#i kind of miss them tbh

[sootnuki]

mistletoe kiss

2023 version

[hinamie]

itakugi sillies fr the soul

[vaguely-concerned]

purple hawke who, at malcolm's death, lost not only a father, a mentor, the single most stable and safe point in their world up until this moment. but also the only person in their life who would consistently, gleefully 'yes, and — ' them. the loss, in one fell swoop, of both a beloved parent and your sole willing — no, not only willing, enthusiastic — improv partner. truly, the most unkindest cut of all that the maker could have seen fit to deal. (there's always so much less laughter in the house, after malcolm's gone.)

and then after all the horrors of the blight and trying to make a new life in the shithole turned shithome of kirkwall....... they meet varric. and something that's been slumbering deep within their soul dries a tear of relief and joy and whispers 'oh we are so back'. and they are so right

[inkskinned]

one of the things about being an educator is that you hear what parents want their kids to be able to do a lot. they want their kid to be an astronaut or a ballerina or a politician. they want them to get off that damn phone. be better about socializing. stop spending so much time indoors. learn to control their own temper. to just "fucking listen", which means to be obedient.

one of the things i learned in my pedagogy classes is that it's almost always easier to roleplay how you want someone to act. it's almost always easier to explain why a rule exists, rather than simply setting the rule and demanding adherence.

i want my kids to be kind. i want them to ask me what book they should read next, and i want to read that book with them so we can discuss it. i want my kid to be able to tell me hey that hurt my feelings without worrying i'll punish them. i want my kid to be proud of small things and come running up to me to tell me about them. i want them to say "nah, i get why this rule exists, but i get to hate it" and know that i don't need them to be grateful-for-the-roof-overhead while washing the dishes. i want them to teach me things. i want them to say - this isn't safe. i'm calling my mom and getting out of this. i want them to hear me apologize when i do fuck up; and i want them to want to come home.

the other day a parent was telling me she didn't understand why her kid "just got so angry." this woman had flown off the handle at me.

my dad - traditional catholic that he is - resents my sentiment of "gentle parenting". he says they'll grow up spoiled, horrible, pretentious. granola, he spits.

i am going to be kind to them. i am going to set the example, i think. and whatever they choose become in the meantime - i'm going to love them for it.

[cozylittleartblog]

idk if I've said it before, but your portrayals of both Rouxls and Queen are among my favorites, and the way they are when you combine the two is the sole thing that got me to say "yes" to queenkaard. When I first saw it in the game and it started catching on as a ship, I was like "nooo I hc him as gay," but then after seeing your stuff I was like "oh nvm I totally see this now."

i think hearing "i didn't see this ship before, but after your art i understand it and/or even ship it myself" is one of the nicest compliments i get, because it makes me feel like i'm representing something meaningful and sweet about a pairing and having people understand what i think is so great and captivating about them. i've gotten a couple asks like this and sometimes i forget to respond but i always really appreciate them :) thank you very much

[strzygon-x]

i made some oc chart! after all this years I drew them all yay xD tbh most of them are dragon age ocs... but i moved them to modern au

[gunsatthaphan]

????

[quicktimeeventfull]

3k words Read here or on AO3 Content Notes: Set in Canada. Features nonbinary Light & a touch of hurt/comfort. A standalone set in the Nantes Extended Universe (hand me your hand etc.) In which L entirely forgets that Christmas Eve is a romantic holiday in Japan and therefore might mean something to his partner, Light, an international student from Kanto. Light throws a bit of a fit; L scrambles to find a suitable date.

It was clear that Light wanted something, but L could not sort out what it was. Xie had been following him around their apartment all day, close as a cat and just as underfoot.

He had tried asking outright — they were nineteen and twenty respectively, and therefore old enough to hash things out like adults. It was to no avail. All he’s gotten in return was a noncommittal murmur. Apparently part of what Light wanted was for L to figure out xir desires on his own.

And so, bereft of any other option, L had decided the only thing to do was to exercise patience.

It was nearly six PM and he was busily washing the dishes in their kitchen while Light sat on their counter, not helping, when Light finally said, “Where are you taking me for Christmas?”

L looked up, startled. Christmas was in three days. “I hadn’t been — did you want to go somewhere?”

It was the wrong thing to say. Light flushed, and looked away.

It occurred to L, for the first time, that Light might have been thinking of this as a romantic holiday rather than what L generally considered it, which was to say a somewhat cruel expose of everyone’s trauma. Light was an international student in from Kanto; L was given to understand that Christmas over there was closer to Valentine’s day.

