out that the hall is far larger, however, and that the cosplay folks have tons of photo studio rooms to go to. They were likely there.

-The extra space was deeply appreciated (compared to what I'm used to from the Baltimore days), but... Okay, so the Dealer's Room provided empty space. Every aisle had an end area to "pull over in," whether it's for a water or food break, a photo op, or to wait for your bud to make a purchase.

PEOPLE STILL STOPPED DEAD DIRECTLY IN THE MAIN THROUGHWAY. WHY. WOULD YOU DO THAT. PLEASE I AM BEGGING-

My husband says I'm dreaming if I think the provided empty space will stop people from doing that, lol!

-DEMON SLAYER. EVERYTHING IS DEMON SLAYER. THERE IS NOTHING BUT DEMON SLAYER. Look, I enjoy Demon Slayer too, but good gracious, it's clearly the Naruto of the 2020s in terms of popularity.

-I learned who Rem is. Good God there were a lot of Rem figures.

-Looking at my purchases, I bought for three "classic" IPs and supported an artist I've followed for a long time. No new stuff. And I'd say the merch overall was about half "vintage" stuff and half newer stuff. Lots of Sailor Moon, DBZ, Pokemon, etc.

General Con Hardships:

-So a friend suggested to me recently that I might have sensory issues. I balked, because jfc have you seen my list of issues, please don't suggest another, I beg, I am full up, can I have some less sir.

Uh basically she mentioned how much she used to love going to the movies and I said, "I don't go anymore, I can't understand the voice audio." And she was like- Okay so it's true that some movies don't mix sound properly and can't be understood well, but if it's all movies... Um, babe, I think that's an auditory processing issue.

She suggested I get ear plugs, and god DAMN I wish I had them at the con.

Riding in the metro in tunnels? The whoosing and clanking hurt. Volunteers absolutely bellowing in your face at the con? Look, I guess it's their job, but please I am going to cry if you scream in my face like that. People playing music at the loudest volume in the dealer's room and hallways? Why, why would you do that. Someone was walking around playing an ocarina on the way to the dealer's room, so I was stuck with her for about 10-15 min, and I genuinely wanted to lock the damn thing in her backpack on a timer somehow, lmao. Look, ocarinas are easy enough to get the correct note out of, but they are difficult to control tonally. That high-pitched, harsh PHWEEEE noise clawed at my ears.

Of course, you can't control other people. The best I can do is accommodate myself to suit the place I'm going, which means... The damned ear plugs.

Apparently sensory issues and anxiety go hand-in-hand, as of course people feel stressed if the signals around them aren't being processed in the "typical" way, causing strain.

So... The con was exhausting and just... Difficult. But! I'm really glad I went! And I'll just buy the gd earplugs, here's what was recommended to me.

Also, PS: I found a piece of rare digimon merch that was way out of my budget at a dealer's room stand. But when I came home and looked it up, I found it for 35% less (which, at this price point, was a lot). AND NOW I HAVE AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE ON THE WAY AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW YOU! Also, honestly check the retail on stuff in the dealer's room before you buy, this must be why there's no reception down there-

I am ready to not attend a con until next year! But to also go next year! Maybe I'll meet more of my online pals!!!! :D

[artstar1997]

I really did it!!! I completed the first set this faebruary. I've been planning this because a set of comments in Discord inspired me to make a Fairy AU of Jak and Daxter.

It was hard to sort the characters based on the colors of their outfits or their personalities but I was able to prepare for it. I took inspiration from real-life insects for the wings and the flowers or plants for their outfits, I used flower language for reference. For Jak, he has the wings of a morpho butterfly, and the flower petals I use for his outfit are from the Gerbera Daisy. Gerbera Daisies or African Daisies symbolize innocence, purity, cheerfulness, and loyal love. The Ancient Egyptians believe that these daisies symbolize closeness to nature and devotion to the sun, whereas the Celts thought they lessened the sorrows and stresses of everyday life.

