#inu spiration tanabata 2024

[inu-spiration]

What an absolutely lovely piece to go with @mynightshining’s sweet story! @otaku-108, we love seeing you draw KogKag…such tenderness in this kiss 💕💕

Hungry like a wolf

Here's my piece for @inu-spiration!

I worked with the awesome @mynightshining on a little KogKag reunion that is just lovely 😍 Read it here! https://archiveofourown.org/works/57445606

Thank you all for the event ❤️❤️❤️

[mamabearcatfanart]

Criss Cross Star Crossed

An Inu-Spiration Tanabata Bang Collaboration with Dawnrider

It was my absolute privilege to be paired with @dawnrider for this bang. We've known each other for a while, and I adore her writing. I just know you're going to love her story - it has all the things I cherish in an Inuyasha canon setting that make me kick my heels in glee while I'm reading. Please leave her some love in the comments when you reblog!

Once you've read Dawnrider's story, this art will make more sense. I wanted to convey the feeling that Inuyasha and Kagome got caught up in something much bigger than themselves, and it meant that my art started out on a regular sized canvas and then got dragged into panoramic proportions when I realised it wasn't conveying the feeling the story evoked for me.

This one took a while for me to do, and me dragging my feet had absolutely nothing to do with Dawn's amazing work - my life at the moment is just full of Too Many Things. But there's nothing like an ADHD panic fest at the last minute to make you produce something - I'm just lucky I live on the arse end of the Earth and it gives me an extra 11 hours or so, otherwise I absolutely would have been marked down for handing in my assignment in a tardy fashion...

Anyway, I hope you like it! Can't wait to see all the lovely art and fiction crossing our dash for this event!

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang: July 7, 2024

Mark Your Calendars: Sign-Ups Begin March 15th

Hi everyone! We are very pleased to announce that our first inu-spiration event of 2024 will be a Tanabata bang!

Tanabata, or, "evening of the seventh," is a star festival held yearly in Japan. It celebrates the meeting of the dieties Orihime and Hikoboshi, whose stars are kept separate in the skies, and can only meet once per year. While the festivities can take place in July and August (often overlapping with Obon), the start of the festival is July 7. In honor of the festival, we hope you will join us for our sixth (!) Inu-spiration bang!

Sign-ups for the bang will begin March 15th and run through April 1st. It will be a traditional bang, meaning that artists will either draw to the story that a writer conceives, or the two will collaborate on the concept.

For more information, and to learn more about the schedule, check out our FAQ page!

[sereia1313]

Afterglow

@inu-spiration always comes up with such great themes! I had the privilge of working with @stardust414 and she created a stunning piece of art to go with our idea!

Read it on Ao3 and FFnet.

See (and swoon) over Stardust's art here!

Summary: Usually, Sesshoumaru paid the mortals no mind. They’d built him a splendid temple, and offerings littered the steps daily, but the gifts had begun to wane, and the murmurs of a goddess taking human form had begun to get louder.

Sneak Peek

A creak of the cottage door had him bounding back into the trees, unwilling to give up his cover even with his glamour firmly intact. He watched with wide eyes as a woman clad in pale robes and a determined glare stepped outside of the safety of her enclosure.

"Who's there?" she demanded. Sesshoumaru kept still, not wanting to relinquish his position even as her eyes flickered in his direction.

Breath stilled in his lungs as he was engulfed in an oceanic tempest, waves crashing upon his psyche as she held him captivated. The flush of her cheeks was nothing compared to the ferocity in her eyes, and it was a wonder he hadn't been burned on the spot.

She was stunning.

Raven curls fell around her shoulders, slightly tangled, as if she'd been pulled from a deep sleep. Chin raised defiantly, she scanned the area, hands gripping the door. She looked nothing like any goddess he had seen before, but he wished her to be one all the same. If he were a lesser being, he'd have grovelled at her feet—if only to get a better view.

"I do not fear you," she called out. "And you will find no solace here. Be gone before you meet the same end as your brothers." She was steadfast, like a warrior ready for battle, and Sesshoumaru remained still until well after she'd disappeared back inside.

Perhaps he'd been too hasty. Any female would've felt threatened if they'd heard noises outside their home so late at night. To his credit, he hadn't expected anything, let alone her, but he'd covered his tracks, his aura and presence hidden, so the fact she'd sensed anything piqued his curiosity.