“I’m sorry,” he said, more gently this time. “I didn’t realize you’d wanted to do anything. I should have asked. I set up a client. It’s a big day for me, in that sense.”

There were a lot of lonely people around Christmas. He charged a premium on the night before, and then he had a date with Watari on the day-of. Watari was the only person it was profitable enough to sugar for, and anyway L liked him. He was reliable and polite and safe, his favourite client by far.

It simply hadn’t occurred to him that he might be wanted elsewhere.

Light kicked xir feet. “It’s my first one as a girl,” xie said.

L’s heart sunk.

“Ah,” he said. Then, running through options in his head. “Alright. Look. I’ll move things around. The eve is the couple’s bit, isn’t it?”

For a moment, Light didn’t move at all. Then xie nodded, so quickly and slightly that it seemed conveying this information to l was a bit of a chore.

“I’ll move things around,” L said. “I’m sorry. Really.”

Light said nothing. L dried off his hands, then walked over. He hoisted himself up onto the counter. He did not look at Light. Light always seemed to find that easier.

“I’m sorry,” he said, again. “I didn’t think of it — that’s all. I wouldn’t have scheduled anything if I had.”

Light kicked xir feet. L went on.

“I want to spend the day with you,” he said. “I promise. I’ll sort it out. I’m probably stuck for Christmas day, but I can work out the night before, and I’ll be there in the morning.”

Light looked away, which was actually a good thing — when Light was really mad, xie ignored L entirely.

“Forgive me?” L said. “Please?”

Light bit xir lip, then, finally, turned to him. “Yeah,” he said. “Okay. Fine.”

Then xie leaned over and dropped xir head onto L’s shoulder. Something in L unknotted. He wrapped an arm around Light’s waist, then decided to test his luck by kissing xir temple.

Light let him, so he supposed things must have been alright.

---

Just about everything in their city closed down for the holidays — the joys and tribulations of little cities — so L elected to bring Light down to Toronto.

It seemed clear that Light hadn’t entirely forgiven him after all. Xie wouldn’t look at him the entire ride down on the GO train, which wasn’t necessarily unusual for Light, but did feel somewhat concerning.

He’d kept his morning appointment, but cancelled the evening one entirely. This was not an action without consequence. He charged a fair bit, and he liked to provide a consistent service. This was a good client. L did not want to lose him. It wasn’t only about the money he’d make today, although that was a bit of a blow. Without a pool of good clients, he would be forced to take chances on people who weren’t; he did not wish to return to living that way.

Still. Light was right. He should have asked, first.

He led Light down to the aquarium, then brought him down through the deep dark rooms of fish and into the glass tunnel. It was dark, lit and ethereal blue, and there were sharks and turtles and all manner of aquatic life swimming around them. It was quite magical, really. Romantic. On Christmas Eve, it was nearly empty — there was only one other couple, who were just around the curve of the tunnel, their bodies distorted silhouettes through the water. L thought he’d done quite a good job, here.

“This has nothing to do with Christmas,” Light said.

L turned to look at xim, trying very hard not to let his exasperation show.

Light had left their apartment dressed very nicely, in grey chinos and the nice black turtleneck which made xir neck look very long. Right now, all that was covered up with the giant black Canada Goose jacket which L had bought for xim and which xie had refused to check. The aquarium was far too hot for that, and xir face was a little pink from the heart. It would have been cute if xie wasn’t — frankly — acting like such a brat.

L was trying to be nice. He really was.

He reminded himself, once again, that this was his fault. He had screwed up. He couldn’t be mad at Light for being upset.

“You love fish,” L said. “Fish are wonderful.”

Light looked away, then hunched up xir shoulders.

“Okay,” said L. “Look. Let’s — do you want to go touch a stingray?” They had tanks out front.

Light’s lips pressed together. “Fine,” xie said.

L reached for xir hand. Xie snatched it away.

So, L decided, his hopes of being forgiven were a little premature after all. He pressed two fingers to either side of his nose bridge, then followed Light as xie stomped off to play with the stingrays.

---

Their next stop was the Christmas market. This time, L wasn’t naïve enough to expect things to have resolved, but surely xie could not be upset at the lack of Christmas.

The Christmas market was in the Distillery district, which had once been — as the name implied — a distillery.