My OC, Jakleen is more of a gold color code type of girl so she gets to have marigolds on her outfit and a matching flower crown. Marigolds represent positive emotions, energy, beauty, warmth, creativity, a drive to succeed, and celebration of the dead, but they also symbolize darker emotions such as jealousy, grief, despair, and mourning. Because of their sun-like appearance, marigolds were often linked to the powerful strength of the sun and represent power, strength, and light that lives inside of a person. Her blue ulysses butterfly wings match Jak because they are twins.

Daxter's ottsel fur matches the color of the monarch butterfly so he can have wings based on it while his shirt was made from the petals of the tiger lily. Matching his loudmouthed and brash personality, tiger lilies symbolize confidence, pride, and wealth. He also wears accessories made out of precursor metal like the Mar twins because the fairy king, Damas adopted him.

Keira Hagai has the wings of a queen Alexandria birdwing butterfly and some parts of her ensemble were made out of violet flowers. Violets are most commonly associated with love but they can also symbolize honesty, protection, dreams, healing, remembrance, determination, and even the idea of setting goals. It really matches her because violets can also be associated with growth, expansion, and peace. They are often viewed as symbols of mental clarity.

Ashelin Praxis has been a flower among the thorns in the Krimzon Guard so her jacket is made from rose petals with a red rose and thorny prints to match her maroon dragonfly wings (Her father has cecropia moth wings). Red roses usually mean love and passion so it really matches her and her love for Torn.

Tess has a colorful but protective personality so she gets a pair of agrias butterfly wings and her outfit is made from the petals of the sunflower. Like her love for Daxter, sunflowers symbolize happiness, optimism, honesty, longevity, peace, admiration, and devotion.

Taryn is quite complicated but I am able to match her with a dahlia flower and her wings are based on a Mormon butterfly. Dahlias symbolize perseverance and the ability to overcome, just like Taryn's personality. They serve as a reminder of the inner strength everyone possesses, even in dark times. 

Torn, on the other hand, is very prickly like a cactus so I decided to match his wings to those of an Asian giant hornet while his outfit is made from the leaves of a flowering quince. Just like his role in the Underground (later, Freedom League), quince flowers are seen as a sign of perseverance in the face of adversity and the ability to cope with adversity. The plant reminds us even when things are difficult in one’s life, there is still great capability for greatness in everyone.

Jinx has an explosive personality so his wings are based on a painted jezebel butterfly and his outfit is made from the leaves of a thistle, which really matches him. Thistles symbolize aggressiveness, pain, protection, and pride.

Captain Phoenix had some demons of the past haunting him so I gave him the wings of a Mourning Cloak butterfly and his clothes are sewn from the leaves and petals of a hyacinth flower. By remembering how he failed to stop the Dark Warrior Program, the purple hyacinth specifically, represents sorrow, regret, and forgiveness.

Ximon is laid back and exceedingly friendly so I match him with the luna moth while his outfit is made from the leaves of a zinnia plant. Just like his friendship with Daxter, Zinnias are the flowers of friendship and they symbolize endurance and strong bonds.

Pics used for wings: Monarch Butterfly: https://www.pngitem.com/pimgs/m/41-414942_monarch-butterfly-png-transparent-png.png Agrias Butterfly: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Agrias_narcissus_narcissus_MHNT_dos.jpg Mourning Cloak: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Nymphalis_antiopa_MHNT_CUT_2013_3_13_Tombeb%C5%93uf_Male_Dorsal.jpg Painted Jezebel: https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/download/attachments/233784330/IMG_3717.JPG?version=1&modificationDate=1550117282037&api=v2

[3gremlins]

One of november's mythological/folklore creatures coloring page pieces was "Trelquehuecuve" (also "El Cuero" "the hide"). This is from chilean folklore and it's amazingly creepy! It's a big flat creature who looks like a cow or goat hide on one side but has wicked claws and teeth all along the underside. It supposedly lurks in lake waters throughout chile (tho physical descriptions vary depending on region) and attacks by engulfing victims in its folds and then drowning and draining them of blood. You can supposedly kill one by throwing a quisco cactus (i believe it's this species)  into its waters instead- the el cuero will grab it and pierce its own hide on the needles. i looked at lots of sting rays for inspiration of the pose (also manta rays just because they tend to get photographed breaching out of water more). The underside was a little more inspired by starfish and then i went nuts with many teeth (i love adding teeth) prints will eventually be available in my store | for more updates/rewards/downloadable coloring pages/to support my art, you can check out my patreon | please do not repost (i am still working on the physical version of these coloring pages which hopefully will be out next year. I realized that I wanted it to be a little more representative/diverse so i'm working on adding more pages which unfortunately takes time)