Leaning back against the tree, intent on keeping an eye on her until she was willing to answer his questions, he rested one arm upon a bent knee, casting his gaze upward to the darkened sky. There must have been candles lit from within, as she'd glowed when she'd opened the door. But even as that thought crossed his mind, his brow pinched into a frown.

She'd felt human.

[inu-spiration]

@brain-rot-hour this is just the perfect visualization of @shikonstar’s intense and climatic scene. The colors, the lighting, the composition…. Our girl Kagome looks properly powerful.

My @inu-spiration piece (that I definitely didn’t redraw today 🫥) together with the lovely @shikonstar , who wrote an amazing story for your enjoyment!

You can read [Invasive Species] on Ao3!

Timelapse under cut

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Sign-Ups are now open!

Hi everyone! The inu-spiration mods are very excited to announce that sign-ups for our sixth Inu-spiration event, called "Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang", are now open!

The sign-up form can be found here. The form is the same for artists, writers, and betas, and we've included an option for pinch hitting, as well.

Sign-ups will be open until April 1st 📝

Questions? Check out our FAQs or send us an ask 💌

We hope you will join us, and can't wait to see all the new creations this event will bring!

[sereia1313]

Can't WAIT to share my final piece for @inu-spiration's Tanabata event! But until then, enjoy a little snippet of God-Sesshoumaru!

Sneak Peek

He'd never been gone this long before. The humans were starting to worry, rumours of incoming plagues and other such petty disasters stirring their fear, but it was said rumours that had caused his descent from the sky in the first place.

Usually, he paid them no mind. They'd built him a splendid temple, and offerings littered the steps daily, but the gifts had begun to wane, and the murmurs of a goddess taking human form had begun to get louder.

He snorted. No one was more beautiful than him, no female for that matter, and none would dare invade his territory. There had been peace amongst the deities for centuries; it was the humans who enjoyed bloodshed and drama. Some of the demi-gods, his brother included, enjoyed spurring them on, but Sesshoumaru had better things to do than engage in their squabbles for entertainment.

He was only down here in the first place because he was bored.

He didn't have anything against them—they worshiped him well enough—but there was something earthy about them that had him thankful he had so little contact with them in the first place. It was his job to guide them throughout the night, to give them hope during long voyages, and perhaps entrance a pair of lovers now and then.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his dark hair. This was another reason he didn't enjoy his time in the mortal realm. Scents were stronger, the ground harder, and he was forced to wear a guise in order to fit in. Others of his breed traipsed around in their true form while among the humans, but his markings tended to frighten rather than fascinate, so it was less of a headache to pretend to be one of them.

Keeping to himself, he strode purposely toward the heart of the village. It wasn't spectacular by any means, but there was a constant buzz of activity, patrons chatting amongst each other as they bought food for dinner or trinkets for loved ones.

Sesshoumaru bypassed all of it, shadows scampering away as he flared his power. The crowds eventually tapered off, leaving him on a single road headed north. Small stone statues carrying candles lit his way as the sun began to set, twilight darkening the sky.

He passed an old woman headed in the opposite direction, and she smirked, tapping his leg with her cane. "Ye are too late to witness her glory, young pup. Perhaps she will grace you with her presence tomorrow." He gave her a questioning look, and she had the audacity to laugh at him. "There is no other reason to be headed down this road."

"Perhaps I am simply taking in the sights," he said, hands hidden within his sleeves.

"Ah, but what a particular sight to behold." She turned toward him, squinting at him with her one good eye. "They say she is descended from Kisshouten-sama or is even the goddess herself in human form. But she is elusive, hiding away in her garden while she gathers power to fight the spirits that haunt us."

He kicked a stone at the thought, the so-called spirits hissing before disappearing from the path he'd been taking. There were certainly more than the usual amount within the village, but nothing he needed to be worried about.

They culminated in darkness, festering on nights of the new moon, and he supposed he could understand the woman's worry, considering how long he'd been absent from the sky. He needed to put this rumour to rest so he could return to his duties. "Has she been here long?"

The woman hummed, giving him a knowing smile. "As long as necessary. The spirits come with their teeth bared, but she will have none of it." She thumped the ground with her cane. "They wouldn't dare attack us with her present."