It looked like something out of a Dickens novel — all red brick and with iron fixtures painted a deep green, the roads paved in brick, now strung with Edison bulbs which glowed warm in the dark. The winding streets were now lined with vendors in little tents selling street food and little Christmas tchotchkes.

It was romantic. It was Christmassy. Light was walking alongside L, arms crossed tightly over xir chest, lips pressed into a harsh line.

L was going to lose his mind.

“Isn’t this nice?” he said, as pleasantly as he could manage. “I always think the Distillery is so beautiful this time of year.”

“It’s cold,” Light said. It was three below. “There are too many people.”

“Let’s get you something to eat,” L said.

He headed down the alleyways, towards a tiny building with a chalkboard sign outside advertising drinking chocolate. That seems suitably romantic and Christmasy, and also suitably filled with sugar, which he dearly hoped might do something to benefit Light’s mood.

The interior of the building was warm and smelled intensely of cocoa and pine. It was stuffed with boughs of evergreen and holly and little vintage decorations — wooden ornaments painted in wam colours, hand-pounded tin lanterns, dipped candles hanging upside-down.

There was hardly enough room to turn around in, and Light stood so close to L that he was nearly knocked over, so at least xie wasn’t too repulsed to be in his vicinity.

L bought them both a cup of drinking chocolate. He handed one to Light, who sipped at it and then, looking startled, spat it back into the cup, right in front of the woman who sold it to them. She looked profoundly offended.

“Don’t —” L started. “What was wrong with that?”

“It’s not hot chocolate,” Light said.

“No. It’s drinking chocolate.”

Light looked away. “But you drink hot chocolate.”

“I know, but it’s something different. I’m sorry. I should have explained.” L took a sip from his. It was heavy and bitter and not at all bad, but he supposed it could be alarming if one were not prepared. “Do you — ah — I suppose you don’t like it very much.”

“It’s disgusting,” Light said. “I hate it.” Xie handed xir spit coffee to L, then turned and stalked out of the building.

L was at a loss.

---

A wiser man might have called the night off altogether, but L lived in hope. There was one more stop on his increasingly disastrous plan — Kingyo, a Japanese restaurant in Cabbagetown.

He was starting to get a little frustrated, frankly. He had made an error, it was true, but it had been a mistake and not an act of malice. Surely there had to be an end to his penance.

Light got like this, sometimes. Xie had a very easy life. L would be lying if he said he’d never thought about this with resentment. So very little had gone wrong for xim. Xie didn’t know how to handle it when things went sideways; xie expected everything to be laid with roses.

“Look,” L said, as Light sunk low into xir seat. “Should we just go home?”

“No,” Light said. It’s fine. I don’t care.”

L shut his eyes, then breathed out and picked up his menu. He fervently hoped this would be the best meal they’d ever had un their lives. Perhaps it was possible to feed Light something so delicious that xie would never be unhappy again.

They had a table in the back of the restaurant; it was surprisingly private. Kingyo was a gigantic restaurant, dimly lit, outfitted with lacquered wood and raw brick walls. A projector silently played Japanese children’s shows along one concrete wall — right now, it was showing Anpanman. It had a slouching, semi-ironic casual air to it, as if it had simply thrown together its rough wood floors and the noren curtains between entranceways. Cool? it seemed to say. I hadn’t noticed.

Light picked up xir menu, too. “These aren’t Izakaya foods,” xie said.

“I know,” L told him, as patiently as he could manage. “Izakayas in Canada are like this.”

“It’s wrong,” Light said, correctly but infuriatingly.” They really should have gone home, L decided. This was a disaster. “You’re paying for this, right.”

“It’s a date,” L said. “We’re on a Christmas Eve date. That is what you —” He inhaled, then exhaled, scanned his menu. “Oh, they’ve got fried chicken for Christmas. Isn’t that nice?”

“That’s tomorrow,” Light said. “You eat it tomorrow. Everyone keeps telling me about KFC. I don’t want anyone to tell me about KFC anymore.”

“Okay,” said L. He reminded himself that he loved Light very, very much.

---

They got grilled mackerel and a negitoro combination — or, more precisely, L ordered both these things and Light sat back in xir seat, drinking the hot sake L had also ordered.

“Look,” L said, finally, two tuna rolls in. “Please eat something. You’ll feel better if you eat.”

“I’m fine,” Light said. “I’m happy. It’s an Izakaya. You’re supposed to drink. You aren’t supposed to eat maki.” Then, abruptly, “I can’t believe you forgot.”

L put his chopsticks down. This was what he’s been waiting for all day.