[arytha]

orchid, cactus, bamboo, abelia, daffodil, mahonia, chia, camellia, jasmine, ivy, chamomile, aloe vera, palm tree, taro for get-to-know-me asks?

orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

I. So I don't consider things by 'perfection' honestly but Fuck is CLASS::EXSPHERE_NOSURGE; a song that will forever kick my ass. Absolute favourite song of all time.

cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)?

Waves my little Chinese Mandarin language learning app 'Hello Chinese' that helps (but with how i remember to do stuff i keep forgetting to do things) me remember that I actually did take 2 years of Mandarin in school.

bamboo ⇢ do you change into a different outfit when you get home?

Yeah I generally change out of my scrubs and into pjs. Usually a tank top and shorts 👍 be comfy

abelia ⇢ do you have a particular piece of jewelry you always wear or can’t part with?

Nope. Actually I used to wear a ring all the time, and then I lost it. And I used to wear a necklace all the time but I kept putting it in my mouth and it wore off the cheap silver coating. (for reference these were both while i was in middle school). I can't stand wearing jewelry daily anymore, it gets in the way.

daffodil ⇢ do you have siblings? if yes, in what ways do you think you’re similar to or different from them?

Yep, two younger brothers. I don't get along well at all with the older one (nothing in common at all), but the youngest has a similar humor as me and we're pretty good friends..

mahonia ⇢ what place, thing, activity inspires you most and how do you express yourself when it does?

Ehhhhh. Mainly reading inspires me the most honestly. Sometimes a song will also give me the executive function to create too, but it depends on whether I have the time to draw or write at the time!

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

Logan and I have an adage we quote all the time which is simply: Don't worry about it.

Character is showing a weird side in a show we're watching? Oh, don't worry about it.

I make a weird noise? Don't worry about it.

Didn't catch the last half of a lewd joke or simply just a sentence he's said? Don't worry about it.

Its used more maliciously (in jest) than anything but its the funniest fucking thing we've let become a running joke.

camellia ⇢ what were you like when you were younger? do you think you’ve changed a lot?

Ah. Well, I basically wasn't a human being until 2018 or so, so.... Trauma (and clinical depression and overwhelming anxiety) did a number on me. Its actually rather hard to remember my life unless I focus on really trying to remember things. I was a lot quieter tho, read books to escape reality, and had like. No friends. I tried to validate myself through internet 'friends' and made a lot of mistakes in the pursuit of being a human. I have changed a lot (and I better have, i've healed and matured quite a bit), but I do think I still hold some of my core. qualities i think.

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

I'm never reading The Series of Unfortunate Events again. You can't make me. I LOVE the books. I cannot read them again. I Own the books (in nice shiny hardcover with the original printing, too), they are never going to be anything more than used space on my shelf.

ivy ⇢ what are your ‘tells’ for your emotions and moods? how can someone tell you’re happy, annoyed, upset or tired?

Uhhh my state of attentiveness I think. Logan says I enter 'screensaver mode' when tired but I'm not sure what actually changes. They can usually pinpoint it straight away tho fhdjs

Like if I'm more attentive and listening and engaging with you (ofc this is more for real life/voice call) im usually in a better state, I tend to tune things out when i get upset or tired or annoyed. Idk.

chamomile ⇢ what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts?

I have suuuuuch a soft spot for plushies. Its insane how soft I am over even just. a little guy. I don't even collect plushies but they always end up being my favorite present somehow. My coworker gave me a really soft Pusheen last year for my birthday(? or xmas) and god that thing lives at the end of my bed now but i was holding on to it daily for Months.

aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

Living in a house and not having anything in it that would deter me from. wanting to go home?This is a genuine first thought don't look into it too much..

palm tree ⇢ do you have a fictional villain you shouldn’t like but love regardless?

am i allowed to like the little shit that is Asahi from ffxiv (the answer is no. I love him tho (and Fandaniel))

taro ⇢ if someone called you right now to catch up, what’re the things you’d tell them about?