He raised an eyebrow at that. The spirits gave him a wide berth, but few others commanded their attention enough to keep them away from humans. He took another step in the so-called goddess' direction, but the woman caught his foot with her cane. "If ye seek the take advantage, you will find yourself banished."

He was tempted to show his true colours, but he could sense no taint within her soul, so he inclined his head. "I merely wish to pay tribute to the one protecting the village."

She eyed him up and down, then shrugged. "Try as you might, she will not venture out of her garden at night."

"I will keep that in mind," he replied.

"See that you do." She finally released his foot and then carried on her way. Sesshoumaru found it curious that she had given such a stern warning yet never once looked back, but she was not his concern that night.

He had confirmed, at least to a point, the existence of someone impersonating a god, and regardless of the creature's intentions, it was a crime punishable by death.

[dawnrider]

I am very excited to share a small bite of what's to come for @inu-spiration Tanabata Bang on July 7th, 2024. My artist and I are excited to share what we've created together with you this weekend! Looking forward to all the other creations everyone has been putting their hard work into!❤️

The heat was bordering on unbearable. Kagome’s nose wrinkled. If she could smell the sweat coming off of them all, she couldn't imagine what Inuyasha could smell. She almost felt bad for him… Except neither the weather nor the smell seemed to be bothering him in the least. Her moment of sympathy turned to jealousy. He's in those heavy layers, how is he not boiling like the rest of us? she thought, scowling. And she was even wearing a lightweight kosode and hakama! She had her sleeves tied back which helped a little, yet she could feel that uncomfortable trickle of sweat down the middle of her spine and the sticky cling of her top to her chest. “Oi. There's a river ahead,” Inuyasha called from the front. “Maybe we can set up camp in the woods on the other side and take advantage of the river while we have it.” Given he was being uncharacteristically thoughtful, Kagome stared at Inuyasha in wonder. “What? We can get some fishing in and smoke them to keep. Stretch out the ninja food a bit more.” She supposed he had been more aware of those kinds of things lately. Concern that they all had enough to eat, that they were not without shelter in extreme weather, that the water bottles were clean and full… Like his job as Protector had taken on more facets recently. Kagome felt her jealous irritation with him fade a bit. He was a good guy, after all. She should give him more credit where it was due. “That is a good idea, Inuyasha. Thank you,” she murmured the last so that only he would hear. She watched his ears flick, the way his spine straightened telling her he'd heard her loud and clear. Of course, he wasn’t going to admit that he appreciated the acknowledgement, but she could see that he did. He’d been more aware of her too, lately. A fact that had initially set her on edge. Was he apologizing for something? Was he feeling bad for her because of what happened with the infant? She had been so caught up in her emotions, in trying to rid herself of the darkness it had tried to tease into her heart to fester and grow, she hadn’t sensed his presence at all. Yelling out that she loved him had been the ward she’d needed to finally break its hold on her. The look Inuyasha had given her was so stunned… so pained. She couldn’t handle his pity, so she tried to pretend nothing happened.

[inu-spiration]

Oh wow, @shikonstar!! This was absolutely thrilling!! What an interesting and unique take on an InuKag love story, and @brain-rot-hour’s dynamic art fits in so well!!

Inuspiration is upon us!

I got paired with the magnificent BrainRot, and she absolutely nailed the art!

Summary: Kagome is all for finding the love of her dreams.

She just hopes she can avoid it becoming the love of her nightmares as well.

Rated: T

Ao3

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-Spiration Bang: COMING SOON

Hello everyone! We here at inu-spiration are so pleased to share that our event is now just one week away! Our creators are very excited to share what they have been working on diligently the last few months!

This week will be our WiP Week, meaning that our writers and artists will be sharing previews of the work that they will be posting one week from today. We can't wait to see what they have in store for us!

For our writers and artists: feel free to use the banner posted below for your WiP. Also be sure to tag us @inu-spiration so we know to reblog you 🩵

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Three Days Until Sign-Ups Open!

Hi there everyone! Just three more days until sign-ups open for "Written in the Stars": A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang! We hope you will be able to join us!

For the schedule, and more information, check out our FAQs. To peruse creations from previous events, check out our past Ao3 collections. If you have questions, please let us know with an ask! 💌

[inu-spiration]

Written in the Stars: A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang

Sign-ups open TOMORROW!