“Look,” he said. “I’m sorry. I really am. But it was one mistake —”

“—and you still went to work this morning.”

“Light. I have to work.”

“No, you don’t.”

L pinched the bridge of his nose. “Our landlord would disagree. He generally takes rent in money.”

“But you didn’t have to work this morning. You pick your clients. You cancelled tonight.”

L felt anger flash hot and bright.

He didn’t feel anger very often. He didn’t feel anything most of the time, in fact — the world usually seemed quite abstracted to him, something moving tremulously in the distance. It made things easier. But he did feel this.

“Light,” he said. “I did that. I did cancel tonight. I did that for you. And that sort of thing — it makes me look unreliable. He’s a good client. I can’t risk two good clients.”

“And you’re still seeing someone tomorrow —”

“I need to, Light. I can’t lose Watari.” Then, his anger growing sharper, making him stupid. “You don’t understand. You aren’t even trying to understand. I can’t throw away everyone I know for certain is safe. You need to think about what you’re asking me to do.”

Light’s face went a little slack. As a rule, he didn’t like to talk about the aspects of his job that were dangerous; he didn’t like to force Light to think about them. But then it hardened again and L knew xie was shuttering that information away. Xie was very good at making anything xie didn’t like to think about disappear.

Xie picked up one of the negitoro and popped it into xir mouth. This was good, at least, because L highly doubted the situation would be improved by Light drinking nothing but sake on an empty stomach.

Xir face contorted. Xie swallowed, then looked up at L.

“That was shit. This is disgusting.”

L could feel himself flushing; pins and needles swept up and down his body. The world suddenly felt at once very close and utterly out of his grasp; he leaned forwards and hissed, “You are acting like a spoiled child —”

Light burst into tears.

For a moment, he felt frozen, unable to think of a single thing to say. Light covered xir face with his hands, as if this would somehow prevent anyone from seeing.

The anger drained out of him, replaced with a rush of guilt.

“Hey,” L said, He leaned forwards. “I’m sorry. Light. I really am.”

Light mumbled something through xir tears. It was too muddy to hear.

L hesitated. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t catch that.”

“You take me for — for —,” Light started, stuttering over the words, then swallowed and took xir hands away. Xie wiped at xir eyes with the back of xir hands, swallowed, then switched to Japanese. “You take me for granted. You just assume I’m going to be okay with everything.”

It took L a second to translate, and another to find his own words in Japanese. He was very fluent, but it was still a second language, and one he didn’t have much practise in.

“Oh. Light. No. That isn’t true.”

“It is,” Light said, more insistent. Xir was speaking louder and steadier, now. “It is. You think I understand everything you do so it’s all fine. And I do understand. But it’s not fine.” Xie tugged xir sleeve ofter xir hand and wiped at xir eyes. “Everything is different here.” Xie jerked xir head towards the maki. “It doesn’t taste like it does at home. I can’t go back for New Years. I have to talk in English all the time and I’m tired and everyone acts like I’m stupid when I don’t know every word. I wanted just — Christmas is a big holiday. I know it’s not mine but I wanted to try anyway.”

L was getting a little lightheaded. He had been aware of these things, sort of, but they hadn’t coalesced.

“I didn’t realize,” he said, softly.

“I know you didn’t. You were supposed to realize. I’m not supposed to have to tell you every single thing. You should know some things.”

“I know,” L said. “I’m sorry.”

Light wiped at xir eyes again. “I’m hungry. I didn’t eat all day.”

“I know. Maybe you could give that a shot now.”

Light picked up another negitoro and ate it. “It really isn’t very good.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It should have realized it wouldn’t stack up and brought you elsewhere.” It was good, actually, but he felt it was the right thing to say in the present circumstances. Light was right — it probably wasn’t compared to what xie was used to.

Apparently he was right because Light nodded, looking pacified, and took another.

“I didn’t realize you were having such a hard time,” L said. “I should have.”

Light shrugged. It seemed as much an acceptance as a condemnation. Sometimes the two were the same. To be told he’d done wrong was its own sort of love, sometimes.

“Maybe we ought to go home after this,” L said. “Perhaps it’s been enough.”

“I guess. Yeah.” Then xie bit the inside of xir cheek. “But they have ginger ice cream.”

L couldn’t help himself; he smiled. “Okay. Yes. We should get ginger ice cream, and then we should head home.”

Light nodded, wiped at xir eyes again, and ate another roll.