(if they're close enough) I'd probably talk a bit about my recent art for Era and Lorne? I don't have a life that's bery interesting unless you are willing to let me babble about my recent hyperfixations...

[aimmyarrowshigh]

16 & 29 for ao3 wrapped? 😊

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

I'm boring and tag very generically but like, utility-focused, so my most common tag is Drabble, followed by Canon Compliant, Canon Character of Color, Alternate Universe, and Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence. The first like, "fun" tag that comes up with over 100 uses is Polyamory, but I PERSONALLY FEEL like I use "Food As A Metaphor For Love" and "Grief/Mourning" an awful lot.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Oh, damn. Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh. That's a really good question. I don't often have lines that I feel like are like, particularly great on their own? There are beats I've written or drabbles I've written that I think have a good rhythm because of a line in them and how it plays with the other lines, but I very rarely have a "star line." And I think that because most of what I write IS a singular beat, I just either like it as a whole piece or I don't, yk?

This is a really good question. It's making me think about my writing in a way I normally don't.

I think maybe my favorite line of Five Times Captain America Fucked A USO Girl... is:

"“Ain’t you blue,” Lois teases. She bends over the back of Steve’s abandoned chair, butt high and round and framed in those soft pink garters, a perfect pinup gal. Steve bites his lips at the way her nipples match the silk like they came as a set."

My favorite line of Not In the Answer But the Question is either:

"Yeasty challah and tangy rye. Hot, fresh bagels. Charred onion and garlic. Bright vinegar on the half-sour pickles. Roasting beef dripping fat that sizzles on the bottom of the huge, hot ovens. Earthy barley and mushrooms. The iron-rich blood scent of liver. Schmaltz. Chicken soup with fat matzoh balls. Briny salmon and whitefish and sable. Herring smothered in biting raw onions. Caviar that scents of the sea. The sugary fake chocolate of egg creams and phosphates. The strange herbal fizz of celery soda. Peppery pastrami and salty corned beef, roasted chickens and blistered skirt steak. Cinnamon babka. Raspberry jam rugelach."

or

“Sure I am,” Bucky says. “Steve, ain’t no words for anything that I am that aren’t drenched in blood and the poison of people who hate me for being alive.”

My favorite line in Gee, I Hope You're Ready For A Fic About Death is:

No one is ever ready to deal with the idea of death, Beetlejuice has found. Well, almost no one. Occasionally there’s a stray lama or emo who gets it, is ready to sail through the Netherworld to—whatever is on its other side. But Dalais and Dark’ness Dementia Raven-Ways aside, Beetlejuice has never, not ever, met a soul who could deal with the idea that everything dies.

What about my kids? My cat? My cactus? What about rock’n’roll? The video star? Print journalism?

Everything. Dies.

And my favorite line in A Smile On Your Immortal Face is:

“Don’t I get to choose what I deserve?”

“No,” Nellie says simply. “You’re a woman.”

A dragonfly buzzes jewel-like over the water.

“That isn’t fair,” says Samantha. “I didn’t ask to be. I wanted to stay a girl. An American girl, the freest creature in all history.”

[acerbaa]

my friend learned how to 3d print and immediately made me a cactus fidget. i feel so loved and also i am going to drive multiple people insane

[thegracelessfaceless]

30 Day Drawing Challenge Update:

Cw: death mention, family death

I got news that my favorite aunt passed away today. Well, actually let me be more concise...

Context time: my mother was an only child, I have no true aunts or uncles on her side, only great aunts and a great uncle. However, due to a lot of time spent around cousins during my speech formative years, I learned to call my mom's cousins "aunt" and "uncle" due to being taught to speak around my cousins. Therefore, my mother's cousin Bub, became Uncle Bubba/Uncle Bub. Uncle Bub never married. He had one girlfriend whom he had the potential of marrying, but his mother didn't like her, so he broke up with her. Then he met Charlotte, who no one in the family really liked because she was older and my family can be kind of judgmental sometimes. Nonetheless, they stayed together. I was born years into their relationship, and when I was 3, I fell into my great grandmother's cactus garden and loaded myself with spines of all sizes from the big black spines to the tiny little sharp glochids. I was suffering so much I wouldn't even let my own mother help me. But Charlotte came to the rescue. I remember I let her help me because she smelled like pickles (she had a horrible sunburn and had used vinegar on her skin to "take the burn out"). Charlotte painstakingly removed every spine and glochidia from me and from that day, I was the only child in the family to call Charlotte Aunt Charlotte.