Hi there everyone! Sign-ups for "Written in the Stars": A Tanabata Inu-spiration Bang will open tomorrow, March 15th! Mark your calendars; we hope you will be able to join us!

For information regarding the event, including the schedule, check out our FAQs.

For a look at previous event creations, visit our Ao3 collections page.

Have other questions? Reach out to us with an ask!

[inu-spiration]

@classysassy9791 how haunting! You’ve captured the dark vibes perfectly! Thank you to you and @elkonigin, superb work to both of you!

Sacrifices

My @inu-spiration piece to go along with @elkonigin's fic that you can find here! Get ready for a dark ride 💟

Click for better quality Please do not repost

[dawnrider]

Good morning!! (On my side of the world anyway.) For the @inu-spiration Tanabata Bang 2024, I had the joy of working with @mamabearcat and boy are you gonna love the piece she's created for this story!! I hope you enjoy what we've created for you!

Criss Cross Star Crossed on AO3

[inu-spiration]

@mayarab this is the most perfect art for such a messy yet fateful first meeting crafted by @inuyashaeienni ! And we love their flowy hair ❤️

And here is the art I made for @inu-spiration! I was paired with @inuyashaeienni !! You should go read their fic here!!

This has been amazing and I can't wait for the next one!!

[inu-spiration]

@heynikkiyousofine this was SO much fun!! What a delightful little tale of family chaos. We loved this so much!! And @brain-rot-hour perfectly captured the wholesome, comical vibes!!

Happy Inu-Spiration 2024!

I was teamed up with @brain-rot-hour this year for @inu-spiration and we are bringing you some fun InuKag and SessSan shenanigans. Enjoy!

The Feudal Era: Adventures in BabySitting

The morning summer sun warmed his skin, alerting Inuyasha that today would be another hot one and he was more than ready to begin their journey to the beach. Unsure of why his wife wanted to go in the middle of the hottest time of the year was beyond him, but he was never one to tell her no. Even more after she returned from the future. However, they were traveling a long distance today and he really didn’t want to have to carry her and their bags in the blistering heat.

“Kagome, you’ve gone over the brats’ schedule with her five times already. I think she’s got it. Isn’t that right, Sango?” He arched his brow at the demon slayer, their gazes meeting and the only answer he received in response was her shrug. Sango knew all too well about keeping kids overnight, and so did they, he might add. He couldn’t keep track of how many times they watched her kids while she went on a trip with his brother.

“Fine, fine.” His wife gave him one of her award winning smiles and all his irritation disappeared, her brown eyes sparkling as the rising sun hit them just right. He would never admit it, but he couldn’t imagine ever falling in love with another color for the rest of his life. “Where is Sesshomaru?”

“Oh, he’s giving his farewell to Rin and Kohaku before they leave to head north on another demon hunt.”

“She’s really enjoying learning all about it and I’m a little shocked to see His Royal Fluffiness be so calm about it.” Kagome winked, leaning in close, so if the daiyoukai were to suddenly appear, he wouldn’t hear her.

“Oh, at first he was anything but calm about it. You know how when he’s especially irritated, his mokomoko gets all fuzzy, like a cat’s tail? It wouldn’t settle for days the first time Rin left the village. I had to force him to stay in the village so he wouldn’t go after them.” Sango loudly whispered back, their grins wide on their faces.

“Is Sango whispering stories again?” Said man appeared next to Inuyasha, his face stoic despite the teasing mood in the air.

“Yeah, she’s telling Sango about the first time Rin went demon slaying.” 

“Hn.”

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha ignored the weird bond between one of his closest friends and his brother, still not used to the affectionate way Sesshomaru acted towards her. Rin was one thing and even Kagome was another. They were simply family. Sango was a new battleground he had yet to figure out about Sesshomaru. Stepping towards the chittering women, he snatched their overstuffed bag and swung it over his shoulder, slipping his wife’s hand into his.

“Alright love, time to go. See ya both in three days. If we pass Miroku on our travels, I’ll remind him about being back in time for the twins' birthdays at the end of the summer.”

“Thanks Inuyasha, have fun now you two!” Sango waved them off without another word and headed towards her hut, the sound of six children getting up for the day filling the air.