---

On the way back home, surrounded by the rattling of the GO train, the brightness of the train turning the view outside into an incoherent blackness, Light sunk into L’s arms and shut xir eyes.

Xie looked exhausted. L supposed xie must be.

Sometimes the way Light behaved was infuriating, but L knew it wasn’t easy for xim either; it wasn’t something xie was doing on purpose. Things overtook xim — strangling emotions and words and actions. L could understand that. It came part and parcel. L stroked xir hair and Light made a soft noise, then pressed closer.

Xir eyes were fluttering. L wrapped an arm around xim to keep him close and safe — his love, his beautiful girl, half asleep in the warmth of his arms.

[gynii]

some cbeeduo perhaps? love your art!

:D thank you!! here is some beeduo, though im a bit out of practice haha

[mislamicpearl]

For a long time I've wanted to do a continuation of this post showing how Cole and Kai interact with Sora as Lloyd's daughter, but I literally couldn't find any Kai and Sora one-on-one interactions. So now I just have these screenshots of Cole and Sora saved and I thought they were too cute not to share.

Sooo yeah I guess this is a "Cole being an uncle to Sora" post.

[greasydumbfuck]

thinking about frank and sex (in a sad way)

[nkjemisin]

From the launch party for The Stone Sky, way back in August 2017, at the Housing Works bookstore in SoHo. (Why does it feel like that was 2,334,872 years ago? Don't answer, I know why.) The intrepid disaster researcher/Stargate consultant/SETI researcher* Mika McKinnon graced us with her awesomeness, and we had a chat about geophysics and disasters. I know squat about geophysics -- I nerd out about rocks and volcanoes, is all -- so I just hope I didn't bore her. She's such a fun person.

We tried to commission a geode cake for this event, but for some reason none of the fancy cake places we called were willing to make one. So we ordered a very nice cake from one of the places that was polite about it, and my intrepid assistant ordered these rock-sugar cake toppers from Lucitini Cakes, and badow.

*She has like a million titles. I picked my faves.

[jomeimei421]

GYAAHHH people are reblogging ANCIENT art of mine

[timey-fandom-stuff]

[DOGSONG INTENSIFIES]

here's a few more Deltarune Monsterswap Kris doodles, and this time I'll toss a handful of related headcanons and tidbits below the cut!

- Kris's origins are unknown prior to Asriel finding them digging around in trash cans in front of the house when they were tiny; they seemed to have been living on their own for a while, eating anything they could get their paws on and avoiding strangers. they might not remember their time on the streets, but they still have a habit of eating weird things-- even when they're not really hungry. if you offer it to them they WILL eat it, that is both a promise and a threat.

- they initially didn't like to communicate outside of a variety of dog noises, and for the first couple years the Dreemurrs weren't actually sure if they could talk at all. they still tend to prefer growls, barks, and whines though, since many sounds used in everyday speech are a bit difficult for them to make and their paws lack the dexterity(and 1 finger) for some sign language. they can still talk though with a bit of effort, and may write out responses or spell in ASL if they're struggling too much with pronunciation. they struggle worse when frustrated or upset due to trying to speak through a growl.

- more of Kris's behaviors carry over from dogs and wolves than just their sounds and appearance; seeing if Susie's head can fit in their mouth once they're pals isn't just a goofy joke (though it's definitely a goofy joke on her part). it's actually their weird attempt at nibbling like a wolf-- a sign of affection and friendliness. nobody in Hometown actually knows enough about wolves to pick up on that, though, so they don't try it with anyone other than Susie since they know she won't panic. she just thinks it's the silliest thing ever.

- Kris is actually a monster loosely based on 'el cadejo,' a mythical dog spirit from Central America. whereas dark-furred cadejos are believed to be malevolent and dangerous beings, white-furred ones are seen as benevolent protectors and guides. their color palette swap between dark and light world references this; in the light world they have dark brown and tan fur with red eyes, but in the dark world they're white and silver-furred with blue eyes. notably, the dark cadejo is also associated with the devil-- paralleling Kris's devil horns they wore as a child. and likewise, their benevolent side is associated with angels, in line with the 'angel' that may or may not be the Player.

[literalite]

note you'll be getting both eventually anyways this is just which comes first. now the sioyef writing isn't done yet but the poses (thanks kurt) i need for it are and also i wont have to do a lot of set building. the old man fantasy yaoi's writing is done however i need to update my game to get the other sim in and also build a few sets. might be able to wing it with existing poses. but yeah