Aunt Charlotte and I remained very close, however she and Uncle Bub live a few states away. She got sick a few years ago, years of smoking and drinking caught up with her. She entered a nursing home, and I made sure she knew her resident rights. Perhaps a bit too well because she talked the doctor into releasing her.

Two days ago, she aspirated on a sip of water. Uncle Bub called to tell me of her passing this afternoon. She didn't want a funeral, just a quiet cremation, and since she wasn't immediate family (common law marriage is weird), work will not let me off to go help Uncle Bub. My next vacation is in November/December. I know flowers will not travel well, even by delivery. Plus Uncle Bub is not a flower man. He will forget to water them, and then feel bad because they died and I spent money on them. Or his cat Tweety Bird will eat them and possibly get sick, which will also make him (and me) feel bad.

So, I have decided to draw Aunt Charlotte's flower arrangement instead, then have it professionally printed and framed to take with me this winter.

This way, I can put all of my love into it. I have an extreme interest in floriography, the language of flowers. It spurred from my love of the Victorian era. So I have already selected the flowers for her, and for Uncle Bub.

However, I haven't spent a ton of time learning flowers and am learning how to shade and shadow my art, painstakingly slowly. This one may take a while, but it's very important to me.

Flowers featured will be:

Purple hyacinth: sorrow

Lilac: memories

Purple and yellow pansies: remembrance

Multicolored iris: messages of sorrow,familial love, sympathy, peace, and friendship

Red poppy: consolation and restful sleep

Dark crimson rose: mourning

Tulip: eternal love

Pink carnation: "I'll never forget you"

Bleeding heart: sorrow and loss

Pink petunia: do not despair

Pink yarrow: healing

White zinnia: thinking of you

Blue salvia: thinking of a grieving party

Forget Me Not: remembrance/ thinking of you

Rosemary: remembrance

Yellow marigold: grief

Yellow snapdragon: strength

[rhozahscraftedcatalog]

More previews of the little Barrel Cactus printable paper mini terrain, this time we have the various color options to take a look at. <3

Who says a desert is boring? I love how colorful cactus blossoms can be, and even though some of these are a little fantastical, they are a great way to add some variety to an otherwise one color terrain. I am considering making a variant without the bloom in the future as well for even more variety.

If you like these and are interested in more options, you can grab these now over on my Patreon! I am planing to continue to add more types of foliage when I can, since there is a lot more out there than just classic forest maps.

If you have a moment and want to support me (and get a whole bunch more printable minis like these) please check out my Patreon page! All of my minis are available as pre-scaled easy to print PDFs / PNG files and work great with a myriad of ttrpg games, including DnD, Pathfinder, Daggerheart, Blades in the Dark, Call of Cthulhu and more. The front view for most minis is FREE and supporters get access to a whole lot more including unique back views, color options, alternative poses & variant designs, VTT tokens and so much more. With dozens of minis to choose from, and more uploading every month, you will always have a new option for your table. ❤

[smileysvech]

cactus, chamomile, and nutmeg 🥰

cactus -> something you’re currently learning (about)?

well yesterday my very own personal financial advisor @pyotrkochetkov gave me tips about retirement funds which I still don’t really have a clue about (I am literally just a 23 year old teenager pls don’t make me think about this)

chamomile -> what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts?