Despite the day being warmer than he initially expected, they made it to the beach in record time, the sun falling beneath the horizon as his toes sank into the sand. Their campsite was hidden behind some trees, so if any other travelers were to pass by, they wouldn’t be able to spot them unless they actively searched for them. Holding onto Kagome’s hand a little tighter than normal, so she didn’t slip as they walked towards the ocean, Inuyasha couldn’t stop the smile from forming.

“Happy that we made it?” Kagome hummed, her cheeks flushed from being out in the sun all day.

“Yeah, it was a quick trip, but I always forget just how insane this view is. Why don’t we come more often?”

“Because we have three kids, all under the age of 6 and getting time away from them is hard enough.” She laughed, the sound drifting across his ears and easing any unspoken worries. He wondered how after six years, she was still able to calm him with such a simple action. “Besides, while I think the kids would have fun here, I would very much like to keep this a place for just the two of us.”

He nodded, the two of them stopping to watch the remainder of the sunset in silence, the waters flowing past their ankles. Arms wrapped around his life, Inuyasha couldn’t help but send a silent prayer up to the heavens, giving his thanks for bringing Kagome back into his life once more. 

Once the moon lit up the night sky, he simply scooped up wife in his arms, sealed his mouth to hers and made his way back to their makeshift bed to show her just how much he appreciated her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days had passed and soon the couple were ready to return to the chaos that was their life, the summer day turning into a cool, rainy one the closer they journeyed home. Inuyasha could only imagine having six kids cooped up in a house all day on one like this was probably not the greatest, especially if the way the scent of rain permeated the air, alerting him that it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Careful to not step in mud, he rounded the bend in the path with his wife at his side, Sango’s home coming into his view. From where they stood, all seemed normal and he couldn’t hear anything happening in the house, but he was sure that it was pure hectic chaos inside. He briefly wondered if Sesshomaru stayed to help or go hide in a tree somewhere, trying to stay dry. The image of a soaking wet daiyoukai made him snicker quietly.

As they neared the home, he could hear the echoes of children’s laughter, still unable to make out any definite sounds with the heavy pouring rain. Pulling aside the mat, he and Kagome froze, mouths’ gaping at the chaotic scene before them.

To his left, his oldest Moroha, currently had Hisui pinned down on the mat, her cackle causing him to wince just a bit. She had managed to get a small garden snake into the hut and was practically shoving it down the poor kid’s throat, calling him a “fraidy cat”. To his right, the older twins had backed Shippo into a corner, the kit hiding his tail protectively because Inuyasha knew all too well how much the girls love to pull it.

A soft hissed caught his attention and glancing over Kagome's still shocked face, he noticed the large pot boiling over into the fire pit, effectively burning whatever Sango had decided to make for lunch. To be truthfully honest, he couldn’t really tell what it was. In the far corner, near the back door he had helped Miroku install so it was easier to get to the stream behind their hut, his youngest lay in a pile of blankets, happily snoozing away. The only thing that seemed really out of place, well more like into full on tantrum mode, was his middle child  wailing in Sango’s arms as she glared at them.

It took him a full minute to realize she was actually giving the dirty look to the full blooded youkai sitting in the corner of rafters overhead, Sesshomaru’s face in a full on pout. Unable to hold back his laughter, he roared, doubling over, catching the sweetest of giggles his wife made beside him.

“What the he-”, Inuyasha paused, wary of little brats repeating his words, before wiping away the tears from his eyes, “Why are you up there, Sesshomaru?”

“Your pup has sticky fingers.”

“She’s three! Of course her fingers are probably sticky.” Kagome laughed once more before turning to console their child, Sango joining them and placing her hands on her hips.

“Lord Fluffy up there decided he didn’t like sticky fingers when Izayoi wanted to play with his hair. Before I could soothe her, Haruto picked the perfect time to spit up the milk you left for him and it just so happened to distract Sesshomaru enough that Izayoi sank her fingers into his mokomoko. I’ve never seen him so offended, except for a few times battling Naraku.” She sighed, shaking her head, and called out, “How long are you planning on staying up there?”

“Either until all of the children’s hands are clean or the rain stops.”

“Good luck with that.” Inuyasha snorted, turning to rescue the poor snake and Hisui from his daughter.