I’m a very sentimental person so I absolutely love receiving handwritten things! small practical things like keychains and magnets are nice too. but honestly, if I can tell someone put thought into picking out something for me based on my personality/likes/interests then i’ll likely enjoy it!

nutmeg -> how’s your room/home decorated? do you have a specific theme or style going on?

this one’s a bit complicated since I just moved a few weeks ago so I’m still settling in and the past 5ish years of my life have been spent as a broke university student so we use what we have here lmaooo

in general, I like to try to keep things fairly neutral so pieces are pretty timeless and will last me a long time. it’s mostly white, black, dark grey, gold accents, and some pops of pink and yellow here and there! before I moved I had a ton of cards and printed photos of people/places that mean a lot to me hanging around my room (honestly i’ve been kinda lazy and haven’t wanted to put them up here yet) but I currently have some frames on my bookshelf along with a candle and stuffed plush puppy (both gifted to me by my bestie — i’m sure you can guess who 🤧🩷)

[rainbowsandalchemy]

Color Response 3: Diaries of a Plant Stalker-Fuchsia Edition

Response to The Awl article “Fuchsia, The Pinky Purple of Victorian Gardens and ‘Miami Vice’” 

No disrespect to Crockett and Tubbs, but I grew up in 1980s Florida and visited Miami quite frequently to see family. The color that flashed on my TV screen during the “Miami Vice” intro and in real life throughout the streets and billboards of Miami Beach was more neon pink than fuchsia. Understandably, the light coming from a 1980s TV screen or lighted sign likely produced a much different hue than what the show’s graphic designers intended. As evidenced in photo 5, the printed materials associated with the show skew much more toward fuchsia (aka magenta) than the low-fi footage NBC broadcast at the time. That said, even if the shock of neon pink featured in the title credits was technically considered fuchsia, I would still be way more interested in the version found in Victorian gardens. That is probably because I am an unabashed plant stalker. 

To my delight, I learned from this article that the flowers I had been stalking for many years happened to be fuchsia. I never knew the name and was, maybe, too lazy or tech-resistant to download a plant identification app. In any event, I love the saturated shade of dark pink-purple (aka magenta aka fuchsia) that I see in these flowers and I am drawn to the same color in other plants such as the cactus in photo 4.  

As I now know from Pantone’s 2023 “Viva Magenta” color description, fuchsia  strikes a balance between warm and cool. I find that balance to be much more appealing in nature than in print. I suppose that has to do with the way the color fuchsia looks in the context of the warm and cool green of the leaves surrounding it. In photo 1, because the greens are warmer, the fuchsia appears cool. In photo 2, the greens are cooler and the fuchsia appears warmer. It  always seems to put its best foot forward. It’s so lovely, even the cactii are hip to the trend. 

Not necessarily related to the colors ( although fuchsia is featured in the clip), but these flowers also remind me of my childhood in the sense that they look like the dancing flowers in Disney’s “Fantasia.” I hear Tchaikovsky in my head every time I see them. 

[capybaraonabicycle]

There's a cactus!! Oh, this is so lovely! And the flags are mirroring each other!! 😍 Thank you, thank you, thank you, this is perfect!!

Oh, I just love how my drawing completely became part of your art. It really looks like we sat together in the same room and created together. This is so, so nice ❤

I also really love the background?! It is so fun and interesting! No, but I am so glad you waited until you had found the cactus. It was the first thing I noticed and I immediately became excited about it :)

Your art and your journals are so cool! Thank you so much for sharing them with me! (And even including my drawings?! I feel like you enhance them to something truly beautiful.)

I think I will need to print this out now, too and put it next to the original drawing. I'll see if I can get it to the same size, that would be awesome.

Really, thank you so much for this!

Here you go :)

this one's smaller so I switched to 5 lines, hope that's fine, too

Here it iiissss!

It took a bit longer than i planned because for the life of me i couldn't find this little lesbian cactus drawing that i had done ages ago (turns out it was in a book that i gave to a friend) and i really wanted to pair them together. It was the first thing that came to mind when i was starting to plan the layout around the TARDIS.

This page is from my handmade journal, so it's a little bit more grungy and scrappy, but i think that hard geometric lines contrast quite well with more organic watercolour stains and distressed paper

This Sappho quote has always been about human connection through time amd space to me, and what says "human connection" better than creating art together even if we are on different sides of the world? Thank you so much for this drawing! I can't even put into words what joy it brings me to have this reminder of friendship, now and for years